The girl's own cookery book

As to what flavourers we are to use in making the stock, the question must be answered by another — What flavourers can we get at the time ? We need not always make our soup exactly alike. When we once get the idea we can vary the flavour according to the ingredients at our command. Supposing we want a small quantity of soup for a small family, let us flavour a pint of water pleasantly and rather strongly by boiling in it the white part of a leek, six or eight fresh peppercorns, and a stick of celery, or a small pinch of celery seed tied in muslin ; a turnip, a small carrot, and a little parsley can be added, if liked, or an onion with one or two cloves may be used instead of the leek. We must cleanse and prepare the vegetables before using. Also we must remove the scum from the liquid as it rises, and boil in it about a teaspoonful of good gelatine which has been soaked in water for a while ; then we dissolve a small quantity of extract of meat in fresh boiling water (I cannot say exactly how much, because extract of meat varies in quality — about a teaspoonful), strain the stock in which the vegetables were boiled, mix the two together, and add salt until the liquid is coloured sufficiently and tastes well. It should not be over brown, and it should not taste specially of the dissolved extract, but rather of a combination of meat and vegetables. When wanted make it hot, and the soup is ready. When they are to be had, a handlul of green peas or a little carrot 21ie GirVs Own Cookery Book. and turnip finely shred and boiled separately are a great addition to this soup. A tablespoonful of crushed tapioca may be simmered in it till clear, to make a change, or it may be thickened with arrowroot. Perhaps girls feel inclined to say, “ What a small quantity you have made ; there will not be enough ! ” Quite enough for a small family — that is, for four or five people. One reason why English people do not like soup is, that when they make it at all, they make it in such large quantities that they get tired of it before it is finished. They have an idea that if they make soup at all they must make a gallon. A gallon of soup ! why, it would be enough for twenty people. If four persons were compelled to drink it day after day until it was finished, they would ever afterwards say they did not like soup. Let me advise girls to make a quart of soup to begin with, and if it is liked they can make a quart of another kind another day. Fresh herbs are excellent for flavouring soup ; tarragon leaves especially impart a delicious and quite unique flavour, although it is with tarragon as with celery-seed — a very little goes a long way. Shalots and leeks are always to be preferred to onions when they can be obtained ; they are more delicate in flavour. A ham bone is a perfect treasure for flavouring, but if we use it we must clarify the soup with a little lean meat or a teaspoonful of white of egg. Mushroom ketchup and prepared sauces, too, are valuable helps for flavouring soups when used very sparingly, but a soup ought not to taste of mushroom ketchup above everything. There is still another way of making clear soup, and that is by boiling broth to a glaze, adding water, and simmering gently. I fear, however, that space will not allow me to describe this now, besides which it is a little difficult for amateurs.