The profession of cookery, from a French point of view

Some strictly French recipes not included in former chapters. Potage aux Marrons. {Chestnut soup.) After having boiled the chestnuts^ peel them carefully and pound them in a mortar. Pass them through a sieve^ adding a little bouillon or clear stock from time to time. When reduced to a puree add more stock to make the quantity of soup required ; add salt^ cayenne pepper^ and mace to flavour it pleasantly. Boil it up again^ then if a white soup is desired^ add a teaspoonful of boiling cream ; if a brown soup be preferred, add a little good gravy and a spoonful of brown thickening. Pour over a little fried bread in the tureen. Potage au Potiron. {PumpMn soup.) Take a quarter of a pumpkin, if very large a thick slice will be sufficient, pare it, take out the seeds. Then boil in water till quite soft, drain all water away and add a lump of butter the size of an egg, a little salt, then mash well together. Add a pint of boiling milk and a few lumps of sugar, stir well, and when cooled a little stir in a beaten yolk of egg. Pour over a slice of white bread, cut into dice and serve. Potage Printanière. (Spring soup.) Take a pint of fresh shelled peas, a shred lettuce, cress, parsley, a sprig of mint, a few leaves of sorrel, a few fresh onions, and cook them till tender in a little fresh butter. Press through a colander and add clear stock, let it boil again, then allow to cool, after which add the yolks of three eggs well beaten. Season it well before serving. Potage aux Poireaux. {Leeh soup.) This may be made with either stock or water. A dozen leeks should be sliced thinly, then frizzled in butter till of a nice brown colour, when a slice of bread should be added to them. Pepper and salt liberally. Let tliis cook slowly for a little time, then add boiling water or stock to make a sufficient quantity. If liked milk may be used instead. Potage à la Crécy. [Suferior carrot soup.) Slice and chop small the best part of three or four large carrots, put tliem into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, add a sliced onion, a turnip, some pepper and salt, a slice of lean bacon, also cut very small. Let them cook for half an hour, shaking the pan occasionally to keep from burning. Pour over two pints of stock or water, let them boil for two hours longer. Strain and press the vegetables through a sieve. Thicken with a tablespoonful of tapioca, return to the pan and boil a few minutes longer. Serve with toasted strips of bread. Bouillabaisse. {A Provengal potage.) Take any kind of fish, but whiting or cod and dory are preferable. Put the fish into a stewpan to boil gently. In a frying-pan place a sliced onion, a clove of garlic, chopped parsley, chopped lemon rind, salt and pepper, spice, and a little oil. When sufficiently fried add the fish, which should be boned, skinned and cut into quarters. Stir well together, add two pints of boiling water and a bit of butter mixed with sufficient flour to thicken the whole. Let it boil gently for a quarter of an hour, then serve. If mackerel, sardines, or other rich kinds of fish are used, make them brown by frying, add clear stock and a little brown thickening. Boeuf a la Mode.