BROWN THICKENING FOR GRAVY SOUP.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 353, 23 March 1889, Page 4

BROWN THICKENING FOR GRAVY SOUP.

Suppose a cook to pos°ess some dry flour — say half a pound — the same quantity of butter, an enamelled ste'wpan, a clear brisk lire, and an onion. First place the butter in the stewpan, and melt it till it runs to what cooks call oil. It will be found that there is a white scum at the top, and a milky sediment at the bottom — recollect, melt the butter but do not boil it — simply melt it. Skim the frothy iop, and pour off vrhat may be called the clarified butter, leaving the milky sediment in thepan. JSTow you have got rid of what is often called the milk in the butter. Next take the stewpan and haviner wiped it clean, pour back the clarified buttoi into ie, and gradually mix in the dried and sifted flour; this will make a sort of pudding, which will

all cling together, and will not —or ought nob if proper care has been taken to follow these directions — cling to the stewpan. Keep this pudding over the firo, and keep stirring with an iron or wooden spoon till it begins to change colour— i c., it will gradually from being almost white turn to the colour of an underdone piecrust or the covers of those old-fashioned books which treat of mediaeval times. As soon as the colour begins to change, redouble the stirring, and occasionally remove the stewpan from the fire for a few minutes altogether, in order that tho flour should not be fried brown too quickly, for this is really all that is being done. It will be found that the butter and flour will go on boiling in the stewpan for a long time atter it has been removed from the fire — ten minutes or more ; such is the power enamelled stewpans possess of retaining the heal. Have ready, close at hand, two slices out of the centre of a good-sized onion about J inch thick. Keep stirring the butter and flour till it is of a light brown colour, not quite so brown as ripe corn, then take the stewpan ofF the fire, throw in the two slices of onion, which have the double advantage of slackening the heat and of imparting a rich iiavour to the thickening. This will cause a great spluttering, and care should bo taken to avoid a few little splashes on the backs of the hands. Keep stirring Lho mixture till all bubbling has ceased, and this will be longer than many would imagine. Pour oft what will now be a rich brown fluid, which will assume the appearance of light chocolate when cold, into a deep dish — old marmalade poLs arc as good as anything— for use. It will keep for months, and is always at hand for thickening gravy.