English and French sauces differ fundamentally in that they are constructed on totally different principles. Whereas a French sauce is an intrinsic part of the dish it accompanies, often made with the juices that result from its cooking, the English sauce is a thing apart. There is no English equivalent to the sauce served with a canard pressé, for example, which is made from the blood and juices of the pressed duck. Our traditional sauce for duck is made with stewed apples. Whereas in France a sauce is used to implement and reinforce the main flavour of the main element, in England the sauce is used to give a contrast: in taste, texture and – sometimes – temperature.
Almost every main dish had its accompanying sauce, and in most households these were rarely, if ever, deviated from. To eat roast lamb without mint sauce, or at least redcurrant jelly, would have been unthinkable. Duff Cooper described such a fiasco in a letter to his wife in 1938: ‘My dinner for eight was quite successful last night except when Mrs Blackman sent up roast partridge without bread sauce. I nearly had a stroke.’ Roast beef was invariably accompanied by horseradish in some form; boiled mutton by caper or onion sauce. Parsley sauce was always served with boiled ham, egg sauce with boiled cod, bread sauce with roast chicken, mustard sauce with grilled herrings and cheese sauce with macaroni, cauliflower and hard-boiled eggs.
In addition to the sauces, there was also a range of traditional garnishes that were often served with the sauce, or instead of one. These included fruit jellies, either redcurrant, rowan or crab-apple, to accompany hot or cold roast mutton or lamb. Cumberland sauce is like a cross between a fruit jelly and a sauce; this was served with hot or cold ham, game pâté and terrines. Fruit garnishes were sometimes served with cold meat, especially pork, or duck. These might be composed of chopped apples, onions and celery, like an uncooked chutney. Breadcrumbs fried in butter were always served with roast pheasant and grouse, at the same time as the bread sauce. Fried parsley was the traditional garnish for fried fish, either whole, like smelts or whiting, or cut in strips, like goujons of Dover sole. It was also served with fish cakes and egg croquettes. Whole sprigs of parsley were dropped into very hot oil for a few seconds, and emerged bright emerald green, crisp and fragile as the fried seaweed (actually shredded spring greens) that we eat today in Chinese restaurants.
Typical of the 1930s were the chilled or even semi-frozen sauces that were often served with hot dishes. Since refrigerators were the newest thing in kitchen technology, iced dishes were considered very smart. Ices were made with the most surprising ingredients, ranging from Camembert cheese to horseradish, and a sorbet-like tomato mush was often served with hot fried goujons of sole. This sort of extreme contrast demanded care and precision; the plates had to be cool and the service speedy or a soupy mush was the end result.
Bottled sauces had been manufactured in Britain since the mid-nineteenth century. Firms like Lea & Perrins, Crosse & Blackwell and Burgess had been producing such things as Worcestershire Sauce, Harvey’s Sauce, Anchovy Essence and Mushroom Ketchup for almost a hundred years, and they were still as popular as ever. Their appeal was for the typical Englishman who liked to combine a strong sharp taste with the basically bland flavour of English food, and who preferred to add it himself, at table. (Worcestershire Sauce and Anchovy Essence both show a similarity to the ancient Roman sauce garum, which was made with pickled anchovies and asafoetida, and used for adding to dishes.)
Some of these sauces can still be bought today – Worcestershire Sauce is still in demand for making bloody Marys – but their popularity has been usurped by the tomato- and pepper-based sauces like tomato ketchup and Tabasco. In my own kitchen, I find that soy sauce, Maggi Liquid Seasoning and Tabasco have replaced the heavier sauces mentioned above, that I remember so well from my childhood. I never ate them myself, of course, for they are anathema to children, but my father was fond of them. In the great country houses bottled sauces were never seen, for the cook preferred to make her own.
Sweet sauces for puddings were also important at this time, when hot steamed and baked puddings were popular. For these really need a complementary sauce to realize their full potential. The most usual was the excellent boiled custard, sometimes called sauce à la vanille. (Bird’s Custard Powder had been around since 1846, but I found no mention of it in any of the cookery books of the inter-war period. It may be that it was only the convenience foods of recent development, like American breakfast cereals and tinned petits pois, that caught the fancy of the upper and middle classes. Certainly in working-class homes Bird’s Custard was much in use, and was served with tinned fruit, or in trifle.) True custard makes the perfect accompaniment for English fruit puddings; cream was sometimes served as well, or incorporated into the custard. Hot jam sauces were popular with steamed and baked puddings. These were simply made, either with one jam or two, heated and sieved and sometimes spiked with a dash of spirits. Golden syrup was already in existence; this made an easy sauce for hot sponge puddings: just warmed through and sharpened with a squeeze of lemon juice.
A contrast in temperature was definitely the dernier cri among fashionable hostesses. In the sweet course, the contrast was reversed, with a hot sauce accompanying an ice cream. One of the most popular came from the USA: a hot butterscotch sauce which set to a hard shell when poured over a vanilla ice.
Good as they are, English sauces are rather primitive, and help to explain the term ‘nursery food’ used in this context. In the field of sauces our cuisine seems simplistic, especially when compared with the French. In this realm at least, we find ourselves closer to the Americans, whose cranberry sauce with roast turkey we were soon to adopt, and whose hot sauce for ice cream had already caught on.
SABOURY SAUCES AND GARNISHES
Apple Sauce with Sage
This is an unusually good apple sauce for serving with roast pork, duck or goose.
1 medium onion, quite finely chopped
15g butter
2 teaspoons chopped sage
450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
½ teaspoon sugar
Cook the chopped onion slowly in the butter until it has softened, without allowing it to brown much: about 10 minutes, covered. Then add the chopped sage and cook all together for another couple of minutes, uncovered, then set aside. Put the sliced apples in a heavy pan with just enough water to cover the bottom. Add the sugar and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the apples are soft, then push them through a medium food mill into a clean pan. Reheat gently, adding the sage and onion mixture. Once it is hot, remove from the heat and stand, covered, for 10–15 minutes, or until ready to serve, with roast pork, duck or goose. Serves 6. Best served warm. Mrs Arthur James
Aspic Jelly
By the end of the 30s, compromises were being made in the kitchen. With fewer assistants, if any, cooks could not afford to spend hours making aspic in the traditional way, as was customary before the First World War. This was how our cook in London made her simplified version.
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon gelatine
sea salt and black pepper
570ml chicken, veal, beef or fish stock
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 egg shell, crushed
Put in a saucepan 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatine, salt and pepper. Add 570ml of stock and bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time. Strain. When the gelatine has dissolved, drop in the white of one egg and crushed egg shell. Whisk over the flame until it boils, then put on one side and leave to settle. Strain through muslin. Winnie, our cook
Celery Sauce
This is a useful sauce for serving with game birds of all sorts. Roast pheasant in particular benefits from a sauce to counteract its potential dryness.
8 stalks of celery
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
450ml light stock, game or chicken
30g butter
1 tablespoon flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Cut the celery in small pieces and put in a saucepan with the finely chopped onion, bay leaf, and stock. Simmer over a low heat until the celery is cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and put the celery and stock into a blender or food processor. Purée for about 20 seconds, then rub through a sieve. Make a roux with the butter and flour and gradually add the celery purée to make a sauce. Season well and add freshly chopped parsley. Good with all game. Serves 4–6. Jane Longman, in Vogue
Bread Sauce
This was the traditional accompaniment to roast chicken, grouse and pheasant. It is one of those English foods which can be the best or the worst thing in the world, depending on how it is made. It is vital to flavour the milk with care, and to get the right consistency: not too smooth, or too lumpy.
340ml milk
½ medium onion
2 cloves
½ bay leaf
sea salt and black pepper
a pinch of mace or nutmeg
about 6 tablespoons soft white breadcrumbs, made from 1-day-old bread, crusts removed
15g butter
2 tablespoons cream (optional)
Put the milk in a small pan with the onion stuck with the cloves, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and mace, or nutmeg. Bring slowly to the boil, then turn off the heat, cover the pan, and stand for 20–30 minutes. Strain and reheat. As it approaches boiling point, shake in the crumbs gradually, stirring all the time, and stop as soon as it approaches the right consistency, remembering that it will thicken slightly on cooling. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often, adding more salt and pepper if required. Just before serving, stir in the butter, and a drop of cream if you have it. Serve with roast chicken, turkey, pheasant and grouse. Serves 4–5. This should be made soon before serving if possible; otherwise, keep warm over hot water. AB
Cumberland Sauce
This is an old English sauce, especially useful at Christmas time, for serving with cold turkey, ham, game pâtés and terrines. It was often made with port, which I rarely buy, so I use a dash of brandy. It may be thickened – slightly – with arrowroot, if desired.
1 orange
1 lemon
340g redcurrant jelly
2 teaspoons arrowroot (optional)
2 tablespoons brandy
Pare the rind of the orange and lemon thinly, then cut in julienne strips. Blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes, then refresh under the cold tap. Squeeze the juice of the orange and lemon and add to the jelly in a small pan. Heat gently, stirring, until the jelly has melted, then push through a sieve or small food mill and return to the clean pan. Reheat slowly until it reaches boiling point. If using arrowroot, slake it in 2 tablespoons of cold water, beating to a smooth paste with the back of a spoon, then stir into the simmering sauce and remove from the heat. Stir until smooth, then add the blanched rind. Later, when it has cooled slightly, add the brandy. Pour into a jam jar; once it has cooled, seal tightly and leave for 1 week before eating. Serves 6–8. Adapted from A Book of Scents and Dishes, by Dorothy Allhusen
Cherry Salad
Dorothy Allhusen, the author of A Book of Scents and Dishes, recommends serving this unusual side dish with a cold fillet of beef, but I find it is even better with the cold roast loin of pork on page 81.
225g red cherries
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon light olive oil, or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
A delicious salad to eat with cold fillet of beef is made as follows: Stone 225g of fresh red cherries, put them in a basin and pour over 1 tablespoonful of brandy, 1 tablespoonful of oil, 1 teaspoonful of tarragon vinegar; add salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Serve very cold. [Serves 3–4; easily made in double quantities. Also good with cold duck.] A Book of Scents and Dishes, by Dorothy Allhusen
Harvy-Scarvy
This is a good, simple relish to eat with cold meat. It comes from Norfolk, by way of American writer M. F. K. Fisher, who quotes it in one of her books. She recommends serving it with a cold, grilled pork chop; I find it excellent with the cold roast loin of pork on page 81.
4 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
120g finely chopped celery
120g finely chopped apples, cored but not peeled
120g finely chopped onions
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Add vinegar and oil to celery, apples, and onion, and stir well. Chill for 1 or 2 hours, and stir again just before serving. Good with any cold meats, but preferably pork chops. [Serves 6.] With Bold Knife and Fork, by M. F. K. Fisher
Devil Sauce
A popular way of using up left-over game (or chicken) was to reheat it in a devil sauce. Usually made with undiluted whipped cream, this was too rich for my taste, but this recipe, which I have adapted from three contemporary ones, uses a mixture of milk and cream.
30g butter
1½ tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon English mustard (powder)
½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
275ml milk, heated
150ml double cream, heated
½ teaspoon sea salt
a pinch of cayenne
1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon mushroom ketchup
a dash of Tabasco
Melt the butter, stir in the flour, mustard and curry powder, if used, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Then add the milk and cream which you have heated together, and stir constantly until the sauce starts to bubble. Simmer gently for about 8 minutes, until slightly reduced, adding the other flavourings as it cooks. This is a basic devil sauce, for serving with grilled or fried chicken, egg or chicken croquettes, or hard-boiled eggs. Serves 4.
To devil game (or chicken), cut the cooked bird in neat joints and spread them all over with a layer of Dijon mustard. Lay them in a shallow dish and pour over 3–4 tablespoons of game (or chicken) stock. Cover with foil or a lid, and reheat in the oven for 15 minutes at 170°C/gas 3. Then drain off the stock and turn up the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Pour the hot devil sauce over the joints and put back in the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until it has browned nicely. (Alternatively, it may be browned under the grill for 4–5 minutes.) Serve with boiled rice and a green salad, as a main course. AB
Piquant Sauce
Rather like a gazpacho, this excellent cold sauce is quickly made and very adaptable. I serve it over warm hard-boiled eggs, warm asparagus, or artichoke bottoms, either as a first course, or as part of a summer buffet.
275ml fresh tomato pulp (approx. 340g tomatoes)
1 tablespoon finely chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled cucumber
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
a pinch of sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste
a pinch each of paprika, ground allspice and nutmeg
Peel ripe tomatoes and cut in pieces. Put them in a food processor and purée. Add the chopped vegetables, vinegar and seasonings, then purée again. Serve at room temperature, or chilled, over poached fish, vegetables, or hard-boiled eggs. Serves 4. Gladys Stewart-Richardson
Sauce Dugléré
This is a delicious sauce, quite thin, made with fish stock, white wine and cream, with crushed tomatoes and herbs added. It is excellent served with poached fish. (See also sole Dugléré on page 30.)
1 shallot, finely chopped
30g butter
2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
1 level tablespoon flour
150ml dry white wine
150ml fish stock
salt and black pepper
150ml double cream
½ tablespoon each finely chopped chervil, chives and parsley
Cook the chopped shallot in the butter for 3–4 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then add the flour, cook 1 minute, stirring, then add the white wine and fish stock which have been heated together. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring now and then, adding salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the cream and cook for another 1–2 minutes, then remove from the heat, stir in the chopped herbs, and pour into a sauceboat. Serve with a large piece of poached white fish, preferably turbot or halibut, or the filets de sole pochés on page 29. Serves 6. Adapted from The Complete Hostess, by Quaglino
Egg and/or Parsley Sauce
I like to combine these two traditional English sauces, both of which go so well with boiled fish, gammon, fish cakes, etc., but either can be made separately if preferred.
30g butter
1½ tablespoons flour
275ml chicken, fish or ham stock, or 450ml milk
5 tablespoons single cream (if using stock)
sea salt and black pepper
ground mace, or nutmeg
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
Melt the butter, add the flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Then add the hot stock, or milk, gradually, stirring till blended, and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Add the cream, salt and black pepper (unless using ham stock, in which case omit the salt), and a little mace, or nutmeg. If using milk instead of stock, omit the cream. Stir in the chopped parsley and/or hard-boiled eggs, and tip into a sauceboat to serve. This is good with boiled cod, boiled ham, gammon steaks, fish cakes and egg cutlets (in this case use parsley alone). Serves 4–5. AB
Sauce Soubise
A creamy onion sauce lightly flavoured with nutmeg was often served with roast lamb, or a boiled leg of mutton. It is also delicious served over hard-boiled eggs, as a light supper dish.
3 large onions
salt
275ml milk
45g butter
2 tablespoons flour
70ml cream
nutmeg
Peel the onions and cut them into small pieces. Put them in a saucepan, cover them with hot water and a little salt, and boil them till tender [about 15 minutes]. Heat the milk. Melt the butter in another saucepan, stir in the flour, then stir in the hot milk gradually. Add the onions and stir till the sauce boils. Place the sieve over a basin and rub the sauce through it with the back of a wooden spoon [or blend in a food processor]. Put it back in a clean saucepan, add the cream and a few grains of grated nutmeg. Heat well, but do not let it boil again. [Serves 4–5, or 2 with hard-boiled eggs.] When the Cook Is Away, by Catherine Ives
Hollandaise Sauce
This exquisite sauce was much in use, largely as a hot alternative to mayonnaise. It accompanied poached fish, especially salmon and salmon trout, also artichokes and asparagus, and was part of the popular American dish, eggs Benedict (see page 35). In pre-war days it demanded skill in the making, but today it can be made with ease in a food processor.
4 egg yolks
a pinch of sea salt
180g unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
First warm the container of the food processor by filling it with very hot water. Stand for 4–5 minutes, then drain and dry well. Put the egg yolks with the salt into the processor and cover with the lid, leaving the funnel open. Heat the butter in a small pan until it is almost boiling, then process the egg yolks for 30 seconds, and start adding the hot butter through the lid, while continuing to process. Once all the butter has been added, stop the machine. The sauce should have thickened slightly; if not, pour it into a small bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until this has happened. Add the lemon juice. Serve as soon as possible, in a warm bowl. It does not need to be hot, just warm. Serves 3–4.
Sauce Mousseline: shortly before serving, fold 4 tablespoons of lightly whipped cream into the hollandaise sauce. Serves 4. This luxurious sauce is particularly delicious with asparagus. AB
Fried Parsley
This is my favourite garnish for goujons of fried fish, egg croquettes, and other fried dishes. Alas, it now seems to have been forgotten.
Take your little sprigs of parsley, picked off the main stem, wash them, if it is really necessary, dry them well, and keep them covered with a cloth until you are ready for them; at any rate, do not let them wilt. Have ready your deep-frying oil on the fire and, when the blue smoke begins to rise, which shows that it is very hot [about 180°C], plunge your parsley in. It is ready almost immediately; it is a matter of seconds. I find it best to use a frying basket. It should come out crisp, bright green and neither greasy, limp, nor brown. If you fry it too long, it is apt to break to pieces. [Use as a garnish for any crisp fried food, especially fish.] Come Into the Garden, Cook, by Constance Spry
Mayonnaise
This was very much used between the wars, both in its own right – as an accompaniment to cold salmon, lobster, asparagus, artichokes and hard-boiled eggs – and as an ingredient in other dishes: cold sauces, sandwiches, savoury ices, etc.
2 egg yolks
a pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
275ml olive oil
3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Have all the ingredients at the same temperature, i.e. take the eggs out of the refrigerator 1 hour in advance. The eggs should be very fresh. Drop the yolks into a large bowl standing on a damp cloth so that it cannot slip around. With an electric hand-beater, or a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks for a minute or two, adding the salt and mustard. Have the olive oil in a jug and hold it in the left hand while you beat with the right. Start adding the oil literally drop by drop, beating constantly. After a short while you can add it a little more quickly, but only a few drops at a time. When about half the oil has been added, you can start to add it in a thin trickle, then a stream, beating all the time without stopping. When all the oil is finished, beat in the vinegar and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you prefer. Turn into a clean bowl, cover with cling film, and store in the refrigerator until needed. Take out well in advance of serving, as it should be eaten at room temperature. Makes 275ml; serves 6 as a sauce.
Variation: A proportion of lightly whipped cream may be folded into the mayonnaise before serving: roughly half as much cream as mayonnaise. AB
Mint Sauce
This was the traditional accompaniment to hot roast lamb; redcurrant jelly could be provided as well, or as an alternative. With cold lamb a mint jelly was sometimes served. The best variety of mint to use is the old-fashioned English spearmint, Mentha spicata.
4 tablespoons chopped mint
1 tablespoon caster sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Put the chopped mint in a bowl with the sugar and lemon. Add 175ml of boiling water, stirring. Stand for 1 hour before serving, at room temperature. Serves 6. AB
Sauce Tartare
This excellent sauce was often served with fried Dover sole, or with fried whitebait – indeed almost any fried fish. It also figures in the shooting sandwiches made with cold roast beef or game, on page 177.
275ml mayonnaise (see page 155)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped gherkins
2 tablespoons chopped capers
Add chopped parsley, chopped gherkins and chopped capers – about 2 tablespoons of each – to 275ml of mayonnaise. [Serves 6.] Wheeler’s Fish Cookery Book, by Macdonald Hastings and Carole Walsh
Iced Tomato Sauce
This is an ideal sauce for light summer dishes, simple and quick to make, and very adaptable. It is best served semi-frozen, frozen thick but not yet solid. It goes well with hot fried goujons of Dover sole, or egg croquettes, or fish cakes, as well as cold dishes.
150ml mayonnaise (see page 155)
150ml double cream, lightly whipped
180g tomatoes, weighed after skinning and de-seeding, pulped
1½ teaspoons onion juice, made in a garlic press
salt and pepper
Mix together equal parts of mayonnaise, [lightly whipped] cream and tomato pulp. Add onion juice, salt and pepper. Freeze and serve with cold fish or with cucumber salad. [Serves 4.] Come Into the Garden, Cook, by Constance Spry
Horseradish Sauce with Apple
This unusual combination of grated apple with horseradish makes a most delicious sauce for serving with cold roast beef or duck. It is based on a recipe in Alice B. Toklas’ last book, but it also turns up in a few English cookbooks of the period. The best horseradish to use, failing the fresh root, comes from Germany in small jars, called Kochs or Scandia.
1 Granny Smith, or other tart green apple, peeled and grated
1½ tablespoons grated horseradish, or ½ a jar
3 tablespoons sour cream
¼ tablespoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of cayenne
½ teaspoon brandy
Mix grated apples with grated horseradish. Add [sour cream], salt, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne, and brandy. [Serves 4.] Aromas and Flavors, by Alice B. Toklas
Scraped Horseradish
Rarely seen nowadays, this is the best possible way of eating horseradish, almost Japanese in its simplicity. Good for people who grow their own, since fresh horseradish is not often seen in shops.
Get a nice large single root of horseradish, peel it, and with a sharp knife scrape it so that each shaving is a long thin sliver. This is placed all down the centre of the roast beef and the carver puts a small portion on each plate with a slice of beef. It should be scraped only a few minutes before it is required, otherwise it will lose its flavour and become dry. Scraped horseradish is only eaten with roast beef, and is a most delicious adjunct. Kitchenette Cookery, by G. F. Scotson-Clark
Yorkshire Pudding
In the country houses, bastions of tradition, roast beef was always served with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, gravy, horseradish sauce and a green vegetable. The pudding is best made after the beef has finished cooking, since it demands a very hot oven.
140g white bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
250ml milk
1–2 tablespoons beef dripping, from the joint
Sift the flour into a food processor with the salt. Add the lightly beaten egg and process, then pour the milk slowly through the lid, while continuing to process. Rest for 30–60 minutes before baking, if possible.
Five minutes before the joint is ready, extract 1–2 tablespoons of dripping from the roasting tin and spread it round a shallow baking dish. Heat this in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove the beef to rest in a warm place and turn the oven up to 220°C/gas 7. Process the batter once more, then pour into the dish and bake for 35 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Cut in sections to serve, with the beef. Serves 6. AB
Bread Stuffing
Before the war, a roast bird was almost invariably stuffed. Nowadays, with the emphasis on low-fat food, stuffings are rarely seen except at Christmas time. This is my favourite stuffing, excellent with chicken, turkey, duck or goose.
180g shallots, peeled and chopped
55g butter
180g soft white breadcrumbs
20g chopped parsley
sea salt and black pepper
Cook the chopped shallots gently in the butter until light golden, then add the crumbs and mix well. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped parsley, and add plenty of sea salt and black pepper. Allow to cool before using. This makes enough to stuff a large chicken or capon; double the quantities for a 6kg turkey. AB
Browned Breadcrumbs
This was the classic accompaniment to roast game, together with bread sauce and (home-made) game chips. The bread sauce was served in a sauceboat, and the browned breadcrumbs in another sauceboat, or bowl.
30g butter
6 tablespoons fairly coarse dry (white) breadcrumbs
In a thick frying pan, preferably non-stick, heat the butter until very hot. Just before it turns colour add the breadcrumbs and cook for about 2½ minutes, turning constantly, until they have browned evenly to a golden mid-brown. Remove from the heat, tip into a bowl or sauceboat, and keep warm until ready to serve. Serves 4. AB
SWEET SAUCES
Apricot Jam Sauce
This hot jam sauce is excellent served with plain sponge puddings.
225g apricot jam
3 tablespoons kirsch
4 tablespoons water
Heat together to boiling point, in a small enamel pan, ½ cup of apricot jam, 3 tablespoons of kirsch, and ¼ cup of water. Pour into serving bowl and serve at once. [Serves 4.] June Platt’s Plain and Fancy Cookbook
Brandy Butter
This used to be called senior wrangler sauce, or hard sauce – it is still called hard sauce in the USA. It is the traditional accompaniment to Christmas pudding.
120g unsalted butter
120g caster sugar
3–4 tablespoons brandy
Cream the butter until pale and smooth. (Or blend in the food processor.) Add the sugar gradually, beating (or processing) continuously. When amalgamated, start to add the brandy very slowly, beating (or processing) all the time. Taste after adding the third tablespoon, then add the rest – if needed – very slowly indeed, for it can separate easily at this stage. Once done, pile into a small jar and store in the refrigerator until needed. It can be made several days in advance, as it keeps very well indeed. Serve very cold, with the Christmas pudding. Makes 225g. AB
Creamy Custard Sauce
A jug of cream was often served at the same time as a custard sauce, with hot puddings made with fruit, bread, suet or sponge. I have chosen to combine the two in a delicious creamy custard sauce. To make a simple custard, omit the cream and increase the milk to 450ml.
½ vanilla pod
275ml milk
3 large egg yolks
2½ tablespoons vanilla sugar, or caster sugar
150ml double cream
Put the vanilla pod in a small pan with the milk. Bring slowly to the boil, then remove from the heat, cover the pan, and stand for 20 minutes. When the time is up, reheat the milk gently and remove the vanilla pod. (Rinse, dry and store in a jar of caster sugar.) Start beating the egg yolks with the sugar. When the milk is just about to boil, pour it on to the egg yolks, still beating. Then stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir constantly until it has slightly thickened. This may take 7 or 8 minutes.
Once it has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove the bowl from the heat and stand it in a sink half full of cold water to cool quickly. Stir now and then while it cools to prevent a skin forming. While it cools, whip the cream until just thickened, stopping before it becomes solid or it will be hard to blend with the custard. When the custard is warm, fold in the whipped cream.
If possible, serve while still warm, or at room temperature; do not chill. Excellent with hot or cold puddings of all sorts, or with compotes of fruit. Serves 4–6. AB
Lemon and Vanilla Sauce
This is an unusual sauce for serving hot with steamed or baked puddings. It goes well with the seven-cup pudding on page 119. I like to serve a jug of thick cream at the same time.
55g vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
275ml boiling water
55g unsalted butter, cut in bits
juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
Mix together sugar with cornflour. Add boiling water gradually, stirring constantly. Cook five minutes. Remove from fire. Add butter [cut in small bits]. Stir until melted. Add the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon. Serve hot [with a baked or steamed pudding, or plum pudding. Makes 450ml; serves 4–6]. June Platt, in Vogue
Mixed Jam Sauce
Jam sauces were often served with sponge or suet puddings, with pancakes or even ice cream.
4 tablespoons raspberry jam
4 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon brandy
Warm the jam and jelly together over a low heat, until the jelly has melted. Then push through a small food mill into a clean pan. Heat again, adding fruit juices and brandy, but remove from the heat well before it reaches boiling point. Serve warm; enough for 4. Adapted from More Lovely Food, by Ruth Lowinsky