Soup, though not yet considered in England, as it is on the Continent, a necessary introduction to dinner, is yet gaining popularity. The very rich and the very poor are supplied with it. So are the soldier and the sailor. A small piece of coarse meat will go a long way if made into soup. Or you may place in the stock-pot the most dainty parts of the most costly meats ; or of poultry or game. The chief division of soups is into clear and thick soups. The excellence of the first is that the clear- ness be obtained without any sacrifice of flavour. If stock is cleared by white of ^gg, the flavour is sacri- ficed. The proper mode of making clear soup will be given in a subsequent recipe. Whether to order clear or thick soup is the first point : this must depend on the stock at your disposal, and if it appears a good clear soup is not obtainable, then order a thick soup — that is either a puree of poultry or game, or of vegetables, or of barley and rice, &c. ; or a soup in which eggs are beaten up, such as ' Bonne Femme ' or ' Jenny Lind ' soup. But it is important to bear in mind that all soups which have vegetables or cream in them will not keep in hot weather. BROTH OR STOCK. 71 Bones contain from 39 to 49 per cent, of gelatine, an entirely tasteless substance. The proportion of bone to meat should not exceed a sixth part in weight. The soup meat and bone must be put on in cold water ; the bone must be broken. Perfectly clear soup should be made from meat, without any mixture of bone. All meat which has been cooked before being put into the stock-pot should be carefully wiped and dusted with a little flour and salt. All the scraps and trimmings of poultry ought to be put into the pot. Soup must be sent to table very hot ; the tureen must be heated by a hot-water bath, and wiped dry before the soup is put in ; and there should alwa}'s be soup tureens of a size suitable to a small as well as to a large number of guests, as, if a small quantity of soup is sent up in a huge vessel, it must be chilled before it is put into the soup plates. The ration of soup is \ pint for each lady, ^ pint for each gentle- man. Broth or Stock. The first step in making soups is to prepare a good clear broth, or stock, as it is technically called. This can be made from beef, or mutton, or veal ; but it is desirable, if possible, to use two kinds of meat, and to add trimmings of chicken. The meat must be newly killed, not merely fresh,, or clear broth is not attained. The proportion of meat to water is about one pound to one quart. Bones make stiff stock, as they are nearly half gelatine ; but they do not give 72 BROTH OR STOCK. flavour. This is the case with the large bones of the ox ; knuckle of veal and scrag of mutton bones do not give the same coarse taste ; but the bone should never exceed a sixth part of the weight of the meat. It will be observed that the broth now described is made from undressed meat — a practice sometimes called extravagant. It is, however, the only way to make clear, bright soup ; and if the trimmings from cutlets, fillets, and steaks, and the scrag end of necks of mutton are used, and a small quantity of gravy meat only is used, the cost is not large and the quality is high.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Soup, though not yet considered in England, as it is on the Continent, a necessary introduction to dinner, is yet gaining popularity. The very rich and the very poor are supplied with it. So are the soldier and the sailor. A small piece of coarse meat will go a long way if made into soup. Or you may place in the stock-pot the most dainty parts of the most costly meats ; or of poultry or game. The chief division of soups is into clear and thick soups. The excellence of the first is that the clearness be obtained without any sacrifice of flavour. If stock is cleared by white of egg, the flavour is sacrificed. The proper mode of making clear soup will be given in a subsequent recipe. Whether to order clear or thick soup is the first point : this must depend on the stock at your disposal, and if it appears a good clear soup is not obtainable, then order a thick soup — that is either a puree of poultry or game, or of vegetables, or of barley and rice, &c. ; or a soup in which eggs are beaten up, such as ' Bonne Femme ' or ' Jenny Lind ' soup. But it is important to bear in mind that all soups which have vegetables or cream in them will not keep in hot weather. BROTH OR STOCK. 71 Bones contain from 39 to 49 per cent, of gelatine, an entirely tasteless substance. The proportion of bone to meat should not exceed a sixth part in weight. The soup meat and bone must be put on in cold water ; the bone must be broken. Perfectly clear soup should be made from meat, without any mixture of bone. All meat which has been cooked before being put into the stock-pot should be carefully wiped and dusted with a little flour and salt. All the scraps and trimmings of poultry ought to be put into the pot. Soup must be sent to table very hot ; the tureen must be heated by a hot-water bath, and wiped dry before the soup is put in ; and there should always be soup tureens of a size suitable to a small as well as to a large number of guests, as, if a small quantity of soup is sent up in a huge vessel, it must be chilled before it is put into the soup plates. The ration of soup is \ pint for each lady, ^ pint for each gentleman. Broth or Stock. The first step in making soups is to prepare a good clear broth, or stock, as it is technically called. This can be made from beef, or mutton, or veal ; but it is desirable, if possible, to use two kinds of meat, and to add trimmings of chicken. The meat must be newly killed, not merely fresh, or clear broth is not attained. The proportion of meat to water is about one pound to one quart. Bones make stiff stock, as they are nearly half gelatine ; but they do not give 72 BROTH OR STOCK. flavour. This is the case with the large bones of the ox ; knuckle of veal and scrag of mutton bones do not give the same coarse taste ; but the bone should never exceed a sixth part of the weight of the meat. It will be observed that the broth now described is made from undressed meat — a practice sometimes called extravagant. It is, however, the only way to make clear, bright soup ; and if the trimmings from cutlets, fillets, and steaks, and the scrag end of necks of mutton are used, and a small quantity of gravy meat only is used, the cost is not large and the quality is high.

Cookery and housekeeping