'jC'est la soupe qui fait le soldat '
i ,
PLATE IT.
A, Stockpot; B, 'Sans Graisse ' Ladle; C, Straining Soup; D, Digester;
E, The ' Royal Roaster ' ; F, Cutting Macaroni into rings for Soiip ;
G, The Crown Frying-pan.
SOUPS AND SOUP-MAKING
The origin of soup lies in the obscurity of the Dark
Ages, for it is one of the earliest culinary preparations
we meet with. We read of a mess of pottage in the
Bible, and it is recorded that when Duguesclin fought
William of Blancbourg he ate three wine soups in
honour of the Holy Trinity.
Grimod de la Reyniere said that soup was to
dinner what a portico is to a palace or an overture
to an opera : it is not only the commencement of a
feast, but should give an idea of what is to follow. In
France one always gets the perfection of soups and
broths, because a French cook will make a delicious
soup from a bunch of herbs and water in which an
egg has been boiled, which proves that a good soup
may be made almost from anything.
The great factor in making soups is the careful
preparation of them, to thoroughly understand the
difference between bouillon and consomme and to
have a pot-au-feu, stock-pot, or soup-digester, always
on the stove. Bouillon is a beef broth ; the consomme
is the same which has been doubled with veal and
fowl, the former to give it gelatine, the latter to give
it flavour. The water in which meat, poultry, or fish
has been boiled makes a good foundation for soups,
adding gravy, meat, bones, poultry trimmings and
ham bones ; the stock or water should double the
B 2
4 COOKERY X LA MODE
meat, a quart for every pound. In soup-making
it is important to have a good wire sieve instead of
a colander, which cooks are so fond of using.
On the stock of course greatly depends the good-
ness of the soup, whether brown or white. I consider
that a portion of cooked meat flavours the soup more
highly than when only raw meat is used.
One of the chief things to remember is to keep
the flavours equal and not to allow any one in par-
ticular to predominate. Salt is best added just
before taking the soup off the stove, as it is apt to
harden the meat and prevent the flow of the juices.
Fat should never find its way into the stock-pot by
any chance.
The stock should always be made the day before
it is wanted and the ingredients simmered for about
ten hours, after which it should be strained through
a hair sieve into a basin and the fat skimmed off next
day. After removing the fat a damp hot cloth must
be passed over it to absorb every particle of fat, and
the piece at the bottom of the basin, where there is
generally a little sediment, must be cut off, when the
stock must be returned to the stock-pot or digester
with the addition of the flavourings.
When soups are boiled they will never clear with-
out the adjuncts of the whites and shells of eggs and
a jelly bag, though the latter is not necessary, asa table
napkin dipped in hot water and laid over a tammy sieve
answers the purpose much better. A few giblets boiled
in with the other ingredients give richness as well as
a good colour when clear soup is required.
Skimming is another necessity which so many
SOUP 5
Page 2
Presented as published in 1902. 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
'jC'est la soupe qui fait le soldat '
i ,
PLATE IT.
A, Stockpot; B, 'Sans Graisse ' Ladle; C, Straining Soup; D, Digester;
E, The ' Royal Roaster ' ; F, Cutting Macaroni into rings for Soiip ;
G, The Crown Frying-pan.
SOUPS AND SOUP-MAKING
The origin of soup lies in the obscurity of the Dark Ages, for it is one of the earliest culinary preparations we meet with. We read of a mess of pottage in the Bible, and it is recorded that when Duguesclin fought William of Blancbourg he ate three wine soups in honour of the Holy Trinity.
Grimod de la Reyniere said that soup was to dinner what a portico is to a palace or an overture to an opera : it is not only the commencement of a feast, but should give an idea of what is to follow. In France one always gets the perfection of soups and broths, because a French cook will make a delicious soup from a bunch of herbs and water in which an egg has been boiled, which proves that a good soup may be made almost from anything.
The great factor in making soups is the careful preparation of them, to thoroughly understand the difference between bouillon and consomme and to have a pot-au-feu, stock-pot, or soup-digester, always on the stove. Bouillon is a beef broth ; the consomme is the same which has been doubled with veal and fowl, the former to give it gelatine, the latter to give it flavour. The water in which meat, poultry, or fish has been boiled makes a good foundation for soups, adding gravy, meat, bones, poultry trimmings and ham bones ; the stock or water should double the
B 2
meat, a quart for every pound. In soup-making it is important to have a good wire sieve instead of a colander, which cooks are so fond of using.
On the stock of course greatly depends the goodness of the soup, whether brown or white. I consider that a portion of cooked meat flavours the soup more highly than when only raw meat is used.
One of the chief things to remember is to keep the flavours equal and not to allow any one in particular to predominate. Salt is best added just before taking the soup off the stove, as it is apt to harden the meat and prevent the flow of the juices. Fat should never find its way into the stock-pot by any chance.
The stock should always be made the day before it is wanted and the ingredients simmered for about ten hours, after which it should be strained through a hair sieve into a basin and the fat skimmed off next day. After removing the fat a damp hot cloth must be passed over it to absorb every particle of fat, and the piece at the bottom of the basin, where there is generally a little sediment, must be cut off, when the stock must be returned to the stock-pot or digester with the addition of the flavourings.
When soups are boiled they will never clear without the adjuncts of the whites and shells of eggs and a jelly bag, though the latter is not necessary, asa table napkin dipped in hot water and laid over a tammy sieve answers the purpose much better. A few giblets boiled in with the other ingredients give richness as well as a good colour when clear soup is required.
Skimming is another necessity which so many