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

Housekeepers would do well to remember that at certain seasons of the year turtle soup made from the dried turtle flesh is absolutely cheaper than mock turtle. I allude to the period about Christmas, when, owing to some cause which I am unacquainted with, calves’ heads have been known to fetch as much as a guinea each. A pound of turtle flesh will be amply sufficient to make soup for a dozen persons. Housekeepers will also remember | that when they buy flesh that is in a dry state, when it has been soaked or boiled ; hi soup it will swell to four or five times its original thickness. The flesh should | not be cup up into small pieces, as too often is the case abroad, but should be : kept in good-sized pieces, about three inches long by two wide. Many years ago it was customary to serve small forcemeat balls with turtle soup, but I think this has now gone somewhat out of fashion. When M. Bullet was chef at the Reform Club, he used the above receipt for dressing dried turtle flesh. He was informed by members that they could not tell the difference between the soup made from it and from the fresh turtle. TURTLE MEAT. — Turtle meat is now to be obtained preserved in tins. This turtle meat is the tinned meat of fresh turtle, and is exceedingly suitable to make fresh soup for invalids. Of course, turtle meat can be used for making turtle soup for a party of friends, but probably It is better adapted for the purposes of invalid cooking. With the addition of one or two tins of essence of beef, a very fine, clear turtle soup can be sent to table at a very few minutes’ notice in any house by proceeding as follows : — Open first of all the essence of meat — say, two tins of essence of beef. Next take a little stock — or even water if no stock is to be obtained. Place in it some of the herbs mentioned under the heading of soup made from dried turtle flesh (see Turtle Flesh, Dried). This should be strained off and added to the soup, as a precaution that too much flavour has not been added. The turtle meat should now be added to this soup. If there is time a couple of onions should be sliced up and boiled in the essence of beef before the turtle flesh is added. Strain off the onion, put in the meat, and add a good-sized claret-glass of madeira or brown sherry. The essence of beef known as “ Gillon’s Essence of Beef ” is admirably adapted for this purpose. This would make some turtle soup very rich indeed. Of course, it can be diluted with a little water — or, still better, by the addition of stock. When there is time — and half an hour would be ample — I would recommend an onion to be sliced up and boiled in the essence of beef, with a head of celery and a good handful of parsley. I think turtle soup made from this essence of beef and turtle meat in the way I have stated will be superior to ordinary tinned turtle soup itself. There are occasions when to be able to send to table a small quantity of real turtle soup might be very important. For instance, at hotels, on the sudden arrival of some great celebrity. The most ordinary form of serving turtle meat in tins is simply to add to it some good, rich, clear stock, when it forms an admirable invalid’s dish. When served with very rich stock and wine it is more suited for the ordinary purposes of the table. TURTLE SOUP, MOCK.— See Mock Turtle Soup.