Home › The Principles of Cookery › RAGOUTS, GRAVY FOR ALL KINDS OF (another way)

RAGOUTS, GRAVY FOR ALL KINDS OF (another way)

The bones and trimmings of meat and poultry ought to furnish stock for making the sauces required for everyday use in an ordinary household. In a properly managed kitchen no bone ought to be thrown away until it has been stewed so that it is as clean as a piece of ivory. If cooks would only stew the bones thoroughly, they might save their masters many pounds in a year, which are otherwise spent in buying beef and veal for stock; and if the cook were clever in flavouring her sauces, six persons out of ten would not discover that the sauce was not made from fresh meat. To make stock from bones, break up the bones of a leg of mutton or of a piece of beef into small pieces. If these bones are not at hand, purchase from the butcher two pennyworth of fresh. Wash these with scrupulous care, and cut away any portions that are not agreeable. Put the bones into a large saucepan, and pour over them five pints of cold water. If a very strong gravy is wanted, less water may be used. Bring the liquor slowly to the boil, remove every particle of scum, and let it simmer very gently indeed for five hours. Strain it into a bowl, and if convenient put it aside until the next day. Take away the cake of fat from the top (it may be used for frying fish, etc.), pour off the liquor gently, to leave undisturbed any sediment which may have settled at the bottom. Put the stock into a saucepan, and with it vegetables and herbs for flavouring suited to the meat with which it is to be served. For ordinary brown gravy the following will be sufficient:--A large carrot cut into three or four pieces, three or four outer sticks of celery, or half a tea-spoonful of bruised celery-seed tied in muslin, an onion stuck with three cloves, a small blade of mace, a bunch of sweet herbs, two tea-spoonfuls of salt, and a tea-spoonful of pepper. Simmer all gently for two hours, strain the stock, and put it aside in a cool place. It will keep for a week in cold weather, in hot weather it should be boiled every other day. When it is wanted, take as much of it as is required, mix with it a small portion of Bovril, thicken it if necessary with a little brown thickening, and it will be ready for use. Probable cost, 6d., exclusive of the bones. Sufficient for a quart of gravy. Time, two days.