The Book of Household Management Part 18

161. INGREDIENTS.--6 potatoes, 4 turnips, or 2 if very large; 2 carrots, 2 onions; if obtainable, 2 mushrooms; 1 head of celery, 1 large slice of bread, 1 small saltspoonful of salt, 1/4 saltspoonful of ground black pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls of Harvey's sauce, 6 quarts of water.

_Mode_.--Peel the vegetables, and cut them up into small pieces; toast the bread rather brown, and put all into a stewpan with the water and seasoning. Simmer gently for 3 hours, or until all is reduced to a pulp, and pa.s.s it through a sieve in the same way as pea-soup, which it should resemble in consistence; but it should be a dark brown colour. Warm it up again when required; put in the Harvey's sauce, and, if necessary, add to the flavouring.

_Time_.--3 hours, or rather more. _Average cost_,1d. per quart.

_Seasonable_ at any time. _Sufficient_ for 16 persons.

_Note_.--This recipe was forwarded to the Editress by a lady in the county of Durham, by whom it was strongly recommended.

VERMICELLI SOUP.

I.

162. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 lb. of bacon, stuck with cloves; 1/2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, worked up in flour; 1 small fowl, trussed for boiling; 2 oz. of vermicelli, 2 quarts of white stock, No. 107.

_Mode_.--Put the stock, bacon, b.u.t.ter, and fowl into the stewpan, and stew for 3/4 of an hour. Take the vermicelli, add it to a little of the stock, and set it on the fire, till it is quite tender. When the soup is ready, take out the fowl and bacon, and put the bacon on a dish. Skim the soup as clean as possible; pour it, with the vermicelli, over the fowl. Cut some bread thin, put in the soup, and serve.

_Time_.--2 hours. _Average cost_, exclusive of the fowl and bacon, 10d.

per quart.

_Seasonable_ in winter.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VERMICELLI.]

VERMICELLI.--This is a preparation of Italian origin, and is made in the same way as macaroni, only the yolks of eggs, sugar, saffron, and cheese, are added to the paste.

II.

163. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of vermicelli, 2 quarts of clear gravy stock, No. 169.

_Mode_.--Put the vermicelli in the soup, boiling; simmer very gently for 1/2 an hour, and stir frequently.

_Time_--1/2 an hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 3d. per quart.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

WHITE SOUP.

164. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of sweet almonds, 1/4 lb. of cold veal or poultry, a thick slice of stale bread, a piece of fresh lemon-peel, 1 blade of mace, pounded, 3/4 pint of cream, the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 quarts of white stock, No. 107.

_Mode_.--Reduce the almonds in a mortar to a paste, with a spoonful of water, and add to them the meat, which should be previously pounded with the bread. Beat all together, and add the lemon-peel, very finely chopped, and the mace. Pour the boiling stock on the whole, and simmer for an hour. Rub the eggs in the cream, put in the soup, bring it to a boil, and serve immediately.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d. per quart.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Note_.--A more economical white soup may be made by using common veal stock, and thickening with rice, flour, and milk. Vermicelli should be served with it.

_Average cost_, 5d. per quart.

USEFUL SOUP FOR BENEVOLENT PURPOSES.

165. INGREDIENTS.--An ox-cheek, any pieces of tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of beef, which may be bought very cheaply (say 4 lbs.), a few bones, any pot-liquor the larder may furnish, 1/4 peck of onions, 6 leeks, a large bunch of herbs, 1/2 lb. of celery (the outside pieces, or green tops, do very well); 1/2 lb. of carrots, 1/2 lb. of turnips, 1/2 lb. of coa.r.s.e brown sugar, 1/2 a pint of beer, 4 lbs. of common rice, or pearl barley; 1/2 lb. of salt, 1 oz. of black pepper, a few raspings, 10 gallons of water.

_Mode_.--Cut up the meat in small pieces, break the bones, put them in a copper, with the 10 gallons of water, and stew for 1/2 an hour. Cut up the vegetables, put them in with the sugar and beer, and boil for 4 hours. Two hours before the soup is wanted, add the rice and raspings, and keep stirring till it is well mixed in the soup, which simmer gently. If the liquor reduces too much, fill up with water.

_Time_.--6-1/2 hours. _Average cost_, 1-1/2d. per quart.

_Note_.--The above recipe was used in the winter of 1858 by the Editress, who made, each week, in her copper, 8 or 9 gallons of this soup, for distribution amongst about a dozen families of the village near which she lives. The cost, as will be seen, was not great; but she has reason to believe that the soup was very much liked, and gave to the members of those families, a dish of warm, comforting food, in place of the cold meat and piece of bread which form, with too many cottagers, their usual meal, when, with a little more knowledge of the "cooking."

art, they might have, for less expense, a warm dish, every day.

MEAT, POULTRY, AND GAME SOUPS.

BRILLA SOUP.

166. INGREDIENTS.--4 lbs. of s.h.i.+n of beef, 3 carrots, 2 turnips, a large sprig of thyme, 2 onions, 1 head of celery, salt and pepper to taste, 4 quarts water.

_Mode_.--Take the beef, cut off all the meat from the bone, in nice square pieces, and boil the bone for 4 hours. Strain the liquor, let it cool, and take off the fat; then put the pieces of meat in the cold liquor; cut small the carrots, turnips, and celery; chop the onions, add them with the thyme and seasoning, and simmer till the meat is tender.

If not brown enough, colour it with browning.

_Time_.--6 hours. _Average cost_, 5d. per quart.

_Seasonable_ all the year.

_Sufficient_ for 10 persons.

THYME.--This sweet herb was known to the Romans, who made use of it in culinary preparations, as well as in aromatic liqueurs.

There are two species of it growing wild in Britain, but the garden thyme is a native of the south of Europe, and is more delicate in its perfume than the others. Its young leaves give an agreeable flavour to soups and sauces; they are also used in stuffings.

CALF'S-HEAD SOUP.

167. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 a calf's head, 1 onion stuck with cloves, a very small bunch of sweet herbs, 2 blades of mace, salt and white pepper to taste, 6 oz. of rice-flour, 3 tablespoonfuls of ketchup, 3 quarts of white stock, No. 107, or pot-liquor, or water.

_Mode_.--Rub the head with salt, soak it for 6 hours, and clean it thoroughly; put it in the stewpan, and cover it with the stock, or pot-liquor, or water, adding the onion and sweet herbs. When well skimmed and boiled for 1-1/2 hour, take out the head, and skim and strain the soup. Mix the rice-flour with the ketchup, thicken the soup with it, and simmer for 5 minutes. Now cut up the head into pieces about two inches long, and simmer them in the soup till the meat and fat are quite tender. Season with white pepper and mace finely pounded, and serve very hot. When the calf's head is taken out of the soup, cover it up, or it will discolour.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours. _Average cost_,1s. 9d. per quart, with stock No.

107.