Plain cookery recipes

Measure the water into a strong pan ; add salt. Wipe and cut the meat into small pieces, removing fat and skin, and add to the water. Scrape the bone well, remove the marrow, wash to remove fat, and put into the pan. Bring the stock slowly to boiling-point — about three-quarters of an hour. Remove any gray-looking scum ; add the prepared vegetables cut into large pieces. Simmer the stock from three to four hours. Strain through a hair sieve. When cold skim thoroughly. The stock is then ready for soups, etc. (b) WHITE STOCK. Proportion and preparation the same as for brown stock, only use knuckle of veal or bones and trimmings of chickens or rabbits instead of beef. For white stock omit the carrot. Second or Household Stock. Put the bones and meat from which first stock has been made into the stockpot. Cover with the same quantity of water ; add half a teaspoonful of salt ; bring to boiling-point and skim. Add pieces of fresh carrot, onion, turnip, and celery, and let the stock simmer. Into the household stock may be put trimmings of cooked or uncooked meat and poultry, and bones, which should be freed from fat or sauce. No bread, green vegetables, or starchy materials should be put into the stockpot. Simmer household stock from six to seven hours, adding more water when necessary. Strain into an earthenware vessel. Keep the stock uncovered. When cold skim well, and use for soup, sauces, gravies, etc. Fish Stock. Two pennyworth of fish trimmings. One onion. A stick of celery. Six white peppercorns. One blade of mace. Salt. One quart of cold water. Thoroughly cleanse the trimmings, and put them into a saucepan with the water and salt. Bring slowly to the boil, and skim thoroughly. Add celery, peppercorns, and mace, and allow all to simmer for forty minutes, then strain. This stock can be used for fish soup or sauce. Note. — (i.) If better stock is desired, a haddock or a cod’s head can be used instead of fish trimmings. (2.) If fish stock is cooked too long, a bitter flavour is extracted from the bones. Kidney Soup. One ox-kidney. Two ounces dripping. Two ounces flour. One quart stock. One quart water. Half a turnip. One carrot. One onion. One bunch of herbs (comprising a sprig of thyme, marjoram, and parsley, and one bay leaf). One blade of mace. Half a teaspoonful of black peppercorns. Salt. Remove the skin, wash and dry the kidney, cut it in small pieces, keeping back all the core. Skin and scald the onion ; dry and cut it in thin rings. Make the dripping smoking hot in a large deep pan ; toss the kidney lightly in the flour, and fry to a good brown colour. Lift the pieces out, and fry the onion and remaining flour till well browned. Put back the pieces of kidney; add the stock, water, and salt; bring slowly to the boil, and skim carefully. Prepare the carrot and turnip ; cut them in blocks ; add to the soup with the herbs and the peppercorns; simmer for four or five hours. Strain through a sieve, and when cold remove all fat. Return the soup to the pan ; rinse the pieces of kidney, and add them to the soup. When hot serve in a tureen. Note. — Half an ox-kidney or three sheep-kidneys make one quart of soup.