Original White House Cookbook

Take three quarts of the veal broth and put into it the meat of the lobster cut into mouthfuls. Boil it together about twenty minutes. Then thicken it with the remaining coral (which you must first rub through a sieve); and add the force meat balls and a little butter rolled in flour. Simmer it gently for ten minutes, but do not let it come to a boil, as that will injure the color. Serve with small dice of bread fried brown in butter. OYSTER SOUP. No. 1. Two quarts of oysters, one quart of milk, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one teacupful of hot water ; pepper, salt. Strain all the liquor from the oysters; add the water, and heat. When near the boil, add the seasoning, then the oysters. Cook about five minutes from the time they begin to simmer, until they “ ruffle.” Stir in the butter, cock one minute, and pour into the tureen. Stir in the boiling milk and send to table. Some prefer all water in place of milk. OYSTER SOUP. No. 2. Scald one gallon of oysters in their own liquor. Add one quart of rich milk to the liquor, and when it comes to a boil, skim out the oysters and set aside. Add the yelks of four eggs, two good tablespoonfuls of butter, and one of flour, all mixed well together, but in this order — first, the milk, then, after beating the eggs, add a little of the hot liquor to them gradually, and stir them rapidly into the soup. Lastly, add the butter and whatever seasoning you fancy besides plain pepper and salt, which must 46 ' both be put in to taste with caution. Celery salt most persons like extremely; others would prefer a little marjoram and thyme; others, again, mace and a bit of onion. Use your own discretion in this regard. CLAM SOUP. (Prencli Style.) Mince two dozen hard shell clams very fine. Fry half a minced onion in an ounce of butter ; add to it a pint of hot water, a pinch of mace, four cloves, one allspice and six whole pepper corns. Boil fifteen minutes and strain into a saucepan; add the chopped clams and a pint of clam- juice or hot water; simmer slowly two hours; strain and rub the pulp through a sieve into the liquid. Return it to the saucepan and keep it lukewarm. Boil three half-pints of milk in a saucepan (previously wet with cold water, which prevents burning) and whisk it into the soup. Dissolve a teaspoonful of flour in cold milk, add it to the soup, taste for seasoning; heat it gently to near the boiling point; pour it into a tureen previously heated with hot water, and serve with or without pieces of fried bread — called croutons in kitchen French. CLAM SOUP. Twenty-five clams chopped fine. Put over the fire the liquor that was drained from them, and a cup of water; add the chopped clams and boil half an hour; then season to taste with pepper and salt and a piece of butter as large as an egg; boil up again and add one quart of milk boiling hot, stir in a tablespoon of flour made to a cream with a little cold milk, or two crackers rolled fine. Some like a little mace and lemon juice in the seasoning. MODES OF FRYING. ★ ★ ★