salt beef is too salt to be used for making soup ; how-
ever, very often by soaking a piece of salt beef in fresh
water for twenty-four hours before boiling it, the liquor
left will be found to be not too salt for making pea-soup
— the cook, of course, remembering that no further salt
is to be added.
We will suppose, therefore, that some stock, or
rather some greasy liquor, has been left, say in quantity
about two quarts ; and I would here suggest that the
water in which, say, a piece of fresh silverside of beef
has been boiled, should be used again to boil, say, a
good-sized piece of bacon, that may be eaten hot with
some roast fowls one day, and afterwards left as a cold
breakfast-dish. First of all, take a quart of split peas
and put them into a large basin, and let them soak in
fresh water for nearly a day, a little piece of soda rather
bigger than a pea being put into the water, to render
it softer. Should any of the peas float on the water,
take them off and throw them away. Next, strain off
these peas, and put them in the greasy stock mentioned
to boil, and add to the two quarts of liquor one good-sized
head of celery, four good-sized onions, two carrots, two
turnips, and a little parsley✪ Pea Soup. Let all this boil till the
whole is thoroughly soft, occasionally skimming the
soup, taking off that nasty thick film of fat which will
occasionally rise to the surface. When the peas are
thoroughly soft, strain the whole through a wire sieve
into a large basin ; pick out the stalk of the parsley,
and with a good-sized wooden spoon rub the whole
through the wire sieve.
This is the great secret of good soup. Too often the
cook will not take the trouble to send the whole through
the sieve. It is undoubtedly a troublesome affair, and
very apt to make the wrist ache. However, the result
well repays the trouble, and the cook generally can call
some one to her assistance to take a turn with the spoon.
FOOD FOR COLD WEATHER.
141
It will also be found advisable every now and then to
moisten the ingredients in the sieve with some of the
liquor that has run through ; this rather helps the
process. Now soup made in this way, in which the
head of celery, the onions, the carrots, the turnips, are
all sent through the sieve, as well as the peas, is a very
different affair from soup which has been simply
flavoured by having them boiled in it. Indeed,
pea-soup should really be called puree of peas, and
when pains is taken in its composition a very nice
puree it is.
Pea-soup should, of course, be sent to table hot,
and as it possesses, like all purees, the power of retain-
ing its heat for some time, it is the better adapted for
cold weather.
Some dried mint and some small pieces of toasted
bread should always be sent to table with pea-soup ;
or small pieces of bread cut square, the shape of very
small dice, may be fried a bright golden colour in some
hot lard. These pieces of bread, owing to their being
crisper than toast, are better adapted for all sorts of
purees, such as puree of Jerusalem artichokes or Pales-
tine soup ; the pieces of bread being dried after frying,
on some blotting-paper.
Page 74 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1906. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
salt beef is too salt to be used for making soup ; however, very often by soaking a piece of salt beef in fresh water for twenty-four hours before boiling it, the liquor left will be found to be not too salt for making pea-soup — the cook, of course, remembering that no further salt is to be added.
We will suppose, therefore, that some stock, or rather some greasy liquor, has been left, say in quantity about two quarts ; and I would here suggest that the water in which, say, a piece of fresh silverside of beef has been boiled, should be used again to boil, say, a good-sized piece of bacon, that may be eaten hot with some roast fowls one day, and afterwards left as a cold breakfast-dish. First of all, take a quart of split peas and put them into a large basin, and let them soak in fresh water for nearly a day, a little piece of soda rather bigger than a pea being put into the water, to render it softer. Should any of the peas float on the water, take them off and throw them away. Next, strain off these peas, and put them in the greasy stock mentioned to boil, and add to the two quarts of liquor one good-sized head of celery, four good-sized onions, two carrots, two turnips, and a little parsley. Let all this boil till the whole is thoroughly soft, occasionally skimming the soup, taking off that nasty thick film of fat which will occasionally rise to the surface. When the peas are thoroughly soft, strain the whole through a wire sieve into a large basin ; pick out the stalk of the parsley, and with a good-sized wooden spoon rub the whole through the wire sieve.
This is the great secret of good soup. Too often the cook will not take the trouble to send the whole through the sieve. It is undoubtedly a troublesome affair, and very apt to make the wrist ache. However, the result well repays the trouble, and the cook generally can call some one to her assistance to take a turn with the spoon.
It will also be found advisable every now and then to moisten the ingredients in the sieve with some of the liquor that has run through ; this rather helps the process. Now soup made in this way, in which the head of celery, the onions, the carrots, the turnips, are all sent through the sieve, as well as the peas, is a very different affair from soup which has been simply flavoured by having them boiled in it. Indeed, pea-soup should really be called puree of peas, and when pains is taken in its composition a very nice puree it is.
Pea-soup should, of course, be sent to table hot, and as it possesses, like all purees, the power of retaining its heat for some time, it is the better adapted for cold weather.
Some dried mint and some small pieces of toasted bread should always be sent to table with pea-soup ; or small pieces of bread cut square, the shape of very small dice, may be fried a bright golden colour in some hot lard. These pieces of bread, owing to their being crisper than toast, are better adapted for all sorts of purees, such as puree of Jerusalem artichokes or Palestine soup ; the pieces of bread being dried after frying, on some blotting-paper.
Records on this page
Pea SoupPea Soup