Practical household cookery

135. COCK A LEEKIE SOUP. Boil a chicken in two quarts of water, with salt, pepper, and an onion stuck with two cloves, for forty minutes, taking care to skim off the scum at the proper time ; then strain the broth through a cloth into a stewpan ; add a quart of veal stock and boil. Meanwhile cut the white part of six leeks one inch and a half long, slice these in four, lengthways, blanch them in the usual way, drain the water, and pour the leeks into the broth to cook. Meanwhile cut up the chicken meat, free from bones, skin, and gristle, into small pieces. When the leeks are thoroughly cooked and soft add the pieces of chicken, and let them simmer for another ten minutes, then pour into a soup-tureen after having seasoned to taste; and serve. 136. MUTTON BROTH. Take three pounds of the scrag end or neck of mutton, cut it into several pieces, wash them in cold water and put them into a stewpan with two quarts of cold spring water ; set the stewpan to boil, and skim the broth well ; then add two turnips cut in slices, a few sprigs each of parsley and green thyme, and a little salt After an hour and a half of gentle ebullition, skim off the fat from the surface and strain through a fine sieve into a basin, and keep in a cool place ready for use. CHAPTER II. SOUPS FOR CONVALESCENTS AND CHILDREN. 137. PLAIN CHICKEN BROTH. Cut a chicken or young fowl into four parts, wash these well in cold water, and put the pieces in a stewpan with three pints of cold water and a teaspoonful of salt ; boil it, skim it well, then add the heart of a lettuce and a handful of chervil, let it simmer for about an . hour, and strain it through a fine cloth into a basin. 188. SIMPLE PAP. Cut in slices some crumb of bread, put them in a stewpan with enough chicken or veal broth to soak, boil it, pass through a sieve by rubbing, and put it back into the stewpan ; boil it again, add a few pieces of butter each as big as a pea, and serve 189. PAP A LA REINE. Soak in half a pint of hot broth some slices of the crumb of bread, pound in a mortar the meat of half a chicken, previously cooked in white broth and boned, mix this with the bread and pass it through a sieve, put it back into the stewpan, boil it with the quantity of white broth required, and serve. 140. BREAD RASPINGS SOUP. Pound in a mortar one pound of crust of bread, or grate a one-pound loaf ; boil one pint of broth ; pour in the bread -raspings, a small quantity at a time ; stir well to prevent clotting, and after ten minutes* ebullition draw the stewpan away from the fire, add a few pieces of butter, pass all through a sieve, and serve. 141. VELVETY SOUP. Dilute one tablespoonful of flour with two of milk, boil a cup of broth, and when it boils pour gradually the diluted flour over it, stir continually, boil for a few minutes, and serve with a few croutons fried in butter. 142. SAGO SOUP. Wash in boiling water, strain and boil in broth, the quantity of sago required, and when it has thickened like a hot jelly it is cooked ; draw it from the fire, add a little butter, and serve. Sago can also be cooked with milk, in which case add a piece of sugar. 148. TAPIOCA SOUP. Boil a tablespoonful of tapioca to each cup of broth for ten minutes, then add a little butter, and serve. The same can also be done with milk, and instead of butter add sugar. 144. POTATO FLOUR SOUP. Dilute a tablespoonful of fecula or potato flour with two or three of cold broth, then pour it into a stewpan with a pint of boiling broth, stir this well, and after a few minutes of ebullition serve. 146. SEMOLINA SOUP.