Girl's home manual of cookery, home management, home nursing and laundry

Meat soups are eaten for the reasons above rather than their nutritive value, which is not great compared to their bulk but is increased if the meat and vegetables are eaten. Soup at the beginning of a heavy meal should be light and clear, but if soup is to replace meat at a meal, serve pea, bean, lentil, or a vegetable and milk soup, which with bread and butter form a nourishing meal. For the value of gelatine from bones in soups see note on gelatine under Jellies. Stock. Stock is the foundation of soups and if used instead of water makes richer soups and gravies. Stock is made from cooked or uncooked meat and bones with cold water which is gradually heated. It is then cooked just below boiling point from 5 to 7 hours. Vegetables, herbs and seasonings to flavour are added during the last hour of cooking. Effects of Cooking and Food Value of Stock. The long, slow, moist cooking draws out some of the meat juices, most of the extractives and mineral matter. The bones contain much mineral matter. The gelatine is dissolved out of the meat and bones. ’ Stock Ingredients. Meat. The tougher and cheaper parts of beef, veal, mutton and _ fowl, remains of cooked joints or birds, stews, gravy, bones, gristle, scrap ends of ham or bacon may all be used with advantage. Vegetables. Carrot, turnip, onion, leek, outer parts of celery and the water in which vegetables have been cooked may be used instead of plain water. Herbs. Thyme, parsley, marjoram, summer savoury, bay leaves. Seasonings. Salt, peppercorn, whole cloves, whole mace, stick cinnamon, and allspice. 7 Soup Thickenings. Flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca, sago, pearl barley, rice, crusts of bread, eggs or pea flour, macaroni, spaghetti. It is a good plan to keep an iron stock pot, into which scraps left from cooking may be put. Brown Stock. 4 Ib. shin of beef (% meat and % bone). 1 sprig savoury. 5 pints water. 1 onion. 2 cloves. % leek. 6 peppercorns. 1 carrot. 1 sprig parsley. 1% small turnip. 1 sprig thyme. Y% head of celery. 1 sprig marjoram. 1%4 tbsp. salt. Prepare meat as usual, and cut into two-inch cubes. Brown one-third of meat in marrow from bone in stock pot. This improves the colour and flavour of stock. Soak all the meat with the cold water for half an hour. ° Bring slowly to boiling point, draw to the back of stove and simmer for 5 hours. Add the prepared vegetables cut in pieces, the seasoning, herbs tied in cheesecloth. Cook one hour longer or more. Strain through a colander and cool quickly as stock is then less likely to ferment. When cold the fat will be a solid cake on the top. Do not remove this until the stock is to be used. Reaheat this stock every other day in hot weather if it is necessary to keep it. To remove fat from hot stock use a spoon and finish by passing clean paper over the surface. Stock from cooked remains of joints and bones is made in the same way, except that there is no reason to brown part of meat or soak the remainder. The vegetables and herbs may be omitted and added to the soup. ; To Turn Stock in Soup. Remove all fat from strained stock. Add; if wished, a few small dice of turnip and carrot to freshen the flavour, cook until soft. Taste and if necessary add salt and pepper. Thicken by adding to each pint of soup 4 tablespoons flour mixed to a liquid with cold water, stir and cook in the boiling soup for three minutes. Half the quantity of cornstarch may be used similarly and gives a clearer appearance to the soup, or any of the other soup thickenings mentioned may be used. Vegetable Milk Soups.