Gravies, or Essences
A historical recipe from Domestic French Cookery, 4th ed., by Sulpice Barué (1836).
A historical recipe
Domestic French Cookery, 4th ed., by Sulpice Barué (1836). Project Gutenberg eBook #34837.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
France
Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Ingredients 7 ingredients
- two pounds of scraps of beef
- a pint of water
- a bunch of sweet herbs
- a spoon to extract its juices
- two pounds of scraps of veal
- a pint of boiling water
- two white onions
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
-
Hello, I'm Chef Wood. Ask me anything about this recipe, whenever you like. Press play, or say “next”, and I'll read you the steps one at a time.
Chef Wood answers only when you ask, so take all the time you need. His answers come from AI and are general cooking guidance.
- BROWN GRAVY.
- (JUS.) Put into a sauce-pan, or skillet, five or six onions, and as many carrots cut into small pieces, with about two pounds of scraps of beef, in which there must be none of the fat.
- Pour over them a pint of water.
- Cover the pan, and begin with a brisk fire.
- When the gravy has become brown, add a little boiling water (or broth if you have it), with a tea-spoonful of salt, three or four cloves, and a bunch of sweet herbs.
- Diminish the fire, and let the gravy stew gently for an hour and a half.
- Occasionally prick the meat with a fork, and press it with the back of a spoon to extract its juices.
- Then strain it through a sieve, and let it stand a while before you use it.
- In addition to the beef, you may put in pieces of cold goose, or cold duck.
- WHITE GRAVY.
- (COULIS.) Butter the bottom of a sauce-pan, and put in two pounds of scraps of veal, and, if you have it at hand, some cold fowl, or cold turkey;
- add two white onions, and four or five blades of mace;
- pour over it a pint of boiling water, or broth;
- cover the pan, and set it over a slow fire for five or six hours, pricking and pressing the meat with a fork and spoon.
- Strain it through a sieve, and if it is too thin, set it again over the fire, to stew a while longer.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
-
Frying pan
-
Saucepan
-
Chef's knife
-
Sieve