A sauce boat, gravy boat, or saucière is a low jug or pitcher with a handle in which sauce or gravy is served.
The popularity of Downton Abbey leads one to wonder if there is naught but a forlorn hope for the return of the fish fork or that loveliest of blades***, the fish knife. One also wonders how many readers under the age of 70 even know what I am talking about. How fondly I recall dining at the Copley Plaza and having the requisite utensils placed before me, not to mention Dover sole at the Savoy Grill. In the spirit of Etiquetteer’s dinner challenges, might you offer some thoughts on place settings of yore?
Etiquetteer will leave the evolution of the sauceboat to Experts in That Field, but will happily direct you to this Ode to the Gravy Boat, which celebrates not only the useful implement, but the gravies and sauces conveyed by it. In the meantime, please continue to provide a ladle when serving your sauce, or gravy. Etiquetteer loves both.
To knit these two queries together, it’s worth noting that the experts of yore all observe that a household without servants should serve as simple a menu as possible, even for a formal dinner. For a fish course, that would mean a fish that is served with its accompaniments, eliminating the need for a sauceboat. Emily Post even suggested serving tartar sauce in a hollow basket of lemon rind. Etiquetteer can’t see why that wouldn’t work for other fish sauces, too.
Emily Post doesn’t even go into that much detail, but makes it clear that it is usual to serve sauce with a ladle. “If there is no ladle — or spoon — you pour the sauce from the sauce boat.” In this century, the Texas School of Protocol advocates adding an underplate whether you use a ladle or not. This may not be strictly formal, but it’s Perfectly Proper, especially for Great Feasts like Thanksgiving (when we are more likely to see Casual Clothes and Good China together).
I was idly considering the “gravy boat” for my china pattern. It makes sense. It is a low oblong pitcher, with handle, and there is a plate in which it fits. Perfect if you are pouring the sauce (heaven forfend that there be gravy on the table in this house, we only do sauces). This reminded me of the gravy boat from my grandmother’s 1950s set that was never used. It is also an oblong, but with spouts on both ends and it is attached to its underplate. I presume that this one was intended for use with a gravy ladle. Then I started poking about, and there do seem to be a number of “gravy boats” that really are footed, handled pitchers with attached underplates. Now for the question(s). If the underplate is attached, even if there is a handle and spout, I would presume that piece is to be used with a ladle; pouring would make no sense. Is this true? (In which case the spout and handle are relict, I would think.)
The legend goes that the bourdalou was named after a French preacher, Louis Bourdaloue (1632-1702), who gave notoriously long and popular sermons. Women, not wanting to give up their seat, or miss a word of the sermon, would use a bourdalou in the pews! However it is unclear how much truth there is behind this story, and there are those who argue both for and against the veracity of this legend. In any case, it does seem doubtful a woman would relieve herself in a crowded audience just so she wouldn’t miss a sermon, no matter how discrete or pious she may be. More realistically, this might really be a gender-specific chamber pot that could travel or be set into a piece of furniture such as the museum’s Louis XV beechwood bidet chair with ceramic liner (1968-114-1-a/c) to which these are related.
Kate Van Riper is an archivist and received her Masters of Library and Information Science from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She is currently working on the Cooper Hewitt’s mass digitization project.
At first glance, you might think this is a sauce bowl or pitcher used at the dinner table. However, it is something quite different all together, and would most definitely be an unwelcome addition to a table spread. The bourdalou, in fact, was a type of chamber pot that was specifically used by women up through the Victorian Era. With skirts being as large and unwieldy as they were, using the facilities could become quite the to-do. The bourdalou was a relatively easy way for women to relieve themselves without having to worry about messing up their dresses. With the help of a maid, or on her own, a woman could place this under the many layers of fabric of her dress in order to answer the call of nature.
Thanksgiving Anti-Piracy Gravyboat Lighthouse | CONAN on TBS
FAQ
What is a gravy boat considered?
What does gravy boat mean in slang?
Why are gravy boats that shape?
What is the history of the gravy boat?
What is a gravy boat called?
gravy boat. noun. : a low boat-shaped pitcher usually with a long lip at one end and a handle at the other and often with a footed base or a separate or attached tray that is used chiefly for serving gravies and sauces. — called also sauceboat.
Can you have more than one gravy boat?
More than one gravy boat is also useful when different types of sauces are served at the same meal. A sauce boat is a dish that’s used to hold and distribute sauce during meals. Although there are several common types of sauce
Do you need a gravy boat?
At large family gatherings, an extra sauce or gravy boat may be especially useful, as these small pitchers don’t usually hold ample amounts of pourable toppings. More than one gravy boat is also useful when different types of sauces are served at the same meal.
How do you serve gravy on a boat?
While serving gravy , you want to minimize spills and splashes. Bring the spout as close to the food as possible while slowly tilting the boat to dispense gravy smoothly. If the gravy boat does not have a spout or is too full, use a small ladle or spoon to dish out sauce instead.