SHARP SAUCES.
Those capital compositions mayonnaise, tartare, rémoulade, ravigote, &c., are commonly known as cold sauces, but there are hot forms of preparing the two last named not often pre-sented. They are descended from sauce piquante which is simply made in this way:—
Chop up as finely as possible half an ounce of shallot, and put the mince into a quart stew-pan with one ounce of butter and four tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Stir over a moderate fire till the vinegar is reduced, which is indicated by the butter becoming clear. Unless this were done the flour which must next be added would not amalgamate. When the vinegar has been thus absorbed by the shallot, mix one ounce of flour into the butter, stir for four minutes, then add half a pint of broth, a saltspoonful of mignonette pepper, and a few drops of colour-ing (Parisian essence). Simmer for a quarter of an hour adding a tablespoonful of finely minced parsley, the same of chopped gherkins. Boil up once, skim, and serve.
For ravigote proceed as for piquante, adding instead of parsley and gherkins a ravigote mixture of herbs—i.e., a teaspoonful each of chives, chervil, tarragon, and parsley, all very finely minced.
For rémoulade follow the same method, omitting the herbs or gherkins, but flavouring the sauce with French mustard to taste, and softening it with the yolk of an egg (raw) stirred in off the fire to finish with.
Poivrade (domestic) is also made in the manner described for piquante with this difference: Put into the stew-pan half a pint of vinegar and, in addition to the shallot, two ounces of onions, an ounce of carrot, an ounce of parsley, a sprig of thyme, two bay-leaves, four cloves, and the pepper; cook all these ingredients together till the vinegar is half absorbed; add the broth, boil once, and simmer twenty minutes. Mix the butter and flour in another saucepan, stir for four minutes over the fire, pour the contents of the stew-pan by degrees into it through a pointed strainer, colour with Parisian essence, skim, strain, and serve.
Gouffe’s high-class brown poivrade is enriched with espag-nole, and his poivrade blanche with velouté. But these are first-class sauces, of which more hereafter.
Dubois has a simple sauce of this class which he calls à la zingara: Reduce a quarter pint of vinegar with an ounce of finely minced shallot, a small saltspoonful of salt, and one of mignonette pepper, till about a dessertspoonful remains ; add to this two tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs that have been fried lightly in butter; moisten wth half a pint of good broth, simmer for ten minutes on the stove corner, and finish with a tablespoonful of minced parsley and the juice of a lemon.