COMMON SORREL SAUCE.
Strip from the stalks and the large fibres, from one to a couple of quarts of freshly-gathered sorrel; wash it very clean, and put it into a well-tinned stewpan or saucepan (or into an enamelled one, which would be far better), without any water; add to it a small slice of good butter, some pepper and salt, and stew it gently, keeping it well stirred until it is exceedingly tender, that it may not burn; then drain it on a sieve, or press the liquid well from it; chop it as fine as possible, and boil it again for a few minutes with a spoonful or two of gravy, or the same quantity of cream or milk, mixed with a half-teaspoonful of flour, or with only a fresh slice of good butter. The beaten yolk of an egg or two stirred in just as the sorrel is taken from the fire will soften the sauce greatly, and a saltspoonful of pounded sugar will also be an improvement.
ASPARAGUS SAUCE, FOR LAMB CUTLETS.
Green cut the tender points of some young asparagus into half-inch lengths, or into the size of peas only; wash them well, then drain and throw them into plenty of boiling salt and water. When they are quite tender, which may be in from ten to fifteen minutes, turn them into a hot strainer and drain the water thoroughly from them; put them, at the instant of serving, into half a pint of thickened veal gravy (see sauce tournée, [page 106]), mixed with the yolks of a couple of eggs, and well seasoned with salt and cayenne, or white pepper, or into an equal quantity of good melted butter: add to this last a squeeze of lemon-juice. The asparagus will become yellow if reboiled, or if left long in the sauce before it is served.
Asparagus points, 1/2 pint: boiled 10 to 15 minutes, longer if not quite tender. Thickened veal gravy, 1/2 pint; yolks of eggs, 2. Or: good melted butter, 1/2 pint; lemon-juice, small dessertspoonful, seasoning of salt and white pepper.
CAPER SAUCE.
Stir into the third of a pint of good melted butter from three to four dessertspoonsful of capers; add a little of the vinegar, and dish the sauce as soon as it boils. Keep it stirred after the berries are added: part of them may be minced and a little chill vinegar substituted for their own. Pickled nasturtiums make a very good sauce, and their flavour is sometimes preferred to that of the capers. For a large joint, increase the quantity of butter to half a pint.
Melted butter, third of pint; capers, 3 to 4 dessertspoonsful.
BROWN CAPER SAUCE.
Thicken half a pint of good veal or beef gravy as directed for sauce tournée, and add to it two tablespoonsful of capers, and a dessertspoonful of the pickle liquor, or of chili vinegar, with some cayenne if the former be used, and a proper seasoning of salt.