Melted Butter

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Melted Butter

Melted Butter is a traditional British recipe, based on Alexis Soyer's recipe of 1854, for a classic Victorian base sauce of water thickened with a flour ad butter roux that's finished with more butter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Melted Butter.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

6–8

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Vegetarian Recipes British Recipes

This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Alexis Soyer's 1854 volume A Shilling Cookery for the People, the first Victorian cookbook for the common man.

Original Recipe

410. Melted Butter.—From whence is this extraordinary word derived? what learned pundit could have given it birth?—a word which recalls so many pleasing moment, when the palate has been gratified by its peculiar fragrance and taste. It is, no doubt, an importation at the time of the Conquest, but although having been domesticated amongst us for near 800 years, we are very far behind our allies on the other side of the channel in its numerous adaptations and applications. The great diplomatist, Talleyrand, used to say, that England had 120 regions, but only one sauce, and that melted butter. He was very near the truth, but, at the same time, he should have told how to engraft 119 sauces to the original one, the same as the various sects he mentions, have been offshoots from the primitive one which first established in this country.

    I will now endeavour to prevent his words being any longer a truism, and will point out how that one sauce—melted butter (French butter sauce)— can be multiplied ad infinitum, according to the ability of the artist.

    I must first premise that any melted butter is not for the table of the wealthy, but the simple artizan. It is not to consist of two-thirds butter and one-third cream, warmed gradually with a box spoon, but of two ounces of butter, and two ounces of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter that of pepper, mixed together with a spoon, put into a quart pan, with a pint of cold water; place it on the fire, and stir continually, take it out when it begins to simmer, then add one more ounce of butter, stir till melted, and it is ready for use, or as the foundation of the following various sauces.

    This melted butter is fit to serve at the best tables, by adding three ounces of butter; take, as a guide, that the back of the spoon, in being removed, should always be covered with the butter or sauce; that is essential, as I find that flour varies very much. If you let it boil, it will immediately get thinner.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients

60g butter
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
600ml cold water
30g butter

Method:

In a bowl or mortar, mix together the butter and flour until you have a smooth paste. Work in the salt and black pepper then transfer the paste to a medium-sized saucepan and add the water.

Place over gentle heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to simmer. Take off the heat at this point and add 30g extra butter. Stir this until melted and test the consistency. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

If not sufficiently thick, return to the heat and bring back to a simmer (do not allow to boil) then take off the heat, stir vigourously and test once more. Repeat this process until the sauce is thick enough for your liking.

Find more Alexis Soyer Recipes Here and more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.