Boston Cooking-School Cook Book/Chapter 18

by Fannie Farmer

Chapter XVIII. FISH AND MEAT SAUCES.

THE French chef keeps always on hand four sauces,—White, Brown, Béchamel, and Tomato,—and with these as a basis is able to make kinds innumerable. Butter and flour are usually cooked together for thickening sauces. When not browned, it is called roux; when browned, brown roux. The French mix butter and flour together, put in saucepan, place over fire, stir for five minutes; set aside to cool, again place over fire, and add liquid, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Butter and flour for brown sauces are cooked together mich longer, and watched carefully lest butter should burn. The American cook makes sauce by stirring butter in saucepan until melted and bubbling, adds flour and continues stirring, then adds liquid, gradually stirring or beating until the boiling-point is reached. For Brown Sauce, butter should be stirred until well browned; flour should be added and stirred until butter until both are browned before the addition of liquid. The secret in making a Brown Sauce is to have butter and flour well browned before adding liquid.

It is well worth remembering that a sauce of average thickness is made by allowing two tablespoons each of butter and flour to one cup liquid, whether it be milk, stock, or tomato. For Brown Sauce a slightly larger quantity of flour is necessary, as by browning flour its thickening property is lessened, its starch being changed to dextrine. When sauces are set away, put a few bits of butter on top to prevent crust from forming.

Thin White Sauce

2 tablespoons butter	1 cup scalded milk
11/2 tablespoons flour	1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Put better in saucepan, stir until melted and bubbling; add flour mixed with seasonings, and stir until thoroughly blended; then pour on gradually while stirring constantly the milk, bring to the boiling-point and let boil two minutes. If a wire whisk is used, all the milk may be added at once.

Cream Sauce

Make same as Thin White Sauce, using cream instead of milk.

White Sauce I

2 tablespoons butter	1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour	1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce.

White Sauce II

2 tablespoons butter	1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour	1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce.

Thick White Sauce (for Cutlets and Croquettes)

21/2 tablespoons butter	1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn-starch or	1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flour	Few grains pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce.

Velouté Sauce

2 tablespoons butter	1 cup White Stock
2 tablespoons flour	1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce.

Sauce Allemande

To Velouté Sauce add one teaspoon lemon juice and yolk one egg.

Soubise Sauce

2 cups sliced onions	1/2 cup cream or milk
1 cup Velouté Sauce	Salt and pepper

Cover onions with boiling water, cook five minutes, drain, again cover with boiling water, and cook until soft; drain, and rub through a sieve. Add to sauce with cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with mutton, pork chops, or “hard boiled” eggs.

Drawn Butter Sauce

1/3 cup butter	11/2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons flour	1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Melt one-half the butter, add flour with seasonings, and pour on gradually hot water. Boil five minutes, and add remaining butter in small pieces. To be served with boiled or baked fish.

Shrimp Sauce

To Drawn Butter Sauce add one egg yolk and one-half can shrimps cleaned and cut in pieces.

Caper Sauce

To Drawn Butter Sauce add one-half cup capers drained from their liquor. Serve with boiled mutton.

Egg Sauce I

To Drawn Butter Sauce add two “hard-boiled” eggs cut in one-fourth inch slices.

Egg Sauce II

To Drawn Butter Sauce add beaten yolks of two eggs and one teaspoon lemon juice.

Brown Sauce I

2 tablespoons butter	1 cup Brown Stock
1/2 slice onion	1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour	1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook onion in butter until slightly browned; remove onion and stir butter constantly until well browned; add flour mixed with seasonings, and brown the butter and flour; then add stock gradually, bring to the boiling-point, and let boil two minutes.

Brown Sauce II (Espagnole)

1/4 cup butter	Sprig of parsley
1 slice carrot	6 peppercorns
1 slice onion	5 tablespoons flour
Bit of bay leaf	2 cups Brown Stock
Sprig of thyme	Salt and pepper

Cook butter with carrot, onion, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns, until brown, stirring constantly, care being taken that butter is not allowed to burn; add flour, and when well browned, add stock gradually. Bring to boiling-point, strain, and season with salt and pepper.

Brown Mushroom Sauce I

To one cup Brown Sauce add one-fourth can mushrooms, drained, rinsed, and cut in quarters or slices.

Brown Mushroom Sauce II

1 can mushrooms	1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter	2 cups Consommé or Brown Stock
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Drain and rinse mushrooms and chop finely one-half of same. Cook five minutes with butter and lemon juice; drain; brown the butter, add flour, and when well-browned, add gradually Consommé. Cook fifteen minutes, skim, add remaining mushrooms cut in quarters or slices, and cook two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Use fresh mushrooms in place of canned ones when possible.

Sauce Piquante

To one cup Brown Sauce add one tablespoon vinegar, one-half small shallot finely chopped, one tablespoon each chopped capers and pickle, and a few grains of cayenne.

Olive Sauce

Remove stones from ten olives, leaving meat in one piece. Cover with boiling water and cook five minutes. Drain olivers, and add to two cups Brown Sauce I or II.

Orange Sauce

1/4 cup butter	Few grains cayenne
1/4 cup flour	Juice 2 oranges
11/3 cups Brown Stock	2 tablespoons Sherry wine
1/2 teaspoon salt	Rind of 1 orange, cut in fancy shapes

Brown the butter, add flour, with salt and cayenne, and stir until well browned. Add stock gradually, and just before serving, orange juice, Sherry, and pieces of rind.

Sauce à l’Italienne

Onion	2 tablespoons each, finely chopped	Sprig marjoram
Carrot		2 tablespoons butter
Lean raw ham		21/2 tablespoons flour
12 peppercorns		1 cup Brown Stock
2 cloves		11/4 cups white wine
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Cook first six ingredients with butter five minutes, add flour, and stir until well browned; then add gradually stock and wine. Strain, reheat, and after pouring around fish sprinkle with parsley.

Champagne Sauce

Simmer two cups Espagnole Sauce until reduced to one and one-half cups. Add two tablespoons mushroom liquor, one-half cup champagne, and one tablespoon powdered sugar.

Tomato Sauce I (without Stock)

1/2 can tomatoes or	3 tablespoons butter
13/4 cups fresh stewed tomatoes	3 tablespoons flour
1 slice onion	1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook onion with tomatoes fifteen minutes, rub through a strainer, and add to butter and flour (to which seasonings have been added) cooked together. If tomatoes are very acid, add a few grains of soda. If tomatoes are to retain their red color it is necessary to brown butter and flour together before adding the tomatoes.

Tomato Sauce II

1/2 can tomatoes	1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar	4 tablespoons butter
8 peppercorns	4 tablespoons flour
Bit of bay leaf	1 cup Brown Stock

Cook tomatoes twenty minutes with sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt; rub through a strainer, and add stock. Brown the butter, add flour, and when well browned, gradually add hot liquid.

Tomato Sauce III

1/4 cup butter	Sprig of parsley
1 slice carrot	1 cup stewed and strained tomatoes
1 slice onion
Bit of bay leaf	1 cup Brown Stock
Sprig of thyme	Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour

Brown the butter with carrot, onion, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley; remove seasonings, add flour, stir until well browned, then add tomatoes and stock. Bring to boiling-point, and strain.

Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

2 slices chopped bacon or small quantity uncooked ham	2 cloves
	1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 slice onion	Few gratings nutmeg
6 slices carrot	3 tablespoons flour
Bit of bay leaf	1/2 can tomatoes
2 sprigs thyme	11/2 cups Brown Stock
Sprig of parsley	Salt and pepper
1/2 can mushrooms

Cook bacon, onion, and carrot five minutes; add bay leaf, thyme, parsley, cloves, peppercorns, nutmeg, and tomatoes, and cook five minutes. Add flour diluted with enough cold water to pour; as it thickens, dilute with stock. Cover, and cook in oven one hour. Strain, add salt and pepper to taste, and one-half can mushrooms, drained from their liquor, rinsed, and cut in quarters; then cook two minutes. Use fresh mushrooms in place of canned ones when possible.

Tomato Cream Sauce

1/2 can tomatoes	Bit of bay leaf
Sprig of thyme	1 cup White Sauce I
1 stalk celery	1/2 teaspoon salt
1 slice onion	Few grains cayenne
1/4 teaspoon soda

Cook tomatoes twenty minutes with seasonings; rub through a strainer, add soda, then White Sauce. Serve with Baked Fish or Lobster Cutlets.

Spanish Sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped lean raw ham	1/4 cup butter
	1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons chopped celery	11/3 cups Brown Stock
2 tablespoons chopped carrot	2/3 cup stewed and strained tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped onion
Salt and pepper

Cook ham and vegetables with butter until butter is well browned; add flour, stock, and tomatoes; cook five minutes, then strain. Season with salt and pepper.

Béchamel Sauce

11/2 cups White Stock	6 peppercorns
1 slice onion	1/4 cup butter
1 slice carrot	1/4 cup flour
Bit of bay leaf	1 cup scalded milk
Sprig of parsley	1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook stock twenty minutes with onion, carrot, bay leaf, parsley, and peppercorns, then strain; there should be one cupful. Melt the butter, add flour, and gradually hot stock and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Yellow Béchamel Sauce

To two cups Béchamel Sauce add yolks of three eggs slightly beaten, first diluting eggs with small quantity of hot sauce, then adding gradually to remaining sauce. This prevents the sauce from having a curdled appearance.

Olive and Almond Sauce

3 tablespoons butter	1 teaspoon beef extract
3 tablespoons flour	8 olives (stoned and cut in quarters)
1 cup White Stock
1/2 cup cream	1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded almonds	1/4 teaspoon salt
Few grains cayenne

Melt butter, add flour, and pour on gradually White Stock. Just before serving add remaining ingredients. Serve with boiled or steamed fish.

Oyster Sauce

1 pint oysters	1 cup milk or Chicken Stock
1/4 cup butter	Salt
1/4 cup flour	Pepper
Oyster liquor

Wash oysters, reserve liquor, heat, strain, add oysters, and cook until plump. Remove oysters, and make a sauce of butter, flour, oyster liquor, and milk. Add oysters, and season with salt and pepper.

Cucumber Sauce I

Grate two cucumbers, drain, and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve with Broiled Fish.

Cucumber Sauce II

Beat one-half cup heavy cream until stiff, and add one-fourth teaspoon salt, few grains pepper, and gradually two tablespoons vinegar; then add one cucumber, pared, chopped, and drained.

Celery Sauce

3 cups celery, cut in thin slices

2 cups Thin White Sauce

Wash and scrape celery before cutting into pieces. Cook in boiling salted water until soft, drain, rub through a sieve, and add to sauce. Celery sauce is often made from the stock in which fowl or turkey has been boiled, or with one-half stock and one-half milk.

Suprême Sauce

1/4 cup butter	1/2 cup hot cream
1/4 cup flour	1 tablespoon mushroom liquor
11/2 cups hot Chicken Stock	3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce, and add seasonings.

Maître d’Hôtel Butter

1/4 cup butter	1/2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper	3/4 tablespoon lemon juice

Put butter in a bowl, and with small wooden spoon work until creamy. Add salt, pepper, and parsley, then lemon juice very slowly.

Tartar Sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar	1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice	1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 cup butter

Mix vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and Worcestershire Sauce in a small bowl, and heat over hot water. Brown the butter in an omelet pan, and strain into first mixture.

Lemon Butter

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream the butter, and add slowly lemon juice.

Anchovy Butter

1/4 cup butter

Anchovy sauce

Cream the butter and add Anchovy sauce to taste.

Lobster Butter

1/4 cup butter

Lobster coral

Clean, wipe, and force coral through a fine sieve. Put in a mortar with butter, and pound until well blended. This butter is used in Lobster Soup and Sauces to give color and richness,

Hollandaise Sauce I

1/2 cup butter	1/4 teaspoon salt
Yolks 2 eggs	Few grains cayenne
1 tablespoon lemon juice	1/3 cup boiling water

Put butter in a bowl, cover with cold water, and wash, using a spoon. Divide in three pieces; put one piece in a saucepan with yolks of eggs and lemon juice, place saucepan in a larger one containing boiling water, and stir constantly with a wire whisk until butter is melted; then add second piece of butter, and, as it thickens, third piece. Add water, cook one minute, and season with salt and cayenne. If mixture curdles, add two tablespoons heavy cream.

Hollandaise Sauce II

1/2 cup butter	Yolks 2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vinegar or	1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice	Few grains cayenne

Wash butter, divide in three pieces; put one piece in a saucepan with vinegar or lemon juice and egg yolks; place saucepan in a larger one containing boiling water, and stir constantly with a wire whisk. Add second piece of butter, and, as it thickens, third piece. Remove from fire, and add salt and cayenne. If left over fire a moment too long it will separate. If a richer sauce is desired, add one-half teaspoon hot water and one-half tablespoon heavy cream.

Anchovy Sauce

Season Brown, Drawn butter, or Hollandaise Sauce with anchovy sauce.

Horseradish Hollandaise Sauce

To Hollandaise Sauce II add one-fourth cup grated horse-radish root.

Lobster Sauce I

To Hollandaise Sauce I add one-third cup lobster meat cut in small dice.

Lobster Sauce II

11/4 lb. lobster	1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter	Few grains cayenne
1/4 cup flour	1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups cold water

Remove meat from lobster, and cut tender claw-meat in one-half inch dice. Chop remaining meat, add to body bones, and cover with water; cook until stock is reduced to two cups, strain, and add gradually to butter and flour cooked together, then add salt, cayenne, lemon juice, and lobster dice.

If the lobster contains coral, prepare Lobster Butter, add flour, and thicken sauce therewith.

Sauce Béarnaise

To Hollandaise Sauce II add one teaspoon each of finely chopped parsley and fresh tarragon or one-half tablespoon tarragon vinegar.

Served with mutton chops, steaks, broiled squabs, smelts, or boiled salmon.

Sauce Trianon

To Hollandaise Sauce II add gradually, while cooking, one and one-half tablespoons Sherry wine.

Sauce Figaro

To Hollandaise Sauce II add two tablespoons tomato purée (tomatoes stewed, strained, and cooked until reduced to a thick pulp), one teaspoon finely chopped parsley, and a few grains cayenne.

Horseradish Sauce I

3 tablespoons grated horseradish root	1/4 teaspoon salt
	Few grains cayenne
1 tablespoon vinegar	4 tablespoons heavy cream

Mix first four ingredients, and add cream beaten stiff.

Horseradish Sauce II

3 tablespoons cracker crumbs	3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated horseradish root	1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups milk	1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook first three ingredients twenty minutes in double boiler. Add butter, salt, and pepper.

Bread Sauce

2 cups milk	1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fine stale bread crumbs	Few grains cayenne
1 onion	3 tablespoons butter
6 cloves	1/2 cup coarse stale bread crumbs

Cook milk thirty minutes in double boiler, with fine bread crumbs and onion stuck with cloves. Remove onion, add salt, cayenne, and two tablespoons butter. Usually served poured around roast partridge or grouse, and sprinkled with coarse crumbs browned in remaining butter.

Rice Sauce

3 tablespoons rice	3 cloves
2 cups milk	2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion	Salt and pepper

Wash rice, add to milk, and cook in double boiler until soft. Rub through a fine strainer, return to double boiler, add onion stuck with cloves, and cook fifteen minutes. Remove onion, add butter, salt, and pepper.

Cauliflower Sauce

1/4 cup butter	Cooked flowerets from a small cauliflower
1/4 cup flour
1 cup White Stock III	Salt
1 cup scalded milk	Pepper

Make same as Thin White Sauce and add flowerets.

Mint Sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves	1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 cup vinegar

Add sugar to vinegar; when dissolved, pour over mint and let stand thirty minutes on back of range to infuse. If vinegar is very strong, dilute with water.

Currant Jelly Sauce

To one cup Brown Sauce, from which onion has been omitted, add one-fourth tumbler current jelly and one tablespoon Sherry wine; or, add currant jelly to one cup gravy made to serve with roast lamb. Currant Jelly Sauce is suitable to serve with lamb.

To one cup Brown Sauce, from which onion has been omitted, add one-eighth tumbler current jelly, two tablespoons Port wine, and a few grains cayenne.

Vinaigrette Sauce

1 teaspoon salt	6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika	1 tablespoon chopped pickles
Few grains pepper	1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar	1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons cider vinegar	1 teaspoon chopped chives

Mix ingredients in order given.

Sauce Tartare

1/2 teaspoon mustard	11/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon powdered sugar	Capers	1/2 tablespoon each, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt	Pickles
Few grains cayenne	Olives
Yolks 2 eggs	Parsley
1/2 cup olive oil	1/2 shallot, finely chopped

¹/₄ teaspoon powdered tarragon or 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar.

Mix mustard, sugar, salt, and cayenne; add yolks of eggs, and stir until thoroughly mixed, setting bowl in pan of ice-water. Add oil, at first drop by drop, stirring with a wooden spoon or wire whisk. As mixture thickens, dilute with vinegar, when oil may be added more rapidly. Keep in cool place until ready to serve, then add remaining ingredients.

Hot Sauce Tartare

1/2 cup White Sauce I	Capers	1/2 tablespoon each, finely chopped
1/3 cup Mayonnaise	Pickles
1/2 shallot, finely chopped	Olives
1/2 teaspoon vinegar	Parsley

To white sance add remaining ingredients. Stir constantly until mixture is thoroughly heated, but do not let it come to the boiling-point. Served with boiled, steamed, or fried fish.

Hot Mayonnaise

Yolks 2 eggs	1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil	Salt
1 tablespoon vinegar	Few grains cayenne
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Add oil slowly to egg yolks, then pour on gradually vinegar and water. Cook over boiling water until mixture thickens, then add seasonings and parsley.

Sauce Tyrolienne

To three-fourths cup Mayonnaise add one-half tablespoon each finely chopped capers and parsley, one finely chopped gherkin, and one-half can tomatoes, stewed, strained, and cooked until reduced to two tablespoons. Serve with any kind of fried fish.

Creole Sauce

2 tablespoons chopped onion	1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped	6 olives, stoned
	11/3 cups Brown Sauce
2 tablespoons butter	Salt and pepper
2 tomatoes	Sherry wine

Cook onion and pepper with butter five minutes; add tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives, and cook two minutes, then add Brown Sauce. Bring to boiling-point, and add wine to taste. Serve with broiled beefsteak or fillet of beef. Boiled rice should accompany the beef, and be served on same platter.

Russian Sauce

3 tablespoons butter	1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons flour	1/2 teaspoon made mustard
1 cup White Stock III	1 teaspoon grated horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt	1/4 cup cream
Few grains pepper	1 teaspoon lemon juice

Melt butter, add flour, and pour on gradually White Stock; then add salt, pepper, mustard, chives, and horseradish. Cook two minutes, strain, add cream and lemon juice. Reheat before serving. Serve with Beef Tenderloins or Hamburg Steaks.

Sauce Finiste

3 tablespoons butter	11/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard
Few grains cayenne	3/4 cup stewed and strained tomatoes
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cook butter until well browned, and add remaining ingredients.