The first eight sauces are what we term Foundation sauces; but to
facilitate and simplify the making of all kinds of made dishes, I have
throughout this work principally referred to the Brown Sauce (No. 1),
and the White Sauce (No. 7), which are the two sauces I daily and
principally use. The others are of course very good, and sometimes
necessary; but being more complicated, I would recommend that they be
left to culinary artists, who can easily surmount this difficulty. The
two above-mentioned sauces require nothing but a little care and
attention; if well made, you will have little trouble with the smaller
sauces; for the foundation sauces being well made, the smaller ones
require little more than the ingredients directed for them, to give them
their proper flavour; but if badly made, it would injure the whole
dinner. The above-named sauces will keep four or five days in summer,
and a week in winter, by adding a quart of light broth, and boiling them
up every day in summer, and every other day in winter.
The following proportions in the foundation sauces are sufficient for a
large dinner; but of course where so much is not required, a quarter, or
even a smaller quantity can be made.
The colour of the brown sauce ought to be as near as possible to that of
the horse-chesnut, whilst the white sauce should be of the colour of
rich cream. If possible, nothing but the best flour should ever be used
for a roux, which is the French culinary term for thickening; for
inferior or new flour loses its strength by boiling, and your sauce
would become thin and watery: but if such be the case, you should make
more roux, to obviate this difficulty, which must be well mixed with a
little cold stock, poured into the sauce, and all boiled together till
you have obtained the consistency directed.