Watercress Butter.—Pick the leaves of a quantity of watercress and mince them as fine as you can; then dry them in a cloth, mince them still more, and dry them again. You then knead them with as much fresh butter as they will take up, adding a very little salt and white pepper, and with a couple of butterman’s striped pats shape your watercress butter in as many pats of as many shapes as you are able to work out. Do the same with some plain butter, and serve the two on a glass dish.
Whipped Cream.—Cream should be whipped in a very cool place the afternoon before wanted; flavour delicately with lemon or vanilla, and beat in a little of the finest-sifted white sugar. When it will stand up when heaped with a spoon put on a tammy that is only used for sweet things; place that on a dish in a cool larder to drain till wanted. In London what is called double cream should be used.
White Sauce.—(a) Take a good-sized piece of fresh butter, put on the fire in a perfectly clean small saucepan (a brass pan is best); when the butter is melted stir in 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls flour, when thoroughly mixed with the butter add gently new milk (or cream if wanted rich), stirring all the while till of the proper thickness. Flavour with salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and small piece of lemon peel; boil up together. Just before serving add lemon juice to taste, and stir in the yolk of 1 egg off the fire. Great care is required in stirring in the flour and milk over the fire to prevent lumping.
(b) Put 2 oz. fresh butter into a saucepan. As soon as it is melted mix with it 1 tablespoonful flour; mix the two well together. Then add about 1 tumblerful hot water, pepper and salt and nutmeg; stir till the sauce begins to thicken; then stir in, off the fire, the yolks of 2 eggs, beaten up with the juice of a lemon, and strained.
(c) Put ¾ pint cream into a saucepan with the rind of a lemon, ½ teaspoonful whole white pepper, and a sprig of lemon thyme, and let these infuse for ½ hour, when simmer gently for a few minutes till there is a nice flavour of lemon. Strain it, and add a thickening of 3 oz. butter and 1 dessertspoonful flour; stir this well, and put in the juice of a lemon at the moment of serving. Mix with 1 teacupful white stock, and add a little salt. This sauce should not boil after the cream and stock are mixed together. Milk may be used instead of cream.
(d) 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. flour, ½ pint milk or cream. Make it quite smooth, add 2 oz. gelatine dissolved in a little water. Remove from the fire, add a little lemon juice, strain into a basin, let it cool and thicken. Dip in the pieces of chicken cut into neat joints, place on a hair sieve; when cool dip them in again, till well covered with the sauce. Arrange on a dish with slices of boiled beetroot round, alternately with the white of hard-boiled eggs. Cut into rings, and the yolk rubbed through a strainer over the chicken. A little salt might be added to the sauce.
Wild Duck Sauce.—Put in a saucepan 1 tablespoonful Harvey’s sauce, 1 tablespoonful Worcester sauce, a little salt, cayenne to taste, a small glass of port wine, and the strained juice of ½ large lemon. Mix well, and make hot. Just before serving stir in—by the side of the fire, not on it—1 large teaspoonful made mustard; pour into a warm sauce tureen, and serve hot.
Wine Sauce (au Vin).—(a) Mix 1 tablespoonful potato flour with 1 gill sherry, beat up another gill of sherry with the yolks of 4 eggs; mix the two together, add powdered loaf sugar and powdered cinnamon to taste, and a third gill of sherry. Put the whole in a saucepan, and keep stirring on the fire until the sauce thickens, when it is ready.
(b) Put 2 oz. butter into a stewpan with a little parsley, a small (blanched) onion, 1 or 2 mushrooms (previously tossed in lemon juice), all finely minced, turn them well over the fire but do not let them brown; add 1 oz. flour, seasoning of salt, pepper, and mace, 1 pint Chablis (or other light wine); simmer gently for ½ hour, skim, and serve hot.
Worcester Sauce.—(a) 15 gal. white vinegar, 10 gal. walnut and mushroom ketchup, 5 gal. Madeira wine, 4 gal. soy, 1 gal. brandy containing ¼ lb. assafœtida, 25 lb. salt, ½ lb. each pimento, coriander, mace, and cinnamon; boil 20 lb. pigs’ liver for 12 hours in 10 gal. water, frequently renewing the water; chop up the liver, work with the water, strain, and mix with the other ingredients.