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parts more closely together; it causes white meat, such as veal and chicken, to boil whiter.

In the prosecution of my experiments, I found that the softer the water, the quicker it boiled; and also that salt water would only boil at 213, instead of at 212°; the contents of salt being, in 1000 parts, 26.6, chloriate of sodium; 4.66, sulphate of soda; 1, chloriate of calchium; and 5·154, chloriate of magnesia; and water containing 64 salt in 1000, boils at 2141° Fah., 96 in 1000, 21510; 128 in 1000, 21670; 284 in 1000, at 226° Fahr.

MILK is almost equally as essential in cookery as water, and a great deal depends upon its quality; but as we have promised to write a small work on Domestic Economy for the Cottage, we shall leave until then those novel particulars concerning it which is the result of our experience. We will now state here, that it consists of three parts-the caseous, the butyrous, and the serous. The first comprehends the gross, earthy particles, being carbonate of lime, which serve to suspend the butyrous parts, and which, when coagulated by art, forms cheese. The second comprises the oily particles, or cream, which float on the surface of the milk, and can by agitation be converted into butter. The third is the watery part, which constitutes whey. The most palatable, wholesome milk is that which contains a due proportion of these three constituent parts. Milk, besides the uses we apply it to in the kitchen, is used for other purposes in branches of various manufactures, but more particularly for altering the colour of wines, as they change dark wines into perfect colourless.

SAUCES.

SAUCES in cookery are like the first rudiments of grammar, which consist of certain rules called Syntax, and the foundation of all languages: these fundamental rules are nine, so has cookery the same number of sauces, which are the foundation of all others; but these, like its prototype the grammar, have two-brown and white, which bear a resemblance to the noun and verb, as they are the first and most easily learnt, and most constantly in use; the others are the adjuncts, pronouns, adverbs, and interjections; upon the proper use of the two principal ones depends the quality of all others, and the proper making of which tends to the enjoyment of the dinner; for to my fancy they are to cookery what the gamut is in the composition of music, as.

it is by the arrangement of the notes that harmony is produced, so should the ingredients in the sauce be so nicely blended, and that delightful concord should exist, which would equally delight the palate, as a masterpiece of a Mozart or a Rossini should delight the ear; but which, if badly executed, tantalize those nervous organs, affect the whole system, and prove a nuisance instead of a pleasure. I will therefore be very precise in describing the two, in order that, when you prepare them, you will not cause your guests to make grimaces at each other, whilst partaking of them at your festive board, as the present age is a little more refined than at the time of Dr. Johnson, and we are often obliged to swallow that we do not like. It is reported of him, that being at a ceremonious dinner-party, and indulging in his usual flow of wit, he unconsciously partook of a spoonful of very hot soup, which he immediately returned to the plate he had taken it from; and observing the astonishment of some of his neighbours, he very coolly remarked, "A fool would have burnt his mouth."

When we are at home alone, I very seldom trouble myself by making white or brown sauce, which I can avoid by selecting simplified dishes, which easily produce their own sauce whilst cooking them. But when I expect a little company, the first order I give my cook is to make half of the quantity of the following receipts for white and brown sauces, which ought to be kept hot in a bain-marie pan, previous to the dinner. No doubt the word bain-marie is new to you, I will therefore tell you what it is. It consists of a pan containing water to the depth of about four inches, generally placed at the side of the stove, in which are placed the saucepans and stewpans, in order that their contents may be kept hot, without injuring the flavour by over heating, and no kitchen from which a good dinner is expected to be sent should be without it.

135. WHITE SAUCE.-Cut and chop a knuckle of veal, weighing about four pounds, into large dice; also half a pound of lean bacon; butter the bottom of a large stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, add two onions, a small carrot, a turnip, three cloves, half a blade of mace, a bouquet of a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, and six of parsley, add a gill of water, place over a sharp fire, stirring round occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with whitish glaze, then fill up with three

quarts of water, add a good teaspoonful of salt, and let simmer at the corner of the fire an hour and a half, keeping well skimmed; pass it through a hair sieve into a basin. In another stewpan put a quarter of a pound of butter, with which mix six ounces of flower, stirring over the fire about three minutes, take off, keep stirring until partly cold, when add the stock all at once; continually stirring and boiling for a quarter of an hour; add half a pint of boiling milk, stir a few minutes longer, add a little chopped mushrooms, if handy, pass through a hair sieve into a basin, until required for use, stirring it round occasionally until cold. The above being a simplified white sauce, will be referred to very often in the receipts.

136. BROWN SAUCE.-Put two ounces of butter into a stewpan, rub it over the bottom, peel two or three large onions, cut them in thick slices, lay them on the bottom, cut into small pieces about two pounds of knuckle of veal,* all meat, or three pounds if with bone, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, cut small, two cloves, a few peppercorns, a tablespoonful of salt, two bay leaves, a gill of water; set it on a brisk fire, let it remain ten minutes, when stir it well round, subdue the fire, let it remain twenty minutes longer, and stir now and then until it has a nice brown colour; fill your pan with three quarts of water; when boiling, set it on the corner of the stove, with the lid three parts on the saucepan; when boiling, skim fat and all; after one hour, or one hour and a half simmering, pass it through a sieve into a basin. To make the thickening or Roux for it, proceed as follows:-Roux. Put two ounces of butter into a pan, which melt on a slow fire, then add three ounces of flour, stir it with a wood spoon

* Half veal and beef can be used; or if no veal, all beef.

until getting a thin deep yellow colour; this in France is called Roux, being very useful in cookery, and will be often referred to in these receipts. This process will take ten minutes, when remove from the fire for two minutes to cool, then add at once three pints and a quarter of the above stock, very quickly set it on the fire to boil, remove to the corner to simmer, and skim. It ought to be entirely free from grease, and of a light chesnut colour.

137. DEMI-GLAZE-THIN BROWN SAUCE FOR MADE DISHES.-When I have a small dinner-party, I always, as I told you before, make small quantities of white and brown sauce as above, but this is a nice way of clarifying a brown sauce without much trouble, and makes it a beautiful transparent brown colour: but although I have made it quite a study, that each entrée, or made dish for daily use, should make its own sauce, yet I must impress upon you that this sauce is the real key to cooking a good and ceremonious dinner. Put a pint of brown sauce, in a middle-sized stewpan, add to it half a pint of broth or consommé, put it on the stove, stir with wooden spoon, let it boil as fast as possible, take the scum off which will rise to the surface, reduce it until it adheres lightly to the spoon, pass it through a sieve or tammy into a basin, stir now and then until cold, to prevent a skin forming on the top, put it by until wanted for use. It will keep for a week in winter, by adding half a gill of white broth every other day, and giving it a boil; the addition of a tablespoonful of tomato sauce gives it a beautiful colour; use where indicated.

138. THIN BROWN SAUCE OF MUSHROOMS. -Put twelve tablespoonfuls of thin brown sauce in a small stewpan to boil, then have six or eight small mushrooms, well cleaned and washed, chop them fine, and place in

sauce, and boil for five minutes; taste if it is to your liking; the addition of a little sugar is an improvement; a little cayenne, if liked, may be introduced. The sauce is good for cutlets, broiled fowl, and game, &c.

139. ESCHALOT SAUCE.-Chop fine about a good tablespoonful of eschalot, place it in the corner of a napkin, and pour water over; press until dry, and put in a small stewpan with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, one clove, a little mace; boil two minutes, add ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, boil a little longer, add a little sugar, and serve.

140. PIQUANT OR SHARP SAUCE.-Put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, or eschalots, cleaned as above, into a stewpan; put also four tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and a bay-leaf, and boil; then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, half a one of chopped parsley, ditto of green gherkins; boil five minutes, skim, add a little sugar, taste if well seasoned, take out bay-leaf and serve.

141. TARRAGON SAUCE.-Put eight tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, and four of broth, into a stewpan; boil for a few minutes, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, have ready picked twenty leaves of fresh tarragon, put in to simmer two minutes, and serve with any kind of poultry, but especially spring chickens.

142. BROWN CUCUMBER SAUCE.-Peel a small fresh cucumber, cut it in neat pieces, put in a stewpan with a little sugar, add half an ounce of butter, set it on a slow fire, stir it now and then, add twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and eight of broth; let it simmer till tender, skim the butter off, remove the cucumber into another stewpan, pass the sauce, reduce it a little, taste it, pour over, and serve.

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