is that they will use milk. They thicken a pint of milk with a little
butter and flour, and then call it melted butter, and, as a rule, send to
table enough for twenty persons when only two or three are dining. As
butter sauce will be served with the majority of vegetables, we would call
the attention of vegetarians to the fact that, as a rule, ordinary
cookery-books take for granted that vegetables will be served with the
meat. When therefore vegetables are served separately, and are intended to
be eaten with bread as a course by themselves, some alteration must be made
in the method of serving them. Again, vegetarians should bear in mind
that, except in cases where poverty necessitates rigid economy, a certain
amount of butter may be considered almost a necessity, should the meal be
wished to be both wholesome and nourishing. Francatelli, who was
_chef-de-cuisine_ to the Earl of Chesterfield, and was also chief cook to
the Queen and _chef_ at the Reform Club, and afterwards manager of the
Freemasons' Tavern, in writing on this subject observes:--"Butter sauce,
or, as it is more absurdly called, melted butter, is the foundation of the
whole of the following sauces, and requires very great care in its
preparation. Though simple, it is nevertheless a very useful and agreeable
sauce when properly made. So far from this being usually the case, it is
too generally left to assistants to prepare, as an insignificant matter;
the result is therefore seldom satisfactory. When a large quantity of
butter sauce is required, put four ounces of fresh butter into a
middle-sized stew-pan, with some grated nutmeg and minionette pepper; to
these add four ounces of sifted flour, knead the whole well together, and
moisten with a pint of cold spring water; stir the sauce on the fire till
it boils, and after having kept it gently boiling for twenty minutes
(observing that it be not thicker than the consistency of common white
sauce), proceed to mix in one pound and a half of sweet fresh butter,
taking care to stir the sauce quickly the whole time of the operation.
Should it appear to turn oily, add now and then a spoonful of cold spring