Melted Butter
Place two ounces of butter and two ounces of flour in a sauce-pan and melt. Stir in two cups of boiling water, switch quickly while pouring in the water. If rich sauce is required, add one ounce more of butter, with pepper and salt. This is the foundation of a number of other sauces such as—egg, shrimp, lobster, oyster, anchovy, giving the name to the sauce according to what is added. But if it be oyster, the liquor of the oysters must be added; also a little cream and white pepper.