Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/269

Rh closely, and let it steam in the butter until tender (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. When sufficiently cooked, add the sauce, lemon-juice, seasoning, and spinach greening. Cook two or three minutes, pass through a sieve and serve.

Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 8d. to 10d. for this quantity.

Ingredients.—2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 shallot, peeled and chopped, 1 bay-leaf, 4 white peppercorns crushed, 1 gill of white sauce, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 2 ozs. of butter, salt.

Method.—Put the vinegar (French wine vinegar in preference to malt vinegar) with the shallot, bay-leaf and peppercorns in a stewpan, and reduce to ½ its original quantity; add the white sauce, let it boil, remove the bay-leaf, and stir in the yolks of eggs. When it begins to thicken remove the preparation from the fire and strain into another stewpan. Re-heat (taking great care that the sauce does not curdle), and whisk in the butter by degrees. Add the lemon-juice and enough salt to taste, and serve with boiled fish, artichokes, asparagus, etc.

Time.—About ½ an hour. Average Cost, 6d. to 7d.

Ingredients.—The yolks of 3 eggs, 2 ozs. butter, 1 gill Béchamel sauce, ¼ of a gill of stock, the juice of ½ a lemon, salt and pepper.

Method.—Make the sauce hot, remove the saucepan to the side of the stove, and whisk in the yolks of the eggs, stock and lemon-juice. Cook over a slow fire, then add the butter in small pieces off the fire. Season, strain, and it is ready to serve. The sauce must be carefully cooked, and on no account placed on the fire after the butter is added, or it will oil.

Time.—20 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 8d.

Ingredients.—2 Spanish onions, 1 gill of white stock, ½ a pint of Béchamel sauce, white pepper, salt, a pinch of white sugar.