Choice cookery

Beard the oysters and remove the tendons, put the soft fatty part on one side. Put the beards, tendons, and liquid from the oysters into a saucepan with the whiting and vegetables cut up, also other fish trimmings, mace, peppercorns, anchovy sauce, and water ; simmer this slowly one hour ; pour through a fine hair sieve, rubbing through as much of the pulp of the whiting as possible. Put the butter into a saucepan and melt, then add flour, and when quite smooth add soup, boil five minutes, add salt, cream, and yolks of eggs beaten together ; keep hot, but take care the soup does not boil, or it will curdle. Drop the oysters in for half a minute just to heat them, and serve. If the oysters are large they may be divided. No. 8. SOUP A LA PARMESAN. 1 quart good white stock 1 teaspoonful of peppercorns \ pint of cream Yolks of 2 eggs 1 oz. butter 1 blade of mace 1 teaspoonful salt 1 onion 1 carrot 1 stick celery 2 tablespoonfuls of Parmesan cheese Bunch of sweet herbs 1 oz. flour A bunch parsley Savoury custards Cut all the vegetables in slices and fry in the butter with herbs, &c., five minutes, add the flour, then the stock ; boil one hour, rub through a fine sieve, mix the yolks, cream and grated Parmesan together, add to soup, and re-heat, but take care it does not boil. Meanwhile prepare savoury custard. 2 eggs, J pint stock, 1 tablespoonful Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Boil the cheese in the stock, beat up the eggs with the seasoning, strain the stock to the eggs, pour into some small buttered dariole moulds, stand in a pan of hot water, allowing the water to come -within half-an-inch of the top of the moulds ; when set turn out and allow to cool, divide into dice, put in tureen, and pour over soup. 1 good teaspoonful salt Have the stock boiling, throw into it j pint of peas, the spinach washed and picked, peppercorns and No. 9. GREEN PEA SOUP. 1 pint of green peas A good handful of spinach 1 teaspoonful of peppercorns, 1 quart of good white stock £ pint cream Yolks of 2 eggs A sprig of mint crushed salt ; boil twenty minutes, or until tender, rub through a fine wire sieve, boil up, and add cream and yolks ; keep hot, and just before serving throw in the remainder of the peas, which must be boiled soft in a little stock containing a little salt. No. 10 RICE SOUP A LA CARDINAL. | lb. Carolina rice 1 stalk celery £ pint of cream 1£ pints good white stock £ teaspoonful white peppercorns, crushed teaspoonful salt 1 small onion Wash the rice and boil it until tender in the stock, with the onion, celery, and peppercorns. Then rub the pulp through a fine hair sieve, add salt, cream, and custard as below, stamped out in fancy patterns ; re-heat and serve. No. 11. SAVOURY CUSTARD FOR SOUP. 2 eggs I A few drops cochineal 3 tablespoonfuls of good white | Pepper, salt, and cayenne stock | Beat the eggs, add stock, seasoning, and cochineal ; pour into some small buttered dariole moulds ; stand in a pan of hot water, allowing the water to come within half-an-inch of the top of mould. Simmer slowly until set, turn out, and when cold cut in slices and stamp out in fancy shapes or cut diamonds. Add to soup. No. 12. SPINACH SOUP. 1 lb. spinach 1 teaspoonful salt § teaspoonful pepper § teaspoonful sugar 1 oz. flour