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BECHAMEL, OR FRENCH WHITE SAUCE (another way)

As white stock is the foundation for this sauce it must be prepared first. Boil down an old fowl, two or three pounds of the knuckle of veal, and three of very lean ham, with the white parts of four carrots, two onions, one blade of mace, some white peppercorns, two table-spoonfuls of salt, and an ounce of butter, in four or five quarts of water. Cut up the fowl and veal, and put them with the ham to simmer, in a small quantity of water, till the juices are extracted; then throw in the full quantity of water, about three and a half quarts to the other ingredients. Let the liquid simmer from four to five hours. Skim and strain till clear, when it is ready for the Bechamel. Mix a table-spoonful of arrowroot with a pint of cream, and when well blended let it simmer in a carefully-cleaned pan for four or five minutes. Make one pint of the stock hot and pour it into the cream; simmer slowly for ten minutes or until it thickens. If too thick add a little stock. Time, two hours. Probable cost, 1s. per pint.