Although it may be presumed that every cook who understands her business knows how to melt butter, it is yet constantly brought to table either too thick or too thin, and not unfrequently filled with lumps of flour or in a state of oil, and requires more care in the management than is generally thought necessary.

The excellence of melted butter greatly depends upon the pains taken to blend it with the flour before it is put upon the fire, the best plan of doing which is to rub them together with a knife on a wooden trencher. When well mixed, add two table-spoonfuls of hot water, or the same quantity of milk; put it into a small pipkin, shaking it one way until it boils, and not leaving it an instant; it must boil a minute to take off the rawness, and if made of fresh butter add a little salt. Remember that if you set it on the hot coals, or over the fire, it will be oily; if the butter and flour be not well mixed, it will be lumpy; and if you put too much water, it will be thin and poor. By attending to these directions, and only using sufficient flour to prevent the butter from oiling, it will be rich and smooth.

Or:- Mix together by degrees two spoonfuls of flour in cold water; make it smooth and thin; then put on a pint of water, let it boil, stir in the flour and water to make the required thickness, cut half a pound of fresh butter in small pieces, put it into the flour and water, let it boil well; it is then fit for use; a pinch of salt may be required.

When thin melted butter is required to pour over puddings, roast veal, etc, make it the same way, adding a larger proportion of water or milk, the latter rendering it rather whiter than the water; and if meant to be more rich than common, use cream instead of milk. Indeed the French frequently enrich melted butter by adding the yolk of a raw egg.