653 KITCHEN AND OOOKBRV slow fire without letting it brown. Then pour in the hot liquor, and stir over the fire until it boils, then let it cook gently for five minutes. Cut the capers in halves, add them and the vinegar, with salt and pepper to taste. N.B. — If the sauce is required for fish, use fish stock in place of meat liquor. BEARNAISE SAUCE Required : The yolks of three eggs. Three ounces of butter. Quarter of a pint of Bechamel or white sauce. Four tablespoonfuls of tarragon vinegar. Three chopped shallots. Two tablespoonfuls of stock. Put the vinegar into a small saucepan with the chopped shallots, and let them boil until only half the quantity of vinegar is left. Heat the white sauce carefully, and stir it into the vinegar. Beat up the yolks of the eggs with the stock, and strain them into the sauce and shallots, whisk over a gentle heat so as to cook the yolk, but be careful that the sauce does not actually boil, or it will curdle and be spoilt. Take the pan off the fire, and add the butter, a tiny piece at a time, whisking each in before another bit is added, until all is used. Season the sauce carefully, and pour it quickly through a strainer. Remember on no account must the sauce be re-heated after the butter is added, for if this be done the sauce will curdle. MAiTRE d'hOTEL SAUCE Required : One pint of Bechamel or white sauce. Two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley. Half a teaspoonful of lemon-juice. Boil and season the sauce carefully. Un- less it is perfectly smooth, pass it through a strainer. Then add the chopped parsley and lemon juice, and serve in a hot tureen. SOUBISE SAUCE Required : Half a pint of Bechamel or white sauce. Half a pint of white stock or milk. Three large onions. Salt, pepper, and castor sugar. Peel and slice the onions, put them in a saucepan with the milk, and boil them until they are tender. Then rub them through a hair sieve and add to the white sauce. Boil it until it is reduced to about half the quantity, then season carefully with salt, pepper, and a pinch of castor sugar, and serve. N.B. — If preferred, the onions can be finely chopped instead of being sieved. SWEET SAUCES SWEET MELTED-BUTTER SAUCE Required : Half a pint of milk. Two ounces of butter. One ounce of flour. One tablespoonful of castor sugar. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour smoothly, and cook it for a few minutes without letting it colour. Add the milk, and stir until it boils. Sweeten it to taste, and serve it in a hot tureen. N.B. — If a cheaper sauce is required, use only one ounce of butter. LEMON SAUCE Required : Half a pint of boiling water. Half an ounce oicornflour. Two lemons. One tablcspfxmful of castor sugar. Grate off all the rind.s of the lemons, put the water m a pan on the fire. Mix the cornflour smoothly and thinly with the lemon-juice. When the water boils, pour in the cornflour and stir it over the fire until it boils. Add the grated rinds and the sugar, let the sauce snnmer gently for five minutes, then serve in a hot tureen. N.B. — Orange sauce is made in the same way, using oranges instead of lemons. MOUSSELINE SAUtE Required : Two eggs. Four tablespoonfuls of cream. Two tablespoonfuls of castor sugar. Three tablespoonfuls of sherry or brandy or lemon- juice. Break the eggs separately into a cup to make sure they are good, then put them in a small pan with the rest of the ingredients. Place this pan in a large saucepan with boiling water to come about three parts up the small pan. Whisk the sauce briskly, until it is light and frothy, but on no account must it boil, or it will be spoilt. Serve it at once. PISTACHIO SAUCE Required : Half an ounce of cornflour. One ounce of castor sugar. Three-quarters of a gill of water. Four tablespoonfuls of sherry or marsala. Vanilla. One tablespoonful of cream. Put the pistachio nuts in a small sauce- pan with boiling water, and let them cook for a few minutes, then shell them and pound them in a mortar until smooth. Mix the cornflour smoothly and thinly with the cold water, put it in a saucepan with the pounded pistachios, and bring them to boiling point. Keep them well stirred, let them simmer for five minutes, then add the wine, cream, and sugar to taste. Strain the sauce into a hot tureen. N.B. — If preferred use milk instead of cream. VANILLA SAUCE Required : Half a pint of sweet melted-butter sauce. Vanilla to taste. Make the sauce as already directed. Just before serving add essence of vanilla to taste. and serve in a hot tureen. WINE SAUCE Required : Quarter of a pint of boiling water. Four tablespoonfuls of sherry or marsala. Two tablespoonfuls of any jam. One teaspoonful of lemon-juice. Castor sugar to taste. Put the water, jam, and strained lemon- juice in a pan on the fire, and boil the mixture until it becomes hke syrup. Add the wine, and sugar also if any is required. Let it reboil, then strain into a hot tureen, and serve.
