These mixtures (see Salpicon, Chapter IV) may be prepared of one or several kinds of meat. In addition, a few bits of cooked ham or bacon, also calves', lambs' or chickens' liver may be included at discretion. We may have also a brown or a white mixture. The proportions are one cup of sauce to each half pound (one cup, solid measure) of meat or fish. In detail, for a brown mixture, peel and chop fine half a small onion (slice of larger size is enough) and a mushroom if convenient; sauté in two tablespoonfuls of butter or drippings (that from the top of the soup kettle preferred) until lightly browned; sprinkle in two tablespoonfuls of flour and continue cooking until of a light brown color, then add gradually one cup of stock or water, beating the sauce smooth between each addition of liquid; let boil five minutes, then, when the sauce has cooled a little, add the meat chopped or divided according to the directions given at the beginning of the chapter, and reheat without boiling. If the meat be in slices, and particularly if it be lamb, mutton or venison, it may stand to advantage in a marinade an hour or two before reheating. Then use the strained marinade as a part of the liquid of the sauce.

When a curried dish is called for, sauté with the onion half a sour apple, a few green gooseberries or a piece of rhubarb; add the curry powder (a tablespoonful or less, according to taste) with the flour and continue cooking eight or ten minutes before adding the cup of stock. Half a cup of almond or cocoanut milk is considered by many as an improvement to dishes of curry. To prepare the nut milk, scald the pounded nuts in milk, then strain forcibly through a cheesecloth. When other acids are not at hand, a little currant jelly with lemon juice gives the sweetish-sour taste con sidered so essential in a properly concocted curry. Let the meat stand over hot water some little time in the curry sauce to take up the flavor of the sauce. Serve in a rice border (see Cooking of Rice). For white salpicon, or chopped mixture, proceed in the same manner, without browning the vegetables or flour, and use milk or white stock as the liquid. Below are given recipes showing a few of the countless variations in serving these dishes.