THICKENING

THICKENING. Liaison au roux is simply butter melted at the bottom of a saucepan over a very moderate fire, with flour added to it in the proportion of two ounces of butter to two and a half of flour, according to the quantity of soup you want to thicken. The butter must be melted first, the flour being dredged in by degrees, and stirred well at the bottom of the saucepan until thoroughly incorporated, and velvety. Reduce the fire, and let the mixture cook very slowly. As soon as it turns a reddish brown, the roux is ready. This is what is wanted for brown soups. For a white, the process is exactly the same, but the liaison must not be allowed to take colour. This system of cooking the butter and flour together for some little time is especially necessary to prevent the taste of raw flour being imparted to the soup. The old-fashioned method of dredging flour into the soup possessed that disadvantage, besides being objectionable on the score of extravagance; for there was much waste from the lumps which were strained off after the operation, and thrown away. It is essential that both the butter and flour should be of good quality, the former fresh, the latter dry and well sifted. If either be inferior, the soup will be tainted and spoilt. Gouffé's proportions in making a roux for storage are half a pound of butter to one pound of flour. The preparation keeps well, and the quantity wanted for soup can be taken according to the recipe followed from time to time. Two ounces to the quart is enough as a rule. In making thick soups, the utmost care should be taken not to overdo the thickening. In the case of a white soup, this error is almost more fatal than in that of a brown. You might as well offer your guest a basin of arrowroot, or any nice gruel, for the savoury flavour of the soup is easily overpowered. A little practice will teach a cook how much roux is necessary to obtain the desired consistency of a thick soup, and she should bear in mind that the full effect of the thickening does not assert itself until the soup, which has been added to it, comes to the boil. Observe that you add the soup to the roux, not the roux to the soup. Soup can be mixed with the roux either hot or cold. If the latter, stir over the fire till boiling; if the former, add the liquid by degrees, off the fire, to prevent lumping, and when well mixed set it on to boil. This care is necessary, for if hurried, not only will the soup be lumpy but the butter will not amalgamate properly, and unless watchfully skimmed off will make the surface greasy. If, after coming to the boil, you find the soup too thin, you must proceed as follows:—Mix a little more roux very carefully in a small saucepan, add a cupful of the soup to it, and when quite smooth and free from lumps, pour it by degrees into the soup, off the fire, through a pointed gravy strainer, stirring vigorously as you do so. When quite mixed, replace the vessel on the fire and let it boil up. The same process can be carried out with flour alone. Although not apparently admitted by French cooks, soups can be satisfactorily thickened with rice-flour (crème de riz) or arrowroot, with neither of which is butter necessary—a matter of consideration where delicate people's taste has to be consulted. The process is simple enough. The farinaceous substance must be diluted carefully, and thoroughly mixed till smooth in a cup or bowl separately with a few spoonfuls of the soup. When of the consistency of creamy batter it should be poured through a pointed strainer into the soup, which should be hot, but not boiling. After having been stirred let the soup boil up and simmer for ten minutes. An ounce and a half of rice-flour will thicken a quart of soup. It is always advisable to pass the soup after it has been thickened satisfactorily through a strainer to catch up any lumps that may possibly be left by the roux, or other ingredient that may be used. A thickening of eggs is also possible in soups of this class, especially in French potages liés.