be from the middle of the leg of young heifer beef, not of that which is large and coarse.

Middle of small shin of beef, 3 lbs. ; knuckle or neck of veal, 3 lbs.; lean of ham, lb.; water, 3 quarts; carrots, 2 large, or 3 small; bunch of parsley; 1. mild onion, stuck with 8 cloves; 2 small bay-leaves; 1 large blade of mace; small saltspoonful of peppercorns; salt, oz. (more if needed): 5 to 6 hours' very gentle stewing.

Obs.-A finer jelly may be made by using a larger proportion of veal than of beef, and by adding clear beef or veal broth to it instead of water, in a small proportion at first, as directed in the receipt for consommée, see page 85, and by pouring in the remainder when the meat is heated through. The necks of poultry, any inferior joints of them omitted from a fricassee, or other dish, or an old fowl, will further improve it much; an eschalot or two may at choice be boiled down in it, instead of the onion, but the flavour should be scarcely perceptible.

A CHEAPER MEAT JELLY.

One calf's foot, a pound and a half or two pounds of neck of veal or beef, a small onion, a carrot, a bunch of parsley, a little spice, a bit or two of quite lean ham, dressed or undressed, and five half pints of water, boiled very slowly for five or six hours will give a strong, though not a highly flavoured jelly. More ham, any bones of unboiled meat, poultry, or game will, in this respect, improve it; and the liquor in which fowls or veal have been boiled for table should, when at hand, be used for it instead of water. These jellies keep much better and longer when no vegetables are stewed down in them.

GLAZE.

This is merely strong, clear, gravy or jelly boiled quickly down to the consistency of thin cream; but this reduction must be carefully managed that the glaze may be brought to the proper point without being burned; it must be attentively watched, and stirred without being quitted for a moment from the time of its beginning to thicken; when it has reached the proper degree of boiling, it will jelly in dropping from the spoon, like preserve, and should then be poured out immediately, or it will burn. When wanted for use, melt it gently by placing the vessel which contains it (see article Glazing, Chapter VII.) in a pan of boiling water, and with a paste-brush lay it on to the meat, upon which it will form a sort of clear varnish. In

consequence of the very great reduction which it undergoes, salt should be added to it sparingly when it is made. Any kind of stock may be boiled down to glaze; but unless it be strong, a pint will afford but a spoonful or two; a small quantity of it, however, is generally sufficient, unless a large repast is to be served. Two or three layers must be given to each joint. The jellies which precede this will answer for it extremely well; and it may be made also with shin of beef stock, for common occasions, when no other is at hand.

ASPIC, OR CLEAR SAVOURY-JELLY.

Boil a couple of calf's feet, with three or four pounds of knuckle of veal, three quarters of a pound of lean ham, two large onions, three whole carrots, and a large bunch of herbs, in a gallon of water, till it is reduced more than half. Strain it off; when perfectly cold, remove every particle of fat and sediment, and put the jelly into a very clean stewpan, with four whites of eggs well beaten; keep it stirred until it is nearly boiling; then place it by the side of the fire to simmer for a quarter of an hour. Let it settle, and pour it through a jellybag until it is quite clear. Add, when it first begins to boil, three blades of mace, a teaspoonful of white peppercorns, and sufficient salt to flavour it properly, allowing for the ham, and the reduction. French cooks flavour this jelly with tarragon vinegar when it is clarified: cold poultry, game, and fish are served in, or garnished with it; when it is to be moulded, with slices of boiled tongue laid in the middle in a chain, or carved fowl, or aught else, it will be well to throw in a pinch of isinglass; and hams are often placed on a thick layer of it roughed, and then covered entirely with more for large breakfasts, or cold repasts. It is also used as gravy for meat pies.

Calf's feet, 2; veal, 4 lbs.; ham, & lb.; onions, 2; carrots, 3; herbs, large bunch; mace, 3 blades; white whole pepper, 1 teaspoonful; water, 1 gallon: 5 to 6 hours. Whites of eggs, 4: 15 minutes.

them as hot as possible, they not only give a heightened relish to a dinner, but they prove that both skill and taste have been exerted in its arrangements. When coarsely or carelessly prepared, on the contrary, as they too often are, they greatly discredit the cook, and are anything but acceptable to the eaters. Melted butter, the most common of all,-the "one sauce" of England, which excites the raillery of foreigners, is frequently found to be such an intolerable compound, either oiled or lumpy, or composed principally of flour and water, that it says but little for the state of cookery amongst us. We trust that the receipts in the present chapter are so clearly given, that if strictly followed they will materially assist the learner in preparing tolerably palatable sauces at the least. The cut at the commencement of the chapter exhibits the vessel called a bain marie, in which saucepans are placed when it is necessary to keep their contents hot without allowing them to boil it is extremely useful when dinners are delayed after they are ready

to serve.

TO THICKEN SAUCES.

:

When this is done with the yolks of eggs, they should first be well beaten, and then mixed with a spoonful of cold stock, should it be at hand, and with one or two of the boiling sauce, which should be stirred very quickly to them, and they must in turn be stirred briskly to the sauce, which may be held over the fire, and well shaken for an instant afterwards, but never placed upon it, nor allowed to boil.

To the roux or French thickening (which follows), the gravy

or other liquid which is to be mixed with it should be poured boiling, and in small quantities, the saucepan being often well shaken round, and the sauce made to boil up after each portion is added. If this precaution be observed, the butter will never float upon the surface, but the whole will be well and smoothly blended: it will otherwise be difficult to clear the sauce from it perfectly.

For invalids, or persons who object to butter in their soups or sauces, flour only, mixed to a smooth batter and stirred into the boiling liquid, may be substituted for other thickening: arrowroot also, used in the same way, will answer even better than flour.

FRENCH THICKENING; OR, BROWN ROUX.

For ordinary purposes this may be made as it is wanted for use; but when it is required for various dishes at the same time, or for cookery upon a large scale, it can be prepared at once in sufficient quantity to last for several days, and it will remain good for some time. Dissolve with a very gentle degree of heat, half a pound of good butter, then draw it from the fire, skim it well, give time for it to settle, pour it gently from the sediment into a very clean frying-pan, and place it over a slow but clear fire. Put into a dredging box about seven ounces of fine dry flour; add it gradually to the butter, shake the pan often as it is thrown in, and keep the thickening constantly stirred until it has acquired a clear light brown colour. It should be very slowly and equally done, or its flavour will be unpleasant. Pour it into a jar, and stir a spoonful or two as it is needed into boiling soup or gravy. When the butter is not clarified it will absorb an additional ounce of flour, the whole of which ought to be fine and dry. This thickening may be made in a well-tinned stewpan even better than in a frying-pan, and if simmered over a coal fire it should be placed high above it, and well guarded from smoke.

WHITE ROUX, OR FRENCH THICKENING.

Proceed exactly as for the preceding receipt, but dredge in the flour as soon as the butter is in full simmer, and be careful not to allow the thickening to take the slightest colour: this is used for white gravies or sauces.

SAUCE TOURNEE, OR, PALE THICKENED GRAVY.

Sauce tournée is nothing more than rich pale gravy made with veal or poultry (see consommée, page 85) and thickened with

delicate white roux. The French give it a flavouring of mushrooms and green onions, by boiling some of each in it for about half an hour before the sauce is served; it must then be strained, previously to being dished. Either first dissolve an ounce of butter, and then dredge gradually to it three quarters of an ounce of flour, and proceed as for the preceding receipt; or blend the flour and butter perfectly with a knife, before they are thrown into the stewpan, and keep them stirred without ceasing over a clear and gentle fire until they have simmered for some minutes, then place the stewpan high over the fire, and shake it constantly until the roux has lost the raw taste of the flour; next, stir very gradually to it a pint of the gravy, which should be boiling: set it by the side of the stove for a few minutes, and skim it thoroughly.

Butter, 1 oz.; flour, oz.; strong, pale gravy, seasoned with mushrooms and green onions, 1 pint.

Obs. 3.-With the addition of three or four yolks of very fresh eggs, mixed with a seasoning of mace, cayenne, and lemonjuice, this becomes German sauce, now much used for fricassees, and other dishes; and minced parsley (boiled) and Chili vinegar, each in sufficient quantity to flavour it agreeably, convert it into a good fish sauce.

BECHAMEL.

This is a fine French white sauce, now very much served at good English tables. It may be made in various ways, and more or less expensively; but it should always be thick, smooth, and rich, though delicate in flavour. The most ready mode of preparing it, is to take an equal proportion of very strong, pale veal gravy, and of good cream (a pint of each, for example), and then by rapid boiling over a very clear fire, to reduce the gravy nearly half; next, to mix with part of the cream a tablespoonful of fine dry flour, to pour it to the remainder, when it boils, and to keep the whole stirred for five minutes or more over a slow fire, for if placed upon a fierce one, it would be liable to burn; then to add the gravy, to stir and mix the sauce perfectly, and to simmer it for a few minutes longer. All the flavour should be given by the gravy, in which French cooks boil a handful of mushrooms, a few green onions, and some branches of parsley before it is reduced: but a good béchamel may be made without them, with a strong consommée. (See pale veal gravy, page 85) well reduced.

Strong pale veal gravy (flavoured with mushrooms or not), 1

H