Handbook of practical cookery

When this is done, draw the sauce-pan to the side of the fire, cover it closely, and allow its contents to simmer slowly for five hours ; at the end of which time the stock should be strained through a clean towel to remove the meat and vegetables, the juices and flavour of which have been extracted, and put away to cool for future use. NOTE.— Water boils at a temperature of 212 degrees, and to boil meat in it for eating, or to prepare stock, the water having been first brought to the boiling-point, should be permitted to fall to a temperature of 160 degrees, to prevent the meat hardening. A second stock can be made from the meat and bones used for the first, by covering them again with cold water, adding some fresh vegetables, and bringing all to the boiling-point ; allowing the preparation to simmer slowly thereafter for four hours. Clear Soup. — Material and quantities required : — One quart of brown stock, the whites and shells of two eggs, and as much salt and pepper as can be held between the thumb and finger. The stock must have been allowed to become quite cold, when it will have thickened and set. Then, dipping the corner of a towel in boiling water, wash the grease from the top. Now put the stock into a sauce-pan and allow it to melt — a copper sauce-pan is preferable. Put the whites and shells of the two eggs into r small bowl, add to them half a gill of cold water and the salt and pepper. When the stock has melted add the eggs so prepared, and with two forks whisk the whole briskly until it boils. The instant the soup boils cover the sauce-pan closely and draw it aside from the fire, and allow it to simmer for ten minutes. Then strain through a clean towel, taking care not to break the crust which the eggs have formed at the top in process of clearing, and it is ready to serve. NOTE. — Macaroni and vermicelli soup are made from this clear soup by simply boiling the macaroni and vermicelli in water, put on cold, then putting them into the tureen and pouring the hot stock over. KIDNEY SOUP — MOCK TURTLE SOUP. 11 Kidney Soup. — Quantities and materials are to be used as follows : — Two ox kidneys, two quarts of second stock, two tablespoonfuls of Harvey's sauce, two table-spoonfuls mushroom catchup, one ounce of flour of rice, two ounces of butter, one grain of cayenne pepper and a little of black pepper and table-salt In preparing this soup, the kidneys have first to be well washed in cold water, then after being thoroughly dried in a towel, they must be cut into thin slices. The butter is next to be put into a dry sauce-pan and heated until smoke begins to arise therefrom, the pieces of kidney added and browned therein ; the flour of rice must then be put into a basin and be made smooth with a little of the stock, when the Harvey sauce is to be added, also the pepper, salt, cayenne, and catchup ; after which the rest of the stock is thrown into the basin, stirred until well mixed, and then the whole mixture poured over the kidney as prepared and placed in the sauce-pan. Now, putting the sauce-pan over the fire, stir the contents until boiling to prevent the flour lumping, and skim carefully meantime. After this boiling-point is reached the sauce-pan must be drawn aside from the fire, tightly covered and allowed to simmer for two hours, when it is done.