1. Common Stock, Or Grand Stock For General Purposes

When about to prepare for the reception of company, it is advisable to begin, if there be sufficient time, two days beforehand in summer, or three days in winter, by getting ready the grand stock-an article so essential to all the after preparations, that it may be looked upon as the basis of operations.

The meat required for this purpose should be sent in the over night if possible. The quantity to be ordered, must of course depend upon the extent of the dinner-party, and the number of entrees. For a dinner of twelve entrees, two legs of white veal (about forty pounds weight), the same quantity of gravy beef, and forty pounds of leg of beef and knuckles of veal, would be required.

First take the legs of veal in hand, and cut out the noix or fricandeau pieces, which is that part adhering to the udder; set these pieces apart to be used either for fricandeaux, grenadins, or noix, for removes or entrees, as the case may be. Cut all the meat away from the bones, keeping the veal separate from the beef. Break up the bones, and put them, - together with the inferior pieces of beef, - into a large stock-pot half full; fill this up with cold water, set it on the fire to boil; skim it well, garnish it with carrots, turnips, celery, and leeks; avoid the use of spices or herbs, and use salt sparingly. When the broth has boiled gently for seven hours, strain it through a broth napkin into large kitchen basins to cool, and place them in the larder for the next day's use.

In connection with this subject, I will now describe the preparation of the two grand stock sauces, Espagnole and Veloute, as these, being the basis of the various special sauces used in modern cookery, should, together with the grand stock, be first attended to.

2. Stock Sauces, Brown And White

The first thing to be attended to on the following morning is to "mark off," or prepare the stock sauces, viz. : the Espagnole or brown sauce, and the Veloute or white sauce, in the following manner:

Take two large stewpans, well tinned and thoroughly clean; spread the bottom of each with fresh butter, over which lay about one pound of lean ham cut in slices; then add the finest pieces of the veal in equal proportion to each stewpan. In that intended to be used for the brown sauce put two or three whole wild rabbits (or the mere carcasses may suffice); put into the stewpan marked for the white sauce, two old hens, or carcasses of fowls. Pour into each pan a sufficient quantity of grand stock to reach the upper surface of the veal; place the pans with their covers on, on brisk fires, and let them boil sharply till the broth is nearly reduced to a glaze; then take them off the fire immediately, and slacken the stoves, by putting on some charcoal ashes to decrease their heat; after which, replace the pans on the fire, adding to the brown sauce, one pound of glaze, to be reduced together with the stock, by which it will acquire a redder hue; it will also accelerate its progress, - a point of great importance ; for if sauces or broths remain too long on the fire, the delicacy of their flavor is sure to be impaired.

*Although great care and watchful attention are requisite in every branch of the culinary art, the exercise of these qualities is most essential in the preparation of the grand stock sauces. If the first process which these undergo be not successfully effected, no subsequent care will remedy the mischief.

As soon as the broth of the white sauce is reduced to the consistency of pale glaze,* fill it up with some grand stock; garnish it with a good-sized carrot, one onion, four cloves, a blade of mace, and a garnished fagot or bouqnet, made of parsley, green onions, a bay-leaf, and thyme, tied together neatly. Set it on the stove to boil; skim it well, and then place it to simmer gently at the side of the stove. Pay strict attention to the brown sauce, in order to prevent the possibility of its being caught by the fire in the least degree. Such an accident always tends to lessen its unctuousness. Ascertain when the brown sauce is sufficiently glazed, by dipping the end of a knife into it, twirling the handle round in the hand, so as to take up a quantity of the glaze on the point of the blade; if you can then roll it into a ball without its sticking to the fingers, and it is of a beautiful brown-red color, you may proceed to fill it up in exactly the same manner as described for the white sauce.

About two hours after the above-mentioned operations have been attended to, pass the broths through napkins into large kitchen basins. Then pour the roux or thickening into the large stewpans to be used for mixing each of these sauces; take off all the fat, and pour the brown broth upon the brown roux, and the white broth upon the white roux. While the sauces are being mixed they should be well stirred. When thoroughly mixed, they must be kept sufficiently liquid to enable them (after boiling on the stove-fire, and while they are simmering on the side) to throw up the whole of the butter with which the roux was made, together with the skum, by which means they assume a velvety appearance, and from which the white sauce takes its name Veloute.

Finally, add a large ladleful of white chicken broth to the white sauce, and the same quantity of consomme to the brown sauce; let them clarify for about twenty minutes longer; and then, if sufficiently reduced, pass them through the tammy cloths into white basins, and put them away in the larder for future use.

* When time presses, or the veal used-for this purpose is not white, the process of boiling down to a glaze recommended above, may be dispensed with; and, consequently, the white broth or water added at once.