SAUCES
The ability to make a smooth sauce is greatly to be desired, and the art once acquired will simplify many cooking processes. There are many sauces which can be served with meat or vegetables and also used in making sandwich fillings. In a general way they are made like milk soups, except that more flour is used. 2 tbp of flour and 2 tbp of butter or other fat are usually allowed for each cup of liquid. This liquid may be water, broth, tomato juice, milk, cream, the water in which vegetables have been cooked, or a combination of two or more of these. Sauces should be made in a db.
Roux is used to give body to sauces. It is made of equal measurements of butter and flour, or a double amount of flour may be used, according to the dish to be prepared and may be kept on hand or made as needed.
BROWN GRAVY
Use only as much fat as the flour will “bind”; never more than equal parts. Good proportions are 1½ tbp to 2 fat, 2 to 3 tbp flour, 1 c water or stock. If an excess of fat is used, it will rise to the top of gravy. Mix flour with fat and brown, avoiding scorching. A pinch of sugar browned in the hot pan will give the gravy a rich brown color and will improve the flavor. Add hot water or stock and simmer 5 to 10 min. Season with salt, pepper and other desired seasonings, such as celery leaf, bay leaf, slice of onion, spoonful of tomato catsup or canned tomatoes.
SPANISH SAUCE
1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 small onion, 2 tbp bacon or other fat, 1½ tbp flour, ½ tsp sugar, 1 c water, 1 c stewed tomatoes, salt and pepper, chopped mushrooms, if desired.
Chop onion and pepper; simmer for 5 min in fat; then add water and tomatoes and cook until onion and peppers are tender; thicken with flour blended with ¼ c water and cook 5 min longer to blend the flavors. If fresh peppers are used, they may be parboiled for 5 min if the strong flavor is disliked.
TOMATO SAUCE
1½ c tomato juice, 2 tbp flour, 2 tbp butter or other fat, 1 slice onion, sprig parsley, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper.
Add seasonings to tomato juice and simmer until liquid has been reduced to about 1 c; melt fat in saucepan; stir in flour, and when this is smooth, add strained tomato juice; cook for a few minutes or until smooth and thick. The tomato juice may be used plain, omitting first cooking with seasonings.
WHITE SAUCE
1½ tbp butter, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbp flour, 1 c evaporated milk, diluted with 1 c water, few grains pepper.
Melt butter in top part of db; add salt and flour and mix thoroughly; do not let flour brown; add diluted milk and stir constantly until smooth and thick; cook for 10 min; stir occasionally.
WHITE SAUCE
2 tbp butter, 2 tbp flour, 1 c milk, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper.
Melt fat, stir in flour and cook until smooth, but not brown; add the milk and stir until smooth, then add salt and pepper.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
½ c butter, yolks 3 eggs, 1 tbp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp dry mustard, few grains pepper, ½ c boiling, water.
Beat butter to a cream; add yolks of eggs 1 at a time, and beat well; then add lemon juice, salt and pepper; about 5 min before serving add boiling water, a little at a time, stirring well; place bowl in saucepan of boiling water, and stir rapidly until sauce thickens like boiled custard. Minced parsley, onion juice or grated onion may be added. The juice and grated rind of orange added makes a pleasant addition for use with asparagus.
SAVORY BUTTER SAUCE
½ c butter, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tbp lemon juice or vinegar, ½ tsp salt.
Cream butter and add mustard and lemon juice, beating mixture until it is well blended. This may be used for spreading sandwiches or for use on fish or vegetables. A few drops of onion juice may be added if desired.
For Use—This may be spread on crackers, covered with minced chicken, meat, tongue or ham, and garnished with pickles, olives or capers. Brown bread may be spread with savory butter, with minced ham mixed with tart jelly, such as currant, and garnished with olives.
MAITRE D’HOTEL BUTTER
¼ c butter or butter substitute, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp paprika, 1 tbp chopped parsley, ¾ tbp lemon juice.
Cream the butter; add seasonings, then work in the lemon juice slowly.
EGG SAUCE
1 c thin white sauce, 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped fine, 1 tsp parsley, chopped fine.
This is a good sauce for boiled fish.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
½ c butter, ⅓ c boiling water, 1 tbp lemon juice, or ½ tbp vinegar, 2 egg yolks, ¼ tsp salt, cayenne.
Mix the unbeaten egg yolks, the lemon juice, and about ⅓ of the butter in the top of db over hot water; stir until the butter is melted; then add gradually the remaining butter; stirring constantly; season and add gradually the boiling water; stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
THIN CREAM SAUCE
1 tbp butter, 1 tbp flour, 1 c milk or cream, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper.
Melt butter in saucepan; flour and mix well; cool milk slowly, stirring until smooth and creamy; salt and pepper; boil 3 min.
THICK CREAM SAUCE
2 tbp butter, 2½ tbp flour, 1 c milk or cream, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper.
Follow directions given for Thin Cream Sauce.
TOMATO SAUCE
3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces, 1 slice onion chopped fine, 2 tbp flour, 1½ c strained tomatoes, 1 tbp chopped green peppers, ½ tsp salt, few gratings nutmeg, dash of cayenne.
Put bacon in saucepan; add onion and brown slightly; flour, tomatoes (heated); stir until thick and smooth; seasonings and peppers.
CURRANT JELLY SAUCE
½ glass currant jelly, 1 c hot brown sauce.
Melt jelly over slow fire; add sauce; stir well and simmer 1 min.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
½ c butter, 2 beaten egg yolks, 1 tbp lemon juice, salt, cayenne, ½ c boiling water.
Cream butter; add gradually, stirring well, egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne; add boiling water slowly; stir over boiling water till thick as boiled custard; serve immediately.
BECHAMEL SAUCE
1 tbp butter, 1 tbp flour, ½ c thin cream or milk, ½ c white stock, salt and pepper to taste.
Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour; reduce heat; add seasoning and liquid, stirring until smooth.
MINT SAUCE
¼ c chopped mint leaves, ½ c vinegar, ¼ c water, ¼ c brown or granulated sugar.
Cook all ingredients in saucepan over very slow fire for about ½ hr; do not allow to boil; serve hot.
CREOLE SAUCE
2 tbp chopped onions, 4 tbp green peppers, 2 tbp butter, ½ c tomato, 1 c stock, 3 tbp flour, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Cook onion and pepper with butter; add flour and gradually add tomatoes and seasonings; cook until thick; keep hot over hot water until serving time.
DRAWN BUTTER SAUCE
⅓ c butter, 2 tbp flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1 c cold water.
Melt half the butter in shallow saucepan; add flour and cook until frothy; add seasoning, then water and stir constantly until mixture boils; let boil about 3 min, then beat in rest of butter, a little at a time.
CAPER SAUCE
To drawn butter sauce add, when ready to serve, 2 or 3 tbp of capers, draining from liquor in the bottle.
EGG SAUCE
To a pint of drawn butter sauce add 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped coarse.
MINT SAUCE
1 c fresh chopped mint, ¼ c sugar, ½ c vinegar.
Use only leaves and tender tips of mint; dissolve the sugar and the vinegar; add mixture to the mint; let stand 1 hr and heat over water just before serving. If the vinegar is very strong, more sugar may be added.
BARBECUE SAUCE
1 c butter, 1 c vinegar, ½ bottle Worcestershire sauce, 1 c water, ¼ c flour, 1 tsp pepper, ½ tsp cayenne, ½ tbp dry mustard.
Rub together butter and flour; put in frying pan over fire, gradually add the other ingredients and bring to boiling point; this sauce is very good to baste meat with while cooking and pour over it when served. Add tabasco if desired hotter.
MUSHROOM SAUCE
To 1 c brown sauce add ⅓ c canned or fresh boiled mushrooms, cut in small pieces.
BROWN SAUCE
Follow White Sauce recipe, only allowing the butter to color slightly before adding flour.
CROQUETTE SAUCE
Make according to White Sauce formula, only allow double amount of flour to same amount of butter.
HORSERADISH SAUCE
Wash and brush the horseradish; soak it for an hour in cold water; scrape it very finely with a sharp knife; mix 2 tbp of it with ½ tsp salt and a tsp of powdered mustard; add gradually ¼ pt of cream, or instead, the yolk of an egg; mix with 3 tbp olive oil, and afterward 2 tbp vinegar; stir in briskly but gradually; mix well and serve in a glass dish; time, ½ hour to prepare; sufficient for 6 persons.