Kirmess cook book

Lamh Stock, delicately seasoned, is served as mutton broth. Soups without stock are classified as : Cream Soups, made of vegetables or fish, with milk, and a small amount of cream and seasonings. Always thickened. Purees, made from vegetables or fish, forced through a strainer^ and retained in soup, milk, and seasonings. may be used if perfectly smooth. A saw, cleaver, and scales, although not necessary, are useful, and lighten labor. When meat comes from market, remove from paper and put in cool place. When ready to start stock, if scales are at hand, weigh meat and bone to see if correct proportions have been sent. Wipe meat with clean cheese cloth, wrung out of cold water. Cut lean meat in one-inch cubes; by so doing, a large amount of surface is exposed to the water, and juices are more easily drawn out. Heat frying-pan hissing hot; remove marrow from marrow-bone, and use enough to brown onethird of the lean meat, stirring constantly, that all parts of surface may be seared, thus preventing escape of juices, — sacrificing a certain amount of goodness in the stock, to give additional color and flavor, which is obtained by carmelization. Put fat, bone, and remaining lean meat in soup kettle, cover with cold water, allowing one pint to each pound of meat, bone and fat. Let stand one hour, that cold water may draw out juices from meat. Add browned meat, taking water from soup kettle to rinse out frying-pan, that none of the coloring may be lost. Heat gradually to a boiling point, and cook six or seven hours at low temperature. A scum will rise on the top, which contains coagulated albuminous juices ; these give to the soup its chief nutritive value; many, however, prefer a clear soup, and have them removed. If allowed to remain, when straining, a large part will pass through the strainer. Vegetables, spices, and salt should be added the last hour of cooking. Strain and cool quickly; by so doing stock is less apt to ferment. A knuckle of veal is often used for making white soup stock. Fowl should be used for stock in preference to chicken as it is cheaper and contains a large amount of nutriment. A cake of fat forms on stock when cold, which excludes air, and should not be removed until stock is used. To remove fat, run a knife around edge of bowl and carefully remove the same. A small quantity will remain, which should be removed by passing a cloth wrung out of hot water around edge and over top of stock. This fat should be clarified and used for drippings. If time cannot be allowed for stock to cool before using take off as much fat as possible with a spoon, and remove the remainder by passing tissue or any absorbent paper over the surface. HOW TO CLEAR SOUP STOOK Whites of eggs slightly beaten, or raw, lean beef finely chopped, are employed for clearing soup stock. The albumen found in each affects the clearing by drawing to itself some of the juices which have been extracted from the meat, and by action of heat have been coagulated. Some rise to the top and form a scum, others are precipitated.