FoodNetArchive

Practical gastronomy

1903

Page 16

Presented as published in 1903. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Next to hors-d'oeuvre, soup forms the best introduction to a meal; it is, as far as the dinner is concerned, an indispensable course, and therefore important. Soups are divided into four groups : consommes, clear soups with garnish ; purees of meat, poultry or game ; bisques and fish soups ; and creams, or filtered soups made from vegetables and farinaceous products. Sometimes the choice of two or three varieties of soups are given at one meal, in which case the clear soup, or consomme, must be placed on the menu before the thick soups. The present fashion is in favour of one soup only, either clear or thick. For a full-course dinner, or one of many courses, a clear or light thick soup, cream or bisque, gives more satisfaction than a heavy soup, because it conduces better to the appreciation of the succeeding dishes. Heavy or thick soups are generally considered more seasonable in winter than in summer. There are certain more or less flexible rules observed in serving consomme : cheese straws, or grisini, fingers, toasted bread and grated parmesan cheese are generally handed round with it. Sherry is served with turtle soup ; fried bread croutons with purges ; and celery salt with vegetable and cream soups. With mulligatawny, both thick and clear, a small dish of plain boiled rice is handed round, unless included in the soup as garnish. 33 BOUILLONS (broths). Bouillon de Boeuf. — Beef broth (not clarified). — de Mouton. — Mutton broth. — aux OEufs. — Beef broth with beaten egg, served in cups. — en tasses. — Beef broth in cups. — de Veau. — Veal broth. — de Volaille. — Chicken broth. — de Volaille & l’Orge. — Chicken broth thickened with pearl barley. CONSOMMES (clear soups). Consomme a l’Afrieaine.— A rich clear chicken soup, flavoured with curry and garnished with rice and small shreds of artichoke bottom. — k 1’AndaloUSe. — Clarified chicken stock with tapioca (i quart to ^ oz. tapioca). Garnitures : small rounds of tomato, cucumber cubes, and small chicken forcemeat quenelles. — a la Bagration. — A richly flavoured clear soup, garnished with small fish quenelles, vegetable and prawns. — k la Baviere (Clear Soup, Bavarian style). — A clear soup with very small semolina dumplings. — Benjamin Le§Ois. — Rich chicken consomme, garnished with green peas, small cubes of truffle, and royal custard containing chicken puree. — Bouquetiere. — Clear soup garnished with spring vegetables daintily cut. — k la Brisse. — Clear soup with a garnish of three varieties of vegetable puree, custard or plain boiled rice. — a la Bpunoise (Brunoise Soup). — A clear gravy soup, with finely minced carrots, turnips, leeks and onions. — Brunoise au Riz (Brunoise Soup with Rice). — The same as above, with the addition of a handful of plainly boiled rice. — k la Careme. — Chicken and veal stock, clarified, and garnished with slices of cooked carrot, lettuce, turnip, leek, asparagus points, and round bread crusts. — Caroline. — Straw-coloured rich consomme, garnished with Carolina rice, royal custard and chicken fillets, both cut very small. 34 POT AGES Consomm6 Cel^stine (Celestine Soup). — A clear gravy soup with thin pancakes cut into julienne strips. — k la Chasseur. — A clear, game-flavoured soup, garnished with small game quenelles. — Chataleine. — Clear soup with slight tarragon flavour, garnished with royal custard, mixed with artichoke pur£e, green peas, and French beans.