Melted Butter is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Victorian sauce of butter melted in a water and plain flour sauce that was the classic English sauce of the Victorian era. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Melted Butter.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
MELTED BUTTER
(A good common Receipt.)
Put into a basin a large teaspoonful of flour, and a little salt, then mix with them very gradually and very smoothly a quarter of a pint of cold water; turn these into a small clean saucepan, and shake or stir them constantly over a clear fire until they have boiled a couple of minutes, then add an ounce and a half of butter cut small, keep the sauce stirred until this is entirely dissolved, give the whole a minute's boil, and serve it quickly. The more usual mode is to put the butter in at first with the flour and water; but for inexperienced or unskilful cooks the safer plan is to follow the present receipt.
Obs.—To render this a rich sauce, increase or even double the proportion of butter.
Modern Redaction
The melted butter sauce, typically simply known as 'melted butter' was the commonest Victorian sauce of all and which was served with every kind of fish, meat and vegetable dishes. The base sauce could be flavoured with lemon juice and lemon zest or with parsley, though the plain sauce (in one of its many incarnations) was by far the commonest. This is the sauce called for in any Victorian recipe calling for 'melted butter'. This is the more common 'household' version of the sauce that contains only a little butter in comparison with the richer melted butter sauces.
Ingredients:
1 heaped tsp plain flour
generous pinch of salt
150ml cold water
50g butter
Method:
Sift together the salt and flour into a small bowl. Work in a little of the cold water to give you a smooth paste free of lumps then whisk in the remaining water until the mixture is smooth.
Pour this mixture into a saucepan and add the butter. Heat gently, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter has just melted. Now gradually bring the sauce to a boil and continue boiling, stirring the sauce constantly with a wooden for about 1 minute, until the sauce is thick and the raw flavour of the flour can no longer be tasted.
