Beetroot (Betterave).—These are usually boiled
thus: Wash the roots well, but be careful not to
chip or break them in any way (a knife must on no
account be used), or the juice will run, and the beet
will be left colourless and flavourless. When perfectly
clean put it on in a panful of boiling, slightly salted
water, and cook it for one and a half to two hours,
according to size. When cooked the skin is peeled
off, and the root sliced, when it may be served hot with
either a poulette sauce (velouté sauce, to which at the
last are added the yolks of two eggs—for a pint of
sauce—and at the very last ½ oz. of fresh butter broken
up very small, with a drop or two of essence of mush-
rooms) or à la crème, i.e., heat some cold cooked
beetroot in a little nice stock or milk; when hot lay
the beet on a hot dish, thicken the stock with a yolk
of egg and cream liaison, and serve it over the hot
vegetable. Or hollandaise sauce may be served with
similarly warmed beetroot. Or again, the cold sliced
beet may be put into a pan with one or more ounces
of butter (according to quantity), pepper and salt;
when this is quite hot stir in one or more egg yolks
beaten up with a tablespoonful of lemon juice for each
egg, let it all get quite hot and serve. For Beetroot
à la Poitevine put a gill of brown sauce into a pan with
a little minced onion, and some powdered mixed spice,
when this is quite hot lay in the cooked and sliced
beetroot (for this quantity use a small, or half a
large root), and when this is hot through put in a
teaspoonful of good vinegar, mix gently and serve.