Beef Gravy Sauce

Cut a pound of nice juicy gravy beef into thin slices, and about an ounce of bacon, or ham, or fresh butter; lay them at the bottom of a two quart stewpan, with one blade of mace tied up in a nosegay of a small sprig of sweet marjoram, the same of winter savory or lemon-thyme and parsley, a rollof lemon-peel, two cloves stuck into a middling sized onion, a dozen berries of allspice, and half a dozen of black pepper; put to this three table-spoonsful of water, cover it, and set it on a slow fire till the liquor is all boiled away, and the meat has got very well browned, but take care it is not at all burnt: the time this will take depends so much on the state of the fire, the best way to make sure of your sauce is, when it has been boiling a few minutes, take oft' the cover and watch it; when the meat has got a nice brown, pour in a quart of boiling water; when it boils, catch the scum, and put in a crust of bread toasted very brown, and let it stew very gently for an hour and a half: take a spoonful of thickening, made as per receipt, No. 257, stir it into it by degrees, and let it simmer gently for a quarter of an hour longer, strain it through a fine hair sieve, or tammis cloth, put in a tablespoonful of mush room catsup, a saltspoonful of salt, and half a one of pepper. This will be a rich, high brown sauce for fish, fowl, or ragout.

Observations

If you wish to make it still more relishing, especially if it is to be eaten with game, or wild water-fowl; you may add a tablespoonful of port wine, the juice of half a lemon, and a roll of the rind cut thin, and if you think it not strong enough, use double the quantity of meat and bacon.

Ragout Sauce, Or Strong Beef Gravy With Mushrooms

Choose a dozen very large flaps, the biggest full opened mushrooms that you can get, cut out the stalks, peel off the skin, and scrape away the gills, then strew over them a little pepper and salt. Cut three pounds of steaks, half an inch thick, from a good part of the beef, where there is little fat; the leg of mutton, or neck piece, is very proper for this purpose. Beat the steaks well, and season them moderately with a little salt. Cover the bottom of a gallon stewpan with a couple of slices of fat bacon; upon these lay four or five of the mushrooms, then lay in some of the beef steaks, upon these the rest of the mushrooms, and the rest of the beef steaks over them. Cut to pieces two onions and four carrots, half a dozen cloves, four blades of mace, a dozen and a half berries of black pepper, and a dozen of allspice, as much grated nutmeg as will lay on a sixpence, and a faggot of thyme, knotted marjoram, winter savory, and parsley, whose stems when tied up will be as big as two fingers: cover the stewpan, and set it over a gentle fire, and watch how the gravy comes; when there is a good deal, set it on a better fire, and let it boil away till the meat is nearly dry, and it begins to stick to the pan; then uncover it, stir all about, and put the vegetables and herbs undermost, that they may get brown, but take care they are not burned: then pour in three pints of boiling water, and put it on a slow fire to simmer gently for an hour and a half.

Take a large tablespoonful of thickening*, made as per receipt, No. 257, and stir it into it by degrees, and let it simmer gently a quarter of an hour longer; strain through a tammis sieve or cloth.

Observations

This is the very "ne plus ultra" of rich gravy for sauces, ragouts, and made dishes,and far exceeds the most costly gravies of the French, into which they put partridges, woodcocks, etc. This quintessence of mushrooms and beef is incomparably more savoury and delicious.

Onion Gravy

Peel and slice two or three large onions, put them into a quart stewpan, with a bit of butter about as big as a walnut, or a couple of table-spoonsful of water; set it on a slow fire, and turn the onions about till they are browned; then add half a pint of good broth, and boil them till they are quite tender; strain the broth from them, and mince them very fine; thicken your sauce with flour and butter, and season it with pepper and salt; put the onion into it, and simmer all together for five minutes.

Observations

If you have no broth, put in half a pint of water, and just before you give it the last boil up, add to it a large tablespoonful of mushroom catsup, and, if you like, the same quantity of port wine, or good ale.

Maigre Gravy

Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a large stewpan, set it over a brisk fire; when it has done talking, dredge in some flour, stir it about till it is a fine yellow colour, and then put in three or four onions, two parsnips, or three carrots cut into thin slices; turn them with a wooden spoon till they take a good brown colour; put in a teaspoonful of flour, stir well together, and add a pint and a half of boiling water, and a crust of bread toasted brown; season it with a shallot minced fine, three blades of pounded mace, two drachms of soup-herb powder, and some pepper and salt; let it stew two hours over a slow fire, and press it through atammis sieve: you may add port wine, mushroom and oyster catsup, or lemon pickle.