Gravies are made in the same way as white
or cream sauces, except that meat drippings
furnish both fat and flavor and the liquid
may be water, stock, or milk. Gravies range
in thickness from a thin to a medium cream
sauce, a thin consistency usually being pre¬
ferred. The flour in gravy may be browned
in the fat to develop flavor and color. Since
browned or dextrinized flour has less thicken¬
ing power than unbrowned, more flour will
be needed to give a thickness to gravies made
in this way.
Cream Soups. Cream soups are thin, white
sauces flavored with vegetable juice or pulp,
or broth from meat, poultry, or fish. The
liquid base is a combination of milk and vege¬
table liquor or broth and vegetable pulp in
any proportion to suit the taste. When
vegetable pulp is used, the amount of starch
or flour added should be decreased in ac¬
cordance with the amount of starch in the
vegetable.
The vegetables preferred for use in cream
soups are potatoes, tomatoes, celery, cauli¬
flower, spinach, corn, peas, beans, and lentils.
The vegetable is cooked in a small amount of
water until tender. This cooking water is
combined with the pulp which has been
rubbed through a strainer. Left-over vege¬
tables may be used also. The amount of the
vegetable material in relation to the milk de¬
pends upon the flavor and concentration of
the vegetable liquor or puree. The usual pro¬
portion is half and half.
The proportions for a typical cream soup
are 1 cup liquid, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1
tablespoon fat✪ Cream Soup. This gives a soup of the con¬
sistency of thin cream. In case the vegetable
liquor contains much thick, starchy pulp,
the amount of flour should be decreased ac¬
cordingly. The point is never reached where
flour can be eliminated entirely, for the
vegetable pulp is heavy and tends to settle.
On the other hand, the starch in the flour
forms a colloidal solution when boiled. This
does not settle and holds in suspension the
heavier vegetable material. This process is
called "binding the soup.”
The amount of fat may be varied in ac¬
cordance with the flavor and food value
desired. Table fats are most often used, but
other fats such as bacon fat, drippings, and
vegetable oils are satisfactory. Olive oil gives
special flavor to bean and lentil soups.
In combining the ingredients for cream
[64]
soups, the methods suggested for combining
white sauces may be used. The most con¬
venient and therefore the most common
method consists of melting the fat, stirring
in the flour, adding the liquid (combination
of milk and vegetable juice), and stirring
until the mixture boils.
Cream soup may be prepared also by
making a thin white sauce and grating the
vegetables into it. This is especially desirable
in the case of potatoes. The vitamin content
of the potato is better preserved if the soup
is just brought to a boil after the potato is
added.
Cream of tomato soup requires special
precautions because of the action of the acid
in tomato juice on the milk. This will be
discussed in the chapter on milk cookery.
Page 59 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Gravies are made in the same way as white or cream sauces, except that meat drippings furnish both fat and flavor and the liquid may be water, stock, or milk. Gravies range in thickness from a thin to a medium cream sauce, a thin consistency usually being pre¬ ferred. The flour in gravy may be browned in the fat to develop flavor and color. Since browned or dextrinized flour has less thicken¬ ing power than unbrowned, more flour will
be needed to give a thickness to gravies made in this way.
Cream Soups. Cream soups are thin, white sauces flavored with vegetable juice or pulp, or broth from meat, poultry, or fish. The liquid base is a combination of milk and vege¬ table liquor or broth and vegetable pulp in any proportion to suit the taste. When vegetable pulp is used, the amount of starch or flour added should be decreased in ac¬ cordance with the amount of starch in the vegetable.
The vegetables preferred for use in cream soups are potatoes, tomatoes, celery, cauli¬ flower, spinach, corn, peas, beans, and lentils. The vegetable is cooked in a small amount of water until tender. This cooking water is combined with the pulp which has been rubbed through a strainer. Left-over vege¬ tables may be used also. The amount of the vegetable material in relation to the milk de¬ pends upon the flavor and concentration of the vegetable liquor or puree. The usual pro¬ portion is half and half.
The proportions for a typical cream soup are 1 cup liquid, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 tablespoon fat. This gives a soup of the con¬ sistency of thin cream. In case the vegetable liquor contains much thick, starchy pulp, the amount of flour should be decreased ac¬ cordingly. The point is never reached where flour can be eliminated entirely, for the vegetable pulp is heavy and tends to settle. On the other hand, the starch in the flour forms a colloidal solution when boiled. This does not settle and holds in suspension the heavier vegetable material. This process is called "binding the soup.”
The amount of fat may be varied in ac¬ cordance with the flavor and food value desired. Table fats are most often used, but other fats such as bacon fat, drippings, and vegetable oils are satisfactory. Olive oil gives special flavor to bean and lentil soups.
In combining the ingredients for cream
[64]
soups, the methods suggested for combining white sauces may be used. The most con¬ venient and therefore the most common method consists of melting the fat, stirring in the flour, adding the liquid (combination of milk and vegetable juice), and stirring until the mixture boils.
Cream soup may be prepared also by making a thin white sauce and grating the vegetables into it. This is especially desirable in the case of potatoes. The vitamin content of the potato is better preserved if the soup is just brought to a boil after the potato is added.
Cream of tomato soup requires special precautions because of the action of the acid in tomato juice on the milk. This will be discussed in the chapter on milk cookery.
Records on this page
Cream Soup