The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

By this means he main- tains that more flavour is retained in the flesh itself. Naturally, the difficulty in making real turtle soup from dried turtle flesh is that the dried flesh cannot compete in flavour with fresh turtle. It is therefore important that as much flavour as possible should be kept in it. The next point for consideration in making turtlesoup from dried flesh, when we get our meat perfectly tender, is to make the soup. A very considerable amount of the gelatinous properties of the flesh will of course be dissolved into the stock. Of course, it is needless to say that the stock should be as good as possible in making turtle soup. The next point is, what herbs should be used for flavouring the soup. Those used should be three parts sweet basil, two parts marjoram, and the other one part should consist of equal quantities of thyme and lemon-thyme. Some persons use a very little pennyroyal, but this is not essential. These herbs should be placed in a sufficient quantity — about half a pint — of stock in a stewpan, and the lid kept closely fitted. After the herbs have stewed for a considerable time, take the stewpan off the fire and let the contents get nearly cold ; then strain them through a strainer, pressing the herbs as much as possible to extract all the flavour. Then take this essence of herbs and add it gradually to the soup till the right amount of herb-flavour has been obtained. In the vast majority of cases the herbs used for flavouring soups are dried herbs. These herbs differ very considerably in strength, and this depends on the length of time they have been kept. When I to give you an exact quantity I should run the risk in the one case of making it too strong, and in the other of making it too weak, owing to the impossibility of knowing the state of the herbs. When turtle soup is wished clear it must be cleared in the ordinary way after the flesh has been removed. When the soup is wished thick a sufficient quantity of brown roux must be added, only avoid making it too thick. When brown roux is added great care must be taken to let the soup simmer by the side of the fire to throw up all its fat, which must be removed by skimming. Next add to the soup before sending it to table either some madeira or sherry. Suppose you have a quart of soup ; this will bear the addition of a claret-glass of madeira. If you can afford to have turtle soup at all it is well worth expending three shillings in buying a bottle of madeira, which wine is far more suited to the purpose than sherry. A bottle of madeira at three shillings is better than a bottle of sherry at the same price, especially for cooking purposes. It is also customary to put in a little lemon juice before sending the soup to table, in addition to which some cut-lemon and cayenne pepper should be handed round with the soup. Turtle soup is, of course, best made in large quantities, and in this respect tinned Soups have a slight advantage over turtle soup made in private houses in small quantities. At the Freemasons’ Tavern turtle soup made from freshkilled turtle is a speciality, as it supplies not merely that establishment itself, but several others in London the property of the same owners.