The book of plain cooking

the purpose. Should you have sufficient duck or goose which has already been cooked, put in the stewpan with stock or gravy beef, lemon peel, a little bacon, pepper, salt, and herbs. Thoroughly well stew. Then strain, and make a thickening of flour, cayenne, and the juice of half a lemon, and boil up. Should you make the soup from rabbit, disjoint, scald, dry, and fry to a nice brown. Then proceed to cook as directed. 12. Mock Turtle Soup Place half a calf’s head in a stewpan, and well cover it with water. Add a little stock, if you have it ; if not, more water ; onions, celery, parsley, a bunch of sweet herbs, a piece of lean bacon, and salt and pepper. Let these all stew for about four hours. Take out the head, and cut the flesh into small dice. Strain the liquor through a sieve. Make a thickening of flour or cornflour, milk, cayenne pepper, and about a quarter of a pint of white wine. Return to the stewpan, and boil up with the pieces of meat. When thoroughly heated, throw in some hot forcemeat balls, and serve. The bones from the head should be again stewed for stock. 13. Oyster Soup For every dozen oysters you need about a pint of good fish stock. Beard the oysters and scald them in their own liquor, which strain and add to the stock. Then thicken with cornflour, butter, pepper, salt, and a pinch of mace, and simmer from fifteen to twenty minutes. Return the oysters, and stir well until they are thoroughly heated, but do not let them boil. Before serving add some lemon juice. 14. White Soup When you have had either boiled veal or boiled poultry it is very easy to make a white soup. Add to the liquor some onion, celery, lemon peel, a good - sized blade of mace, savoury herbs, and parsley. When wellflavoured, strain and thicken with cornflour and milk — about as much milk as there is stock. The addition of a little cream is a great improvement. 15. Julienne Soup Carrots, turnips, onions, and celery finely shredded form the base of this soup, but in their season you may add green peas, asparagus tops, and French beans. Be very careful that the strips are uniform in size, so that they cook equally. Boil gently, then add a good clear stock, such as you would use for gravy soup. The vegetables may be obtained in bottles all ready to add to the soup. 16. Pea Soup Liquor in which beef has been boiled makes the best base for pea soup. One should always take the precaution of well soaking the meat before cooking, if it have an oversalted appearance. The peas (split) need thoroughly well washing. Then leave them to soak all night, putting a very small piece of washing soda with them. Add to the liquor some bones and gravy beef, some bacon rinds, and any cold vegetables convenient, with plenty of fresh carrots, celery, a turnip, and a pinch of savoury herbs, not forgetting a sprig of parsley. Let this cook, at the same time boiling the peas in a separate saucepan, for they are apt to “ catch ” and spoil all the soup. Remove the bones to make room for the peas, and boil all up to- gether. Rub through a wire sieve and cool ; then skim off the fat. Boil up the soup, and serve with dried mint and fried bread cut in dice. 17. Green Pea Soup