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Orange Sauce
Cut an orange peel into narrow strips and boil until tender, changing the water after it has cooked ten minutes. Cook together 2 tablespoonfuls of butter and 2 of flour, stirring until very smooth. Add half a cupful of stock, a little at a time, stirring well, half a cupful of currant jelly, half a cupful of any red wine, the juice of one large or 2 small oranges, and the cooked peel. Season with half a teaspoonful of mixed mustard, salt, and cayenne. Simmer all together until thoroughly blended, and serve hot.
A classic bigarade-style sauce for venison, duck or hare, thickened with a roux and sweetened with currant jelly. It comes together in about twenty minutes and is largely a matter of not letting the jelly scorch.
- Blanch the peel twiceCut into fine julienne, boil ten minutes, discard that water and boil again in fresh water until tender, as the recipe directs. Boiling in two waters is what keeps the sauce from turning bitter.
- Roux consistencyTwo tablespoons butter to two tablespoons flour is a moderate roux for the cup and a half of stock, jelly and wine plus the orange juice. Cook it a minute or two to a pale blond, no darker, so the orange flavour stays forward.
- StockThe recipe says only "stock"; a well-reduced brown stock suits it best. Commercial beef broth works but is saltier, so hold the added salt until the end.
- The wine"Any red wine" would most naturally mean a red table wine such as claret, though port was a common choice in sweet game sauces. Port gives the rounder result with currant jelly; a dry red gives a sharper sauce.
- Mixed mustardThis means prepared mustard paste rather than dry powder. If you substitute dry mustard, use only a generous pinch, well under a quarter teaspoon, for the half teaspoon called for.
- Keep it below a boilOnce the jelly and orange juice go in, hold the sauce at a bare simmer, as the recipe directs. A hard boil can catch the sugar on the pan bottom and give a burnt edge.
- YieldAbout one and a half cups, enough for six to eight servings. It reheats gently but thickens as it stands; loosen with a spoonful of stock.