BEANS 293 



a pinch of carbonate of soda may be added to preserve 

 the colour. When the Beans are cooked and drained 

 they can be served with melted butter sauce enriched 

 by the addition of the yolk of an egg beaten up with 

 a tablespoonful of cream (or milk), and flavoured with 

 a few drops of lemon juice and a judicious seasoning 

 of salt, pepper and castor sugar. Or the same sauce 

 may be used with the addition of a dessertspoonful 

 (to half a pint of sauce) of finely chopped parsley. 

 A creamy onion sauce is also served with French 

 Beans and also a rich white sauce flavoured with Par- 

 mesan. Provided the Beans are young there is no 

 more suitable dressing for them than maitre Jhotel 

 butter, which seems to bring out their flavour. The 

 latter is best preserved by stewing the Beans (when 

 they are quite young) very gently in white stock 

 flavoured with vegetables, a little butter should be 

 added to the stock, and when they are cooked they 

 should be taken from the stock, which should be 

 thickened, preferably with the yolks of one or two 

 eggs and a little cream, and then strained over them. 

 Broad Beans. The majority of cooks make the 

 error of serving these Beans in their skins ; unless 

 they are very young and small the skins should al- 

 ways be removed, for they are indigestible and they 

 help to spoil the flavour of the Beans. If boiled in 

 an abundance of salted water (which should be quite 

 boiling when they are put in) until the skins begin 

 to crack the latter can be easily removed, the Beans 

 may then be masked with warm butter seasoned with 



