Choice Cookery

than the canned mushroom, and may be used to great advantage in dark sauces. The French _chef_ classes all white sauces as _blonde_, and calls the jar of very smooth thick white sauce, which he keeps ready made as a foundation for most of the family of light sauces, his _blonde_ or _veloute_. This explanation is given because directions are often found in French recipes to "take half a pint of veloute" or of "blonde." The mistress of a private house may not find it wise or necessary to keep a supply of sauce ready made, although to one who has to supply a variety of sauces each day it is indispensable; but the day before a dinner-party sauces can be so made, and covered with a film of butter to prevent skin forming, and can then be heated in a bain-marie when required for use. Almost every _chef_ has his favorite recipe for veloute, or white sauce, but they differ only in points that are little essential; the foundation is always the same, as follows: Put two ounces of butter in a thick saucepan with two ounces of flour (tablespoonfuls approximate the ounce, but weight only should be relied on for fine cooking). Let these melt over the fire, stirring them so that the butter and flour become well mixed; then let them bubble together, stirring enough to prevent the flour sticking or changing color. Three minutes will suffice to cook the flour; add a pint of clear hot white stock that has been strained through a cloth. This stock must not be poured slowly, or the sauce will thicken too fast. Hold the pint-measure or other vessel in which the stock may be in the left hand, stir the butter and flour quickly with the right, then turn the broth to it _all at once_. Let this simmer an hour until very thick, then add a gill of very rich cream, stir, and the sauce is ready. This is undoubtedly the best way to make white sauce, which is to serve as a foundation for others, or is