Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs butter
• 3 tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 large can, 2 small cans, or 2 cups of fresh quartered or sliced mushrooms
• 1 – 2 cups broth, beef, pork or vegetable
• pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. If preparing as a side to schnitzel, set the meat aside and keep warm, so you can use the same pan for added flavor. Otherwise, use a small saucepan.  Melt butter in pan, then add in flour and mix constantly over medium-low heat.  The trick is to get the flour a pale brown color, but do not burn.  This mixture should be paste-like.  If it is too thin, add a smidge more flour, if too thick, add a bit more butter.
2. Add in nutmeg and continue to brown flour.
3. If using canned, open the mushrooms and drain juice into a measuring cup.
4. Pour mushrooms into the flour mixture, and stir, cooking this way for about a minute.
5. Pour in broth with the juice in the cup, until you have 1 cup of liquid.  Add this to the pan and stir constantly.  Raise the temperature to medium.  **At this point, you want to monitor the thickness, and decide how thick of a sauce you want.  A total of 1.5 cups of liquid is perfect for my family, but you may have different tastes.  It thickens very quickly, so this is not a long process, and if you have 1 can of broth, that should be plenty, even if you go thinner.  You can even supplement with some hot water if necessary.
6. Add salt, and a pinch more nutmeg if desired.  Serve immediately.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation time:  2 hours
Servings: 2-1/4 cups of sauce, 4 – 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk or half and half
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Bring milk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.  Set aside.
2. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl until the mixture is thick and well-blended.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.  Return to pan.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 15 – 20 minutes, or until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Do not allow sauce to boil.
5. Immediately pour into a glass bowl and stir in the vanilla.
   
6. Cover the top of the sauce with plastic wrap to prevent a skin.  Refrigerate until needed.

**This is a thin, pouring sauce that you may also serve in a pitcher.  Use chilled, or at room temperature.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. ]]> http://www.thegermankitchen.com/index.php/recipes/2009/05/vanillesauce-vanilla-custard-sauce-recipe/feed/ 1 http://www.thegermankitchen.com/index.php/recipes/2009/03/chicken-frikassee/ http://www.thegermankitchen.com/index.php/recipes/2009/03/chicken-frikassee/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:37:23 +0000 Lisa http://www.thegermankitchen.com/blog/?p=10

A nice, comfort meal that is fairly easy to make.

Difficulty: Simple.
Preparation time: 1h 15min.
Servings: 4.

• 1 lb. chicken, boneless
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• water
• 1 small onion
• 4 tbs. margarine or butter (unsalted)
• 1 large can, button mushrooms
• 1 jar, white asparagus
• 4 tbs. flour
• 1/2 c. milk (whole)
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. spanish capers

• Boil chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover.  Add the bouillon cube. Be sure to cover with a tight fitting lid.
• Once chicken is cooked through, remove chicken to a plate or bowl and allow to cool.  When cool, chop into bite size chunks.  Pour about 2 cups of the broth in a bowl or other container (remember, it’s hot!) and set aside. Dispose of the rest.
• Add margarine or butter to same pot and melt.  Chop onions and place in the pot, sauteing until golden.
• Add flour to the pot and stir quickly.  Allow to cook a bit to golden color, just about 2 minutes.  Pour in the broth.
• Stir and allow to boil, stirring regularly as sauce thickens.  Add seasonings (including capers) and stir.
• When thickened, add chopped chicken. Stir.
• Cut asparagus stalks in half.  Add some of the packing water into your sauce for extra flavor. Place asparagus into pot.  Then drain and add in mushrooms as well.
• Mix and turn heat down to low.  Place a lid on the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.  If sauce seems too thick, add some milk.

This dish can be served with rice or boiled potatoes to suit your taste.

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