The Book of Household Management - Mrs. Isabella Beeton

M >> Mrs. Isabella Beeton >> The Book of Household Management

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120

_Time_.--Rather more than 5 minutes to simmer the onions.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 4d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 goose, or a pair of ducks.

505. SOYER'S RECIPE FOR GOOSE STUFFING.--Take 4 apples, peeled and
cored, 4 onions, 4 leaves of sage, and 4 leaves of lemon thyme not
broken, and boil them in a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them;
when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and thyme; then
add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be sufficiently dry
without sticking to the hand; add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird.

SALAD DRESSING (Excellent).

I.

506. INGREDIENTS.--1 teaspoonful of mixed mustard, 1 teaspoonful of
pounded sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad oil, 4 tablespoonfuls of milk,
2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, cayenne and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Put the mixed mustard into a salad-bowl with the sugar, and add
the oil drop by drop, carefully stirring and mixing all these
ingredients well together. Proceed in this manner with the milk and
vinegar, which must be added very _gradually_, or the sauce will curdle.
Put in the seasoning, when the mixture will be ready for use. If this
dressing is properly made, it will have a soft creamy appearance, and
will be found very delicious with crab, or cold fried fish (the latter
cut into dice), as well as with salads. In mixing salad dressings, the
ingredients cannot be added _too gradually_, or _stirred too much_.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 3d.

_Sufficient_ for a small salad.

This recipe can be confidently recommended by the editress, to whom it
was given by an intimate friend noted for her salads.

SCARCITY OF SALADS IN ENGLAND.--Three centuries ago, very few
vegetables were cultivated in England, and an author writing of
the period of Henry VIII.'s reign, tells us that neither salad,
nor carrots, nor cabbages, nor radishes, nor any other
comestibles of a like nature, were grown in any part of the
kingdom: they came from Holland and Flanders. We further learn,
that Queen Catharine herself, with all her royalty, could not
procure a salad of English growth for her dinner. The king was
obliged to mend this sad state of affairs, and send to Holland
for a gardener in order to cultivate those pot-herbs, in the
growth of which England is now, perhaps, not behind any other
country in Europe.

[Illustration: THE OLIVE.]

THE OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL.--This tree assumes a high degree of
interest from the historical circumstances with which it is
connected. A leaf of it was brought into the ark by the dove,
when that vessel was still floating on the waters of the great
deep, and gave the first token that the deluge was subsiding.
Among the Greeks, the prize of the victor in the Olympic games
was a wreath of wild olive; and the "Mount of Olives" is
rendered familiar to our ears by its being mentioned in the
Scriptures as near to Jerusalem. The tree is indigenous in the
north of Africa, Syria, and Greece; and the Romans introduced it
to Italy. In Spain and the south of France it is now cultivated;
and although it grows in England, its fruit does not ripen in
the open air. Both in Greece and Portugal the fruit is eaten in
its ripe state; but its taste is not agreeable to many palates.
To the Italian shepherd, bread and olives, with a little wine,
form a nourishing diet; but in England, olives are usually only
introduced by way of dessert, to destroy the taste of the viands
which have been previously eaten, that the flavour of the wine
may be the better enjoyed. There are three kinds of olives
imported to London,--the French, Spanish, and Italian: the first
are from Provence, and are generally accounted excellent; the
second are larger, but more bitter; and the last are from Lucca,
and are esteemed the best. The oil extracted from olives, called
olive oil, or salad oil, is, with the continentals, in continual
request, more dishes being prepared with than without it, we
should imagine. With us, it is principally used in mixing a
salad, and when thus employed, it tends to prevent fermentation,
and is an antidote against flatulency.

II.

507. INGREDIENTS.--4 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of mixed mustard, 1/4
teaspoonful of white pepper, half that quantity of cayenne, salt to
taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of cream, vinegar.

_Mode_.--Boil the eggs until hard, which will be in about 1/4 hour or 20
minutes; put them into cold water, take off the shells, and pound the
yolks in a mortar to a smooth paste. Then add all the other ingredients,
except the vinegar, and stir them well until the whole are thoroughly
incorporated one with the other. Pour in sufficient vinegar to make it
of the consistency of cream, taking care to add but little at a time.
The mixture will then be ready for use.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 7d.

_Sufficient_ for a moderate-sized salad.

_Note_.--The whites of the eggs, cut into rings, will serve very well as
a garnishing to the salad.

III.

508. INGREDIENTS.--1 egg, 1 teaspoonful of salad oil, 1 teaspoonful of
mixed mustard, 1/4 teaspoonful of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of pounded
sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 6 tablespoonfuls of cream.

_Mode_.--Prepare and mix the ingredients by the preceding recipe, and be
very particular that the whole is well stirred.

_Note_.--In making salads, the vegetables, &c., should never be added to
the sauce very long before they are wanted for table; the dressing,
however, may always be prepared some hours before required. Where salads
are much in request, it is a good plan to bottle off sufficient dressing
for a few days' consumption, as, thereby, much time and trouble are
saved. If kept in a cool place, it will remain good for 4 or 5 days.

POETIC RECIPE FOR SALAD.--The Rev. Sydney Smith, the witty canon
of St. Paul's, who thought that an enjoyment of the good things
of this earth was compatible with aspirations for things higher,
wrote the following excellent recipe for salad, which we should
advise our readers not to pass by without a trial, when the hot
weather invites to a dish of cold lamb. May they find the
flavour equal to the rhyme.--

"Two large potatoes, pass'd through kitchen sieve,
Smoothness and softness to the salad give:
Of mordent mustard add a single spoon,
Distrust the condiment that bites too soon;
But deem it not, thou man of herbs, a fault.
To add a double quantity of salt:
Four times the spoon with oil of Lucca crown,
And twice with vinegar procured from 'town;
True flavour needs it, and your poet begs,
The pounded yellow of two well-boil'd eggs.
Let onion's atoms lurk within the bowl,
And, scarce suspected, animate the whole;
And, lastly, in the flavour'd compound toss
A magic spoonful of anchovy sauce.
Oh! great and glorious, and herbaceous treat,
'Twould tempt the dying anchorite to eat.
Back to the world he'd turn his weary soul,
And plunge his fingers in the salad-bowl."

SAUCE ALLEMANDE, or GERMAN SAUCE.

509. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of sauce tournee (No. 517), the yolks of 2
eggs.

_Mode_.--Put the sauce into a stewpan, heat it, and stir to it the
beaten yolks of 2 eggs, which have been previously strained. Let it just
simmer, but not boil, or the eggs will curdle; and after they are added
to the sauce, it must be stirred without ceasing. This sauce is a
general favourite, and is used for many made dishes.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer.

_Average cost_, 6d.

SAUCE ARISTOCRATIQUE (a Store Sauce).

510. INGREDIENTS.--Green walnuts. To every pint of juice, 1 lb. of
anchovies, 1 drachm of cloves, 1 drachm of mace, 1 drachm of Jamaica
ginger bruised, 8 shalots. To every pint of the boiled liquor, 1/2 pint
of vinegar, 1/4 pint of port wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of soy.

_Mode_.--Pound the walnuts in a mortar, squeeze out the juice through a
strainer, and let it stand to settle. Pour off the clear juice, and to
every pint of it, add anchovies, spices, and cloves in the above
proportion. Boil all these together till the anchovies are dissolved,
then strain the juice again, put in the shalots (8 to every pint), and
boil again. To every pint of the boiled liquor add vinegar, wine, and
soy, in the above quantities, and bottle off for use. Cork well, and
seal the corks.

_Seasonable_.--Make this sauce from the beginning to the middle of July,
when walnuts are in perfection for sauces and pickling.

_Average cost_, 3s. 6d. for a quart.

MANUFACTURE OF SAUCES.--In France, during the reign of Louis
XII., at the latter end of the 14th century, there was formed a
company of sauce-manufacturers, who obtained, in those days of
monopolies, the exclusive privilege of making sauces. The
statutes drawn up by this company inform us that the famous
sauce a la cameline, sold by them, was to be composed or "good
cinnamon, good ginger, good cloves, good grains of paradise,
good bread, and good vinegar." The sauce Tence, was to be made
of "good sound almonds, good ginger, good wine, and good
verjuice." May we respectfully express a hope--not that we
desire to doubt it in the least--that the English
sauce-manufacturers of the 19th century are equally considerate
and careful in choosing their ingredients for their various
well-known preparations.

SAUCE A L'AURORE, for Trout, Soles, &c.

511. INGREDIENTS.--The spawn of 1 lobster, 1 oz. of butter, 1/2 pint of
Bechamel (No. 367), the juice of 1/2 lemon, a high seasoning of salt and
cayenne.

_Mode_.--Take the spawn and pound it in a mortar with the butter, until
quite smooth, and work it through a hair sieve. Put the Bechamel into a
stewpan, add the pounded spawn, the lemon-juice, which must be strained,
and a plentiful seasoning of cayenne and salt; let it just simmer, but
do not allow it to boil, or the beautiful red colour of the sauce will
be spoiled. A small spoonful of anchovy essence may be added at
pleasure.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for a pair of large soles.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

SAUCE A LA MATELOTE, for Fish.

512. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of Espagnole (No. 411), 3 onions, 2
tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, 1/2 glass of port wine, a bunch of
sweet herbs, 1/2 bay-leaf, salt and pepper to taste, 1 clove, 2 berries
of allspice, a little liquor in which the fish has been boiled,
lemon-juice, and anchovy sauce.

_Mode_.--Slice and fry the onions of a nice brown colour, and put them
into a stewpan with the Espagnole, ketchup, wine, and a little liquor in
which the fish has been boiled. Add the seasoning, herbs, and spices,
and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring well the whole time; strain
it through a fine hair sieve, put in the lemon-juice and anchovy sauce,
and pour it over the fish. This sauce may be very much enriched by
adding a few small quenelles, or forcemeat balls made of fish, and also
glazed onions or mushrooms. These, however, should not be added to the
matelote till it is dished.

_Time_.--10 minutes. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--This sauce originally took its name as being similar to that
which the French sailor (_matelot_) employed as a relish to the fish he
caught and ate. In some cases, cider and perry were substituted for the
wine. The Norman _matelotes_ were very celebrated.

[Illustration: THE BAY.]

THE BAY.--We have already described (see No. 180) the difference
between the cherry-laurel (_Prunus Laurus cerasus_) and the
classic laurel (_Laurus nobilis_), the former only being used
for culinary purposes. The latter beautiful evergreen was
consecrated by the ancients to priests and heroes, and used in
their sacrifices. "A crown of bay" was the earnestly-desired
reward for great enterprises, and for the display of uncommon
genius in oratory or writing. It was more particularly sacred to
Apollo, because, according to the fable, the nymph Daphne was
changed into a laurel-tree. The ancients believed, too, that the
laurel had the power of communicating the gift of prophecy, as
well as poetic genius; and, when they wished to procure pleasant
dreams, would place a sprig under the pillow of their bed. It
was the symbol, too, of victory, and it was thought that the
laurel could never be struck by lightning. From this word comes
that of "laureate;" Alfred Tennyson being the present poet
laureate, crowned with laurel as the first of living bards.

SAUCE PIQUANTE, for Cutlets, Roast Meat, &c.

513. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of butter, 1 small carrot, 6 shalots, 1 small
bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley, 1/2 a bay-leaf, 2 slices of
lean ham, 2 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 blade of mace, 3 whole allspice, 4
tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1/2 pint of stock (No. 104 or 105), 1 small
lump of sugar, 1/4 saltspoonful of cayenne, salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Put into a stewpan the butter, with the carrot and shalots,
both of which must be cut into small slices; add the herbs, bay-leaf,
spices, and ham (which must be minced rather finely), and let these
ingredients simmer over a slow fire, until the bottom of the stewpan is
covered with a brown glaze. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon, and put
in the remaining ingredients. Simmer very gently for 1/4 hour, skim off
every particle of fat, strain the sauce through a sieve, and serve very
hot. Care must be taken that this sauce be not made too acid, although
it should possess a sharpness indicated by its name. Of course the above
quantity of vinegar may be increased or diminished at pleasure,
according to taste.

_Time_.--Altogether 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for a medium-sized dish of cutlets.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A GOOD SAUCE FOR VARIOUS BOILED PUDDINGS.

514. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of butter, 1/4 lb. of pounded sugar, a
wineglassful of brandy or rum.

_Mode_.--Beat the butter to a cream, until no lumps remain; add the
pounded sugar, and brandy or rum; stir once or twice until the whole is
thoroughly mixed, and serve. This sauce may either be poured round the
pudding or served in a tureen, according to the taste or fancy of the
cook or mistress.

_Average cost_, 8d. for this quantity.

_Sufficient_ for a pudding.

SAUCE ROBERT, for Steaks, &c.

515. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of butter, 3 onions, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 4
tablespoonfuls of gravy, or stock No. 105, salt and pepper to taste, 1
teaspoonful of made mustard, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar, the juice of 1/2
lemon.

_Mode_.--Put the butter into a stewpan, set it on the fire, and, when
browning, throw in the onions, which must be cut into small slices. Fry
them brown, but do not burn them; add the flour, shake the onions in it,
and give the whole another fry. Put in the gravy and seasoning, and boil
it gently for 10 minutes; skim off the fat, add the mustard, vinegar,
and lemon-juice; give it one boil, and pour round the steaks, or
whatever dish the sauce has been prepared for.

_Time_.---Altogether 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Sufficient_ for about 2 lbs. of steak.

_Note_.--This sauce will be found an excellent accompaniment to roast
goose, pork, mutton cutlets, and various other dishes.

A GOOD SAUCE FOR STEAKS.

516. INGREDIENTS.--1 oz. of whole black pepper, 1/2 oz. of allspice, 1
oz. of salt, 1/2 oz. grated horseradish, 1/2 oz. of pickled shalots, 1
pint of mushroom ketchup or walnut pickle.

_Mode_.--Pound all the ingredients finely in a mortar, and put them into
the ketchup or walnut-liquor. Let them stand for a fortnight, when
strain off the liquor and bottle for use. Either pour a little of the
sauce over the steaks or mix it in the gravy.

_Seasonable_.--This can be made at any time.

_Note_.--In using a jar of pickled walnuts, there is frequently left a
large quantity of liquor; this should be converted into a sauce like the
above, and will be found a very useful relish.

THE GROWTH OF THE PEPPER-PLANT.--Our readers will see at Nos.
369 and 399, a description, with engravings, of the qualities of
black and long pepper, and an account of where these spices are
found. We will here say something of the manner of the growth of
the pepper-plant. Like the vine, it requires support, and it is
usual to plant a thorny tree by its side, to which it may cling.
In Malabar, the chief pepper district of India, the jacca-tree
(_Artocarpus integrifolia_) is made thus to yield its
assistance, the same soil being adapted to the growth of both
plants. The stem of the pepper-plant entwines round its support
to a considerable height; the flexile branches then droop
downwards, bearing at their extremities, as well as at other
parts, spikes of green flowers, which are followed by the
pungent berries. These hang in large bunches, resembling in
shape those of grapes; but the fruit grows distinct, each on a
little stalk, like currants. Each berry contains a single seed,
of a globular form and brownish colour, but which changes to a
nearly black when dried; and this is the pepper of commerce. The
leaves are not unlike those of the ivy, but are larger and of
rather lighter colour; they partake strongly of the peculiar
smell and pungent taste of the berry.

SAUCE TOURNEE.

517. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of white stock (No. 107), thickening of flour
and butter, or white roux (No. 526), a faggot of savoury herbs,
including parsley, 6 chopped mushrooms, 6 green onions.

_Mode_.--Put the stock into a stewpan with the herbs, onions, and
mushrooms, and let it simmer very gently for about 1/2 hour; stir in
sufficient thickening to make it of a proper consistency; let it boil
for a few minutes, then skim off all the fat, strain and serve. This
sauce, with the addition of a little cream, is now frequently called
veloute.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 6d.

_Note_.--If poultry trimmings are at hand, the stock should be made of
these; and the above sauce should not be made too thick, as it does not
then admit of the fat being nicely removed.

SWEET SAUCE, for Venison.

518. INGREDIENTS.--A small jar of red-currant jelly, 1 glass of port
wine.

_Mode_.--Put the above ingredients into a stewpan, set them over the
fire, and, when melted, pour in a tureen and serve. It should not be
allowed to boil.

_Time_.--5 minutes to melt the jelly.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

SAUCE FOR WILDFOWL.

519. INGREDIENTS.--1 glass of port wine, 1 tablespoonful of Leamington
sauce (No. 459), 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of
lemon-juice, 1 slice of lemon-peel, 1 large shalot cut in slices, 1
blade of mace, cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a stewpan, set it over the fire,
and let it simmer for about 5 minutes; then strain and serve the sauce
in a tureen.

_Time_.--5 minutes. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 8d.

SAUSAGE-MEAT STUFFING, for Turkey.

520. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of lean pork, 6 oz. of fat pork, both weighed
after being chopped (beef suet may be substituted for the latter), 2 oz.
of bread crumbs, 1 small tablespoonful of minced sage, 1 blade of
pounded mace, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

_Mode_.--Chop the meat and fat very finely, mix with them the other
ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated.
Moisten with the egg, and the stuffing will be ready for use. Equal
quantities of this stuffing and forcemeat, No. 417, will be found to
answer very well, as the herbs, lemon-peel, &c. in the latter, impart a
very delicious flavour to the sausage-meat. As preparations, however,
like stuffings and forcemeats, are matters to be decided by individual
tastes, they must be left, to a great extent, to the discrimination of
the cook, who should study her employer's taste in this, as in every
other respect.

_Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for a small turkey.

SAVOURY JELLY FOR MEAT PIES.

521. INGREDIENTS.--3 lbs. of shin of beef, 1 calf's-foot, 3 lbs. of
knuckle of veal, poultry trimmings (if for game pies, any game
trimmings), 2 onions stuck with cloves, 2 carrots, 4 shalots, a bunch of
savoury herbs, 2 bay-leaves; when liked, 2 blades of mace and a little
spice; 2 slices of lean ham, rather more than 2 quarts of water.

_Mode_.--Cut up the meat and put it into a stewpan with all the
ingredients except the water; set it over a slow fire to draw down, and,
when the gravy ceases to flow from the meat, pour in the water. Let it
boil up, then carefully take away all scum from the top. Cover the
stewpan closely, and let the stock simmer very gently for 4 hours: if
rapidly boiled, the jelly will not be clear. When done, strain it
through a fine sieve or flannel bag; and when cold, the jelly should be
quite transparent. If this is not the case, clarify it with the whites
of eggs, as described in recipe No. 109.

_Time_.--4 hours. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 5s.

SHRIMP SAUCE, for Various Kinds of Fish.

522. INGREDIENTS.--1/3 pint of melted butter (No. 376), 1/4 pint of
picked shrimps, cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Make the melted butter very smoothly by recipe No. 376, shell
the shrimps (sufficient to make 1/4 pint when picked), and put them into
the butter; season with cayenne, and let the sauce just simmer, but do
not allow it to boil. When liked, a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce may be
added.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer. _Average cost_, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.

SPINACH GREEN FOR COLOURING VARIOUS DISHES.

523. INGREDIENTS.--2 handfuls of spinach.

_Mode_.--Pick and wash the spinach free from dirt, and pound the leaves
in a mortar to extract the juice; then press it through a hair sieve,
and put the juice into a small stewpan or jar. Place this in a bain
marie, or saucepan of boiling water, and let it set. Watch it closely,
as it should not boil; and, as soon as it is done, lay it in a sieve, so
that all the water may drain from it, and the green will then be ready
for colouring. If made according to this recipe, the spinach-green will
be found far superior to that boiled in the ordinary way.

HOT SPICE, a Delicious Adjunct to Chops, Steaks, Gravies, &c.

524. INGREDIENTS.--3 drachms each of ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon,
7 cloves, 1/2 oz. mace, 1/4 oz. of cayenne, 1 oz. grated nutmeg, 1-1/2
oz. white pepper.

_Mode_.--Pound the ingredients, and mix them thoroughly together, taking
care that everything is well blended. Put the spice in a very dry glass
bottle for use. The quantity of cayenne may be increased, should the
above not be enough to suit the palate.

[Illustration: CINNAMON.]

CINNAMON.--The cinnamon-tree (_Laurus Cinnamomum_) is a valuable
and beautiful species of the laurel family, and grows to the
height of 20 or 30 feet. The trunk is short and straight, with
wide-spreading branches, and it has a smooth ash-like bark. The
leaves are upon short stalks, and are of an oval shape, and 3 to
5 inches long. The flowers are in panicles, with six small
petals, and the fruit is about the size of an olive, soft,
insipid, and of a deep blue. This incloses a nut, the kernel of
which germinates soon after it falls. The wood of the tree is
white and not very solid, and its root is thick and branching,
exuding a great quantity of camphor. The inner bark of the tree
forms the cinnamon of commerce. Ceylon was thought to be its
native island; but it has been found in Malabar, Cochin-China,
Sumatra, and the Eastern Islands; also in the Brazils, the
Mauritius, Jamaica, and other tropical localities.

BROWN ROUX, a French Thickening for Gravies and Sauces.

525. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of butter, 9 oz. of flour.

_Mode_.--Melt the butter in a stewpan over a slow fire, and dredge in,
very gradually, the flour; stir it till of a light-brown colour--to
obtain this do it very slowly, otherwise the flour will burn and impart
a bitter taste to the sauce it is mixed with. Pour it in a jar, and keep
it for use: it will remain good some time.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 7d.

WHITE ROUX, for thickening White Sauces.

526. Allow the same proportions of butter and flour as in the preceding
recipe, and proceed in the same manner as for brown roux, but do not
keep it on the fire too long, and take care not to let it colour. This
is used for thickening white sauce. Pour it into a jar to use when
wanted.

_Time_.--1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 7d.

_Sufficient_,--A dessertspoonful will thicken a pint of gravy.

_Note_.--Besides the above, sauces may be thickened with potato flour,
ground rice, baked flour, arrowroot, &c.: the latter will be found far
preferable to the ordinary flour for white sauces. A slice of bread,
toasted and added to gravies, answers the two purposes of thickening and
colouring them.