Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Asparagus Sauce. — Cut the green ends off a quarter of a hundred of asparagus, and boil them in salt and water until they are tender. Drain well, make a little good melted butter, using stock instead of water, putting with it a lump of sugar and the juice of a lemon. Fry the asparagus points in a little boiling butter, press them through a sieve, then add them to the melted butter, and let all boU up together. If the colour is not very good, a few leaves of young spinach mixed in a mortar with pounded sugar will improve it. Time to boil the asparagus, ten minutes. To fry it, six or seven. Sufficient, a quarter of a hundred of asparagus for half a pint of melted butter. Probable cost, lOd. per half pint. Asparagus Soup. — Take a hundred heads of asparagus. Cut away the hard, tough part, and boil the rest till tender. Drain them, throw half into cold water until the soup is nearly ready, and press the other half through a hair sieve. Stir the pressed asparagus into three pints of stock, wliich has not been flavoured with any other vegetable. BoU it, and add salt, pepper, and a small lump of sugar. Cut the remaining heads of asparagus into pieces the size of peas. Put them into the soup for a few minutes and serve. If necessary, colour- -R-ith a little spinach green. Time, about an hour. Probable cost of asparagus, 2s. 6d. a hundred in full season. Sufficient for four or five persons. , Asparagus Soup (another way).— Take the tops from half a hundred heads of asparagus, and soak them in water for some time. Then put them into three pints of nicely-flavoured stock to which has been added a cupful of new milk, and let them boil for ten minutes. If necessary, colour with a little spinach green. Time to make, one hour. Sufficient for four- or flve persons. Probable cost, 6d. per pint. Asparagus Soup, AUemand.— Lay three rashers of bacon at the bottom of a saucepan. Place on them four pounds of lean beef cut into pieces and rolled in flour. Cover the jmn closely, and put it over a gentle fire to draw out the gravy, taking care it does not bum. Pour over it a breakfast-cupful of ale and three pints of water. Let it simmer gently for two hours. Strain the liquor, and take off the fat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Probable cost, Is. 4d. per pint. Or, boil gently for two hours half a pound of fresh meat cut small and rolled in flour, with a cupful of ale and two quarts of water. Let the water be cold at first, brought to a boil, then drawn on one side, and simmered slowly but constantly. A table-spoonful of ground rice may be added, if not quite ASP ( 36 ) AUN thick enough. Strain, and while boiling hot add two tea-spoonfuls of Liebig's extract of meat. 'Add pepper, and a liberal supply of salt. Then chop and pound together a cabbage lettuce, a tea-spoonful of chopped mint, a teaspoonful of sorrel, the same of marjoram, live or six leaves of beetroot, and the same of spinach. Put them into the liquid, and let aU boil together. Throw in a pint of asparagus tops, cut small, and boil till they are tender. Pour hot over a French roll. Time, three hours. Sufficient for half a dozen persons. Probable cost, lOd. per pint. Asparagus Stewed in Fi'eneh Rolls.