  These are very valuable preparations, and are useful to the poor as well as to the rich, as many of the most nutritious soups are the cheapest. Pea soup, haricot soup, and lentil soup are all rich in nourishment, and may be made at a trifling cost, stock not being necessary for their manufacture. The boilings from meat, when not too salt, may be used with advantage in making these soups; but if this is not available, they may be made quite well with water; and, if carefully prepared, will have all the flavour of a meat soup. In making stock for meat soups, it must be borne in mind that in order to extract the juices from the meat it must be put into cold water, which should be heated very gradually, and only allowed to simmer. In this way a rich stock is procured, as all the virtue of the meat is drawn into the water. Boiling would produce a poor and flavourless stock, as the extreme heat applied, by hardening the albumen, would tend to keep in the juices of the meat instead of drawing them out. In making stock from bones, the method to be pursued is quite the opposite. Bones must be boiled, otherwise the gelatine in them will not be extracted; simmering would be of little use. The gelatine can only be thoroughly extracted when they are boiled at higher pressure than is possible in ordinary cookery. Bones contain so much gelatine that after they have been once used in stock they should be broken up in pieces and again boiled, so that the gelatine from the inside may also be extracted. First Stock for Clear Soup.
Method.—Cut the meat into pieces about one inch in size. Break up the bone and remove the marrow. Put bones and meat into a stockpot with the cold water. Let them soak for half an hour. Then put the pot on the fire; add some salt and pepper to it, and gently simmer the contents for half an hour. Next put in the vegetables sliced, and the herbs tied together. Simmer for 4½ hours longer, skimming occasionally. Strain into a clean pan, and set aside to get cold. White Stock.This may be made by the directions in the preceding recipe, using white meat instead of beef; knuckle of veal is considered the stock meat for white soup. Knuckle of veal and a rabbit make excellent stock. Very good economical white stock may be made by using bones only in making the stock, and no meat; use a ham-bone, if possible, with the others, as this gives a nice flavour. Second Stock.Take any scraps of cooked or uncooked meat; any bones, cooked or uncooked, to make second stock. Allow one pint of water to every pound of meat and bones, and vegetables in the same proportion as for first stock. The bones should be broken up. Boil gently until all the virtue is extracted from the meat, bones, and vegetables. The contents of the stockpot should be emptied into a pan every night, and the stock strained from the meat, bones, and vegetables. These should be looked over, and the bones, meat, &c., which are of no further use removed; the remainder should be set aside to use with fresh stock material. Bones may be boiled for a very long time before the gelatine will be perfectly extracted. Second stock, when cold, should be a stiff jelly, in consequence of the gelatine contained in the bones. Method.—Break up the bones and put them with the vegetables, sliced, into a stockpot with the water; boil gently for five hours, adding pepper and salt to taste. Then strain into a clean pan. Clear Soup.
Method.—Remove all the fat from the stock. If it is in a jelly, take off as much as possible with an iron spoon, and remove the remainder by washing the top of the stock with a cloth dipped in very hot water. Scrape the beef finely and soak it in two tablespoonfuls of cold water to loosen the juices. Put the stock in a stewpan and add the beef to it, the white and shell of the egg, and a very tiny piece of each kind of vegetable used in making the stock. Whisk over the fire until the stock begins to simmer. Then leave off stirring and let it well boil up. Remove it from the fire and put it on one side for a crust to form. Tie a clean cloth to the four legs of a chair turned upside down. Pour some boiling water through it into a basin, to ensure it being perfectly clean. Then put a clean basin underneath and pour all the contents of the stewpan on to the cloth. The first time the soup runs through it will be cloudy, because the filter made by the beef and egg will not have settled at the bottom of the cloth. Take the soup away; put a clean basin under the cloth, and pour the soup slowly through. If this is carefully done the soup will be quite brilliant the second time of straining, and will not require to go through the cloth again. Julienne Soup.This is a clear soup with shred vegetables served in it. Scrape some carrots and take thin parings of them. Cut these into very thin strips. Boil the turnips for five minutes, and the carrots for fifteen minutes. ConsommÉe au Royal.This is clear soup with a savoury custard in it. Savoury Custard.
Method.—Beat the eggs and soup together and strain them into a greased gallipot. Cover them with buttered paper and steam very gently for a quarter of an hour until the custard is firm. Let it cool, then turn it out. Cut into thin slices. Stamp into dice or diamonds and serve them in the clear soup. If the custard is not very gently steamed it will be full of holes, and useless for this purpose. ConsommÉe À la Princesse.Serve small quenelles (see Quenelles of Veal), made in teaspoons, and nicely poached, in the clear soup. Friar Tuck.Make one quart of clear soup boiling hot. Beat two eggs well. When the soup is quite boiling, strain the eggs through a pointed strainer into it. Celery Soup.
Method.—Wash the celery well and cut it in pieces. Simmer it in the stock for half an hour or more until quite tender. Make a thickening of the flour; pour it into the soup and boil, stirring, for three minutes. Then rub through a sieve. Put it into the saucepan again. Add the cream, stir and let it boil up. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Oyster Soup.
Method.—Beard the oysters and cut them in two. Put the beards into the stock and simmer them in it for a few minutes. Melt the butter in another stewpan; mix in the flour smoothly; pour in the stock; stir and boil well. Add the cream and let it boil in the soup. Strain the oyster liquor and scald the oysters in it. Put them in the soup and add the anchovy sauce and lemon juice. Haricot Soup.
Boil them with the onion, dripping, pepper and salt, in three pints of water, from three to four hours, until quite soft. Rub them with their liquor through a wire sieve. Add the milk, and make the soup hot, stirring it over the fire until it boils. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Note.—This soup is much improved if it is rubbed through a hair sieve after it has been through the wire sieve. Green Pea PurÉe.
Method.—Wash the shells well, and put them, with the peas and other vegetables, into boiling water, to which is added the soda and the sugar. When quite tender, drain off the water, and put the vegetables into the stock, which should be made boiling. Let it boil up. Then rub through a hair sieve. Make the soup hot; thicken with arrow-root; and, in serving, add, if liked, a little cream, or glaze. Potage À l'AmÉricaine.
When boiling, stir in the crushed tapioca. Stir and cook for about ten minutes, until it is transparent. Rub the tomatoes through a hair sieve. Add them to the stock. Boil for about two minutes and the soup will be ready to serve. Cream may be added if liked. Onion Soup.
Method.—Peel the onions, and cut them in slices. Fry them in the butter, but do not let them discolour. Then boil them in the water until quite soft. Rub them with their liquor through a hair sieve. Put this purÉe into a stewpan on the fire to boil. When boiling, stir in a thickening of the flour. Stir and cook well. Then add the milk or cream, pepper, and salt, to taste. Let the soup boil up, and it is ready. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Tapioca Cream.
Method.—Put the stock into a stewpan on the fire to boil. Stir and cook well for about ten minutes. Beat the yolks lightly with the cream, and strain them. Let the stock cool a little, and then add two or three tablespoonfuls of it gradually to the eggs and cream. Pour the eggs and cream into the stock, and stir over the fire until the eggs thicken like custard. Care must be taken that the stock does not boil after the eggs are in it, as that would curdle them. Palestine Soup.
Method.—Peel and cut the artichokes and other vegetables into slices. Boil them in the stock until tender. Rub through a hair sieve. Add the cream, and boil it in the soup. Add pepper and salt; and serve with fried croutons of bread. Potato PurÉe.
Method.—Peel the potatoes, and cut them, as well as the onion and the celery, into thin slices. Rub through a tammy-cloth or hair sieve. Add the cream to the soup, and make it hot. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Egyptian PurÉe or Lentil Soup.
Method.—Wash the lentils thoroughly. Then boil them in the water with the vegetables, cut in small pieces, from two to three hours, stirring occasionally; when quite cooked, rub through a wire sieve; season to taste. Make the soup hot in a stewpan, stirring all the time. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Note.—This soup is much improved if it is rubbed through a hair sieve, after it has been through the wire sieve. Pea Soup.Make according to directions given in preceding recipe, substituting split peas for lentils. Calf-tail Soup.
Method.—Cut the tails into joints. Put them into a stewpan, with the water; when it simmers put in the vegetables, &c., and cook very gently for four hours. Remove the pieces of tail, and let the stock get cold. Then remove the fat, and thicken the stock with the flour. Serve with the pieces of tail in it. A wineglass of sherry may be added if liked. Ox-tail Soup.
Method.—Cut the ox-tail into joints. Fry them in the butter, with the vegetables, cut in pieces. Put the tail and vegetables into a large saucepan with the stock, pepper, salt, and cloves. Boil for very nearly four hours. Then strain the stock. When the stock is quite cold, remove the fat perfectly and put the stock in a stewpan on the fire to boil. When it boils, stir in a thickening made of the flour. Stir, and cook the flour well. Then add the sherry and lemon juice. Serve with the pieces of tail in it. Sheep's-head Soup.
Method.—Split open the head, and clean it thoroughly. Remove the tongue and brains, and blanch the head by putting it into cold water and bringing it to the boil. Throw the water away, and rinse the head well. Put it into a large saucepan with the three quarts of water and the vegetables, cut in small pieces. Boil gently for five hours. Then strain into a basin, and rub the meat and vegetables through a wire sieve. When cold, remove the fat from the stock, and add the pulped vegetables and meat. Make the soup hot, and stir in a thickening made of the flour. Boil the flour well, stirring all the time. Serve the soup with forcemeat balls in it. Chop them up; mix them with the bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, and the minced parsley, and bind with the egg. Make into balls, and roll them in flour; place them on a greased baking-sheet and bake until brown. Put them in a soup-tureen, and pour the soup over them. Tapioca Soup.
Method.—Wash the tapioca well, and throw it into the stock when boiling. Simmer gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Ox-cheek Soup.
Method.—Cut up the cheek, and put it with the bone and vegetables into a stockpot to boil gently for five hours, skimming occasionally. Then strain the stock into a clean pan and set it aside to get cold. When cold, carefully remove all the fat. Put the stock into a stewpan on the fire to boil. Stir and boil the flour in the stock for three minutes. Add to it a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve the soup with neat pieces of the cheek, about one inch in size, in it. The remains of the cheek may be reboiled, with fresh vegetables, to make a plain second stock. Giblet Soup.
Method.—Clean the giblets thoroughly, and cut them in pieces. Put them into a saucepan, with the vegetables sliced, and the stock, and simmer gently for two hours. Then take out the best pieces of giblet, trim them neatly, and set them aside. Simmer the soup for half an hour longer. Then add to it a thickening of flour, using one ounce of flour to every pint of stock. Boil and cook the flour well, and add pepper and salt to taste. Strain the soup into another saucepan. Add to it the lemon juice, and, if liked, two glasses of Madeira wine; also the pieces of giblet. Make it quite hot, and it is then ready for serving. Milk Soup.
Method.—Slice the potatoes and onions; add them to the meat liquor, with the butter and pepper and salt to taste, and boil gently for one hour. Then rub the soup through a wire sieve. Put it into the saucepan again, and, when boiling, shake into it the semolina and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. When the semolina is cooked the soup is ready. If this soup is used for children, water may be substituted for the meat liquor if the latter is not available. Bonne Femme Soup.
Method.—Wash the lettuce, taragons, and chervil well, and shred them finely. Peel the cucumber, and shred it also finely. Melt the butter, and gently sautÉ the vegetables in it for five minutes, taking care they do not discolour. Simmer gently until the vegetables are quite tender. Beat the yolks of the eggs with the cream, and when the stock has cooled a little strain them through a hair sieve into it. Put the stewpan by the fire, and stir until the eggs thicken, taking care that the stock does not boil, as that would curdle them. Add pepper and salt to taste, and the soup is ready. The crust of the French roll should be served in the soup; it should be baked in the oven and then cut into fancy shapes. Turnip Soup.
Method.—Put the bread to soak in a little cold stock. Pare the turnips and onions, and cut them in pieces. Boil them gently in the stock, adding (when well soaked) the bread. When the turnips are cooked, rub the soup through a wire sieve. Put it again into the saucepan. Add to it the cream or milk, pepper and salt to taste; and let it well boil up. Serve with fried or toasted croutons of bread. Rabbit Soup.
Method.—Cut the rabbit into joints. Put them in a stewpan with the onions sliced and the water. Stew very gently for three hours. Then strain the stock and remove the fat. Put it into a clean stewpan and add a thickening of flour, taking one ounce of flour to every pint of soup. Stir and cook well. Add the milk or cream and boil it in the soup. Season with pepper and salt to taste, and serve with fried or toasted bread. It is an improvement to this soup to cook a ham-bone with the rabbit, or a slice of lean pork. Hare Soup.
Method.—Cut the hare into joints, and the meat into pieces, and fry them in a stewpan in the butter or dripping. Afterwards fry the vegetables in the same fat. Then pour in the water, add the mace and pepper-corns, and simmer gently from four to five hours. Strain the stock and let it get cold. Remove the fat perfectly, and put it into a clean stewpan on the fire. When it boils stir in a thickening of flour, using one ounce of flour to every pint of soup. Season to taste, and, just before serving, pour in two glasses of port wine. Some forcemeat balls should be served in the soup. Make them with veal forcemeat, mixed with the liver of the hare finely chopped, and bake them in the oven. Mulligatawny Soup.
Method.—Cut the rabbit, or chicken, into joints, and fry them in the butter or dripping. Remove them when nicely browned, and fry the apple and onion. Then put the apple, onion, and meat into a stewpan, with the stock, which should be mixed with the curry powder. Simmer very gently for an hour and a half, until the meat is tender. Then remove the meat from the stock, and cut it into neat pieces, convenient for serving in the soup, removing all the bone. Thicken the soup with flour, using about one ounce to every pint of stock. Boil the flour well in the stock, and then rub the soup through a wire sieve. Put it into a stewpan, add the cream, and let it boil in the soup. Serve nicely boiled rice with this soup (see Rice for Curry). Parsnip Soup.
Method.—Slice the parsnips and put them into boiling stock. Simmer them for one hour, or more, until quite tender. Then rub the soup through a wire sieve. Add the cream to it, and pepper and salt to taste. Put it into a clean stewpan. Boil up once more and it is ready. Serve with fried croutons of bread. Red Lentil Soup.
Method.—Wash the lentils well. Boil with the vegetables, cut in slices, and the bread, for two hours or more; stirring occasionally when the lentils are nearly cooked, as they are apt to stick to the bottom of the saucepan and burn. Rub the soup through a wire sieve, adding pepper and salt to taste. Make it hot again, stirring all the time, and it is ready to serve. Mock-Turtle Soup.
Method.—Wash the calf's head thoroughly. Cut all the flesh from the bones and tie it in a cloth. Put it, with the bones and water, into a large saucepan and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally for three and a half hours. Then take out the calf's head and strain the stock into a clean pan. Let it get cold, and then carefully remove all the fat. Then put the butter into a stewpan, and fry in it the ham and vegetables, cut into slices, with the herbs, mace, cloves, &c. When they are fried, put in the flour and fry till a light brown, stirring it to keep it from burning. Then pour in the stock and stir until it boils. Remove all scum, or fat, as it rises. Then strain the stock into another stewpan. Cut part of the calf's head into neat pieces and add it to the stock. Pour in the sherry and lemon juice, and add the forcemeat balls. Let the soup just come to the boil, and it is ready for serving. The forcemeat balls should be made of veal stuffing, and should be either fried or baked. They should not be too large. It is better to make this soup the day before it is wanted. Pot-au-Feu.
Method.—Tie the meat firmly into shape with string. Put it into a large saucepan with the water. When it boils, add a teaspoonful of salt. Simmer the meat gently for nearly two hours. Clean the vegetables thoroughly, tying the celery, parsnips, and carrots together. Add them, with the exception of the cabbage, to the meat, and simmer gently for two hours more. Then add the cabbage, cleaned and trimmed; it should be cut in two, and tied together with string. The meat is then served with the carrots, turnips, and parsnips, as a garnish, and a little of the liquor poured round for gravy. The cabbage is served in a vegetable dish. To make the soup, put two quarts of the liquor into a saucepan. When it boils sprinkle in the sago, or tapioca, and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Dr. Kitchener's Broth.
Method.—Wash the barley, and soak it in water for two hours. Put the meat liquor on to boil. When boiling, add the barley and the onions. Let it boil gently for an hour and a half. Then put the dripping into another saucepan, and fry the bacon in it. Then add, by degrees, the oatmeal; stir until it forms a paste. Then pour in the broth. Season with pepper and salt to taste, and set it by the side of the fire to simmer for thirty minutes; the soup is then ready. Crowdie.
Mix the oatmeal to a paste with cold water. Pour it into the liquor when boiling. Stir until it thickens. Add the onion, finely-chopped, and pepper and salt to taste. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, for half an hour. |
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