Browning for Gravies and Sauces is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of making a browning for gravies or sauces from burnt sugar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Browning for Gravies and Sauces.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BROWNING FOR GRAVIES AND SAUCES.
373. The browning for soups (see No. 108) answers equally well for sauces and gravies, when it is absolutely necessary to colour them in this manner; but where they can be made to look brown by using ketchup, wine, browned flour, tomatoes, or any colour sauce, it is far preferable. As, however, in cooking, so much depends on appearance, perhaps it would be as well for the inexperienced cook to use the artificial means (No. 108). When no browning is at hand, and you wish to heighten the colour of your gravy, dissolve a lump of sugar in an iron spoon over a sharp fire; when it is in a liquid state, drop it into the sauce or gravy quite hot. Care, however, must be taken not to put in too much, as it would impart a very disagreeable flavour.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 lump of white sugar
Method:
Place the sugar in a metal spoon, heat over the hob of a flame until dissolved and quite dark then drop into your sauce or gravy, stirring constantly (the gravy should be hot before adding the browning).
Do not add too much of the burnt sugar, or it will make your sauce bitter and unpleasant.
