WTWD - Allemande Sauce

I was so happy to get past the alewife that I went right away on my Walk Through Woman's Day to Allemande, described in Woman's Day as "a classic French sauce, golden yellow in color, creamy in consistency, with excellent flavor.Picture above shows dinner plated, the allemande poured over slices of lamb roast done on Mechazawa-san (the big Egg).

Again because the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery is long out of print, I reproduce the recipe below, also reflecting the amounts and specific ingredients I used.

Sauce Allemande
(to make a scant cup)
1T butter
1T flour
1c hot fish, veal, chicken, or vegetable stock (I used fish)
salt and pepper
3/8 c strong chicken stock, heated
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1T mascarpone or heavy cream or creme fraiche (I used mascarpone)
1/2T lemon juice (fresh is best)
1T butter, softened

Melt the first T of butter in top part of double boiler. Stir in flour and blend thoroughly. Gradually blend in the 1c of hot stock. Cook, covered, over simmering (not boiling) water for 30 - 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In the saucepan used to heat the stock, place the chicken stock and set on low heat.

When the sauce has cooked, put through a fine seive into the saucepan holding the hot sauce, as shown in the picture above. The seive will catch most of the pepper, which is fine. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced to just over 3/4 c or so of liquid.When the sauce is reduced, remove from heat. Beat the eggs and cream or cheese together. temper the eggs by slowly pouring the sauce from the saucepan into the bowl, as shown in the picture above, beating the whole time. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat on low. Be sure it does not come to a boil. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and second T of butter.Picture above shows it being poured over the lamb slices - it is a rich sauce, but thin.

Cooking Notes: I'm always nervous tempering eggs because I have a tendency to go to fast and cook them. But this worked very well. Removing the pan from the heat for about 30 seconds while I was beating the egg yolks and mascarpone helped, I think.

Eating Notes: A very nice sauce - "refined," as Phil put it. There was a velvety smoothness to the taste, the mouth feel, and the color. Well worth the effort involved.

It was a mistake, though, for me to ask it to stand up to the roast lamb. The lamb had just enough of a gamy assertiveness to step on the flavor a little bit. It would have been just fine over chicken or fish, I think, although I might not want to grill them. I had plenty left over and am going to get some fish tomorrow to give it another chance. I will update then.Update: Had the sauce over some lemon sole broiled with ghee (shown above) - absolutely superb. Have a tiny bit left over - not sure what I'll do with it but am sure that whatever that is will be very nice.

Next up: Skipping Allspice and Allumette (foods cut into thin matchlike strips). So, next up is Almonds.