Cookery and housekeeping

Melt 1½ ozs. of butter, and stir in enough flour (dried previously) to make a paste ; dilute with the giblet broth, adding any weak broth that may be .available ; simmer for \ hour ; season with a squeeze of lemon juice, a glass of white wine, and a touch of cayenne ; put in the giblets to get hot, and serve. Lemon and cayenne may be handed round, not put in, if preferred. Hotch Potch. (' Dainty Dishes,' by Lady H. St. Clair.) Neck, or breast, or two scrags of mutton, cut in small pieces, and the fat removed ; 2 quarts water ; I quart old peas ; I pint young peas, added later ; SOUPE MAIGRE. 95 6 carrots n 6 turnips ' 3 sticks celery i cut into dice, 7 young onions' and put in the stock pot after the broth has boiled up and been skimmed. Stew for 8 hours ; pick out the bones, and only serve the best bits of the meat. (The next day pass all that remains of soup, meat, and vegetables through the tamis, and serve as Puree a la St. Clair.) Milk of Almonds Soupe Maigre. Blanch 12 ozs. of rice and put in a bain-marie or milk saucepan with one quart of fresh milk, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar ; let it simmer for one hour. Blanch and skin f lb. of sweet almonds and about eight or ten bitter almonds, and pound them in a mortar, with just a spoonful or two of milk to prevent their turning to oil ; then dilute with enough milk to enable the mixture to pass through the tamis. Mix the almond milk with the rice m.ilk, stir together and serve. Add sugar to taste, if sugar is liked. The rice milk must be hot enough to bear the cold almond milk, and the soup to be warm. Soupe Maigre. To 2 quarts of water put a quart of dry peas, 2 large onions, one head of celery, a carrot, 2 turnips, a handful of spinach, and a sprig of mint. Stew all till quite soft ; strain and pass through a sieve. Put 96 SOUPE MAIGRE. the pulp and water back into the stewpan, with a lettuce sliced, a small piece of butter, and two or three lumps of sugar. Put it on a quick fire again for ten minutes or so. If a bad colour, add a little spinach juice. Some small asparagus chopped is an improvement. Summer Soupe Maigre. The hearts of 6 lettuces cut in pieces, 3 cucumbers pared and sliced, one pint of young peas (to be added later), 2 large onions, a little parsley chopped fine, \ lb. of fresh butter, and two or three lumps of sugar. Stew all together an hour, stirring often. Have ready 2 quarts of peas boiled in a gallon of water. Put them through a hair sieve to the water in which they were boiled. * Add to this the lettuces and cucumbers, and simmer i^ hours. When done take out the onions. Dip in a sprig of mint before it is taken off the fire. Cheap Soupe Maigre. 2 quarts green peas ; A bunch fine herbs ; 2 onions sliced ; 2 quarts hot water. Stew for ^ an hour. Add mashed potatoes, or plimmed rice, and pass through a tamis. Season with pepper, salt and sugar (a tablespoonful) ; add a pint of new milk, stir till the mixture is smooth, and then warm. Serve croutons of bread fried in butter. A similar soup is made with roots, but as they require unequal time, observe the following rules : — SOUPE MAIGRE. 97 Carrots . . . .2 hours Celery . . . .1 hour Turnips . . • • 2 >> Shallots . . . • i „ Lentil Soupe Maigre.