Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Leeks, Soup of. — Trim off the root and outer leaves from eight fine leeks. Wash them quite free from grit, divide them lengthwise into quarters, and cut them into pieces an inch long. Put these into boiling water for five minutes, then drain them, and fry them in a little hot butter till they are lightly browned. Pour over them two quarts of good stock, season with two tea-spoonfuls of salt and half a tea-spoonful of pepper, and simmer gently for an hour. Place a roll cut into small pieces at the bottom of the tnreen. Thicken the soup with three ounces of flour, first mixed smoothly with a little stock, and afterwards added to the rest. Boil a quarter of an hour longer, and serve as hot as possible. If preferred, half a pint of cream can be substituted for the oatmeal. Probable cost, 5d. per quart. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Leeks, Soup of (commonly called Cock-a- Leekie). — -Wash a dozen leeks; trim away the roots, the outer leaves, and the dark green ends, and divide them into pieces an inch long and a quarter of an inch thick. Put them into boiling water for four or five minutes, then drain them, and lay half of them into a stewpan with two quarts of good stock and a large fowl, trussed as for boiling. Skim carefully, and simmer gently for half an hour. At the end of that time put in the remainder of the leeks, and boil for three-quarters of an hour longer. Skim carefully, and season, if required, with pepper and salt. Cut the fowl into neat pieces, place these in a tureen, and pour the soup, which should be very thick with leeks, over them. This soup is excellent for any one suffering from cold. Probable cost, 2s. per quart. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Leicester Pie. — Take three pounds of pork, fat and lean together. Cut it into pieces two inches long and an inch and a half wide, season these with pepper and salt and powdered sage, and put them aside. Mix a tea-spoonful of salt with a pound of flour. Stir into it -svith a knife four ounces of lard, dissolved in half a pint of hot water, roll it out, line a greased tin mould with part of it, put in the pieces of pork, place the lid on the top, and fasten the edges securely. Bake in a moderate oven. The greatest expedition should be used, as this pie should be put into the oven while it is still warm. Time to bake, an hour and three-quarters. Probable cost, 2s. 10d. Sufficient for six or seven persons. Leicester Pudding. — Mix a heaped teaspoonful of carbonate of soda and a small pinch of salt with a pound of flour. Add the finely-minced rind of half a lemon, a quarter of a nutmeg, grated, four ounces of finely-shred beef suet, a table-spoonful of sugar, and half a pound of stoned raisins. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly, stir into them a pint of milk, put the mixture into a buttered mould, tie it in a floured cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and let it boil quickly until done enough. Send wine or brandy sauce to table with it. Time to boil, two hours and a half. Probable cost, la. Sufficient for four or five persons.