Essence Of Cucumbers

Peel your cucumbers as above, and keep the parings, which are to be made into a puree with a little butter. When entirely melted, drain the butter, and moisten with the sauce tournee, in which you have stewed the cucumbers, and which have been drained upon a hair-sieve, and covered with a round of paper. Reduce this puree to a state of great consistence, and mix with it four large spoonfuls of veloute. You must also put a little sugar when you stew the cucumbers in the sauce tournee. After having thrown in the veloute, and reduced it, strain the puree through a tammy. Put in the scollops, and toss them in the sauce. If the sauce should happen not to be white enough, pour one or two spoonfuls of thick cream into it. A short time before you send up, throw the cucumbers into the sauce. Serve hot, and well seasoned.

This entree is in high estimation amongst the epicures, but it requires the greatest attention, or it will turn out to be but a very indifferent dish.

L'Haricot Brun

Cut some turnips into the shape of heads of garlic, wash them clean, and stew them with a nice Espagnole, without frying them in butter, as many persons do. If your sauce be of a fine brown colour, the turnips will acquire the same. Add a little sugar. With regard to salt, it is needless to say that not a single dish, or sauce, can be prepared without it. When you have no Espagnole sauce, take the trimmings of the chops of which you intend to make your haricot, and put them into a stew-pan with carrots, turnips, an onion, a little thyme, and a bay-leaf; moisten with a ladle of broth, let it all sweat till the broth is reduced to a glaze of a good colour; then moisten with some boiling water; season with a bunch of parsley and green onions; let it boil for an hour, and strain it through a sieve. Fry the turnips of a good colour, dust them with a spoonful of flour, and moisten with the liquor; skim off all the fat, and cover the chops with the sauce.

L'Haricot Vierge

Cut small turnips into the shape either of corks, or olives, or into any other shape according to your fancy. Blanch them with one single boil in water; drain them; next stew them with a little sugar, and two spoonfuls of good consomme Mind they must stew over a large fire that they may be reduced speedily, for otherwise they would be too much done. When they are a lace, or reduced, take them off the fire. Pour in three or four spoonfuls of veloute, according to the new ethod. If the sauce be too thick, put to it a spoonful of thick cream; do not forget a little salt. This sauce must always be white, and is generally required with glased articles, which have a sufficient degree of substance.

The Bechamel

Take about half a quarter of a pound of butter, about three pounds of veal, cut into small slices, a quarter of a pound of ham, some trimmings of mushrooms, two small white onions, a bunch of parsley and green onions; put the whole into a stew-pan, and lay it on the fire till the meat be made firm. Then put three spoonfuls of flour; moisten with some boiling hot thin cream. Keep this sauce rather thin, so that whilst you reduce it, the ingredients may have time to be stewed thoroughly. Season it with a little salt, and strain it through a tammy, when it retains no taste of flour, and the sauce is very palatable.

The Bechamel Maigre

Is prepared as above, with the exception of the meat, which is to be omitted. If you have made any sauces from fish, put a little of the juice or gravy of the fish with the cream. When done, strain it through a tammy, and serve up.

* This sauce is only for those who practise the Roman Catholic religion.

How to Cook Sharp Sauce

White Sharp Sauce

Pour into a stew-pan four spoonfuls of white vinegar, to which add some tarragon (if you have no tarragon, use tarragon vinegar), and about twenty pepper-corns; reduce the vinegar to one-fourth of its original quantity; pour into the stew-pan six spoonfuls of sauce tournee, and two spoonfuls of consomme; then reduce this sauce over a large fire. Strain it through a tammy, and then put it again on the fire. When it boils, thicken it with the yolk of two eggs, work it with a small bit of butter. In case it should happen to be brown, pour a spoonful of cream into it, to restore the white colour, and put a little cayenne and salt.