Mock Turtle Soup

Ingredients

• four pounds of the fleshy part of the shin of beef
• two or three carrots
• one onion
• a small head of celery
• a bunch of savoury herbs
• a blade of mace
• a half-teaspoonful of peppercorns
• an ounce of salt
• three pounds of the knuckle or of the neck of veal
• half of a fine calf's head
• four ounces of butter
• half a dozen cloves
• two middling-sized blades of mace
• a half-teaspoonful of peppercorns
• three or four very small sprigs of thyme
• three teaspoonsful of minced parsley
• one of lemon thyme and winter savoury mixed
• the very thin rind of half a small fresh lemon
• two ounces of fine dry flour
• five full pints of the stock
• from six to eight ounces of the lean of an undressed ham
• four moderate-sized eschalots
• one mild onion

Method

1. 1

   Stew the shin of beef with carrots, onion, celery, herbs, mace, peppercorns, and salt in a gallon of water until the meat is in fragments.

2. 2

   Strain the broth and pour it over veal, simmering until the flesh falls from the bones.

3. 3

   Prepare the calf's head, removing the brains and bones, and stew with the veal for stock.

4. 4

   Strain the soup, remove fat, and add the head.

5. 5

   Simmer for an hour, adding ham, eschalots, butter, spices, and flour gradually.

6. 6

   Finally, add stock and simmer gently for another hour.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 50. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

MOCK TURTLE SOUP. To make a single tureen of this favourite English soup in the most economical manner when there is no stock at hand, stew gently down in a gallon of water four pounds of the fleshy part of the shin of 21 MODERN COOKERY. [ciiap. I. beef, or of the neck, with two or three carrots, one onion, a small head of celer}7, a bunch of savoury herbs, a blade of mace, a half- teaspoonful of peppercorns, and an ounce of salt. When the meat is quite in fragments, strain off the broth, and pour it when cold upon three pounds of the knuckle or of the neck of veal ; simmer this until the flesh has quite fallen from the bones, but be careful to stew it as softly as possible, or the quantity of stock will be so much reduced as to be insufficient for the soup. Next, take the half of a fine calf s head with the skin on, remove the brains, and then bone it* entirely, or let the butcher do this, and return the bones with it ; these, when there is time, may be stewed with the veal to enrich the stock, or boiled afterwards with the head and tongue. Strain the soup through a hair-sieve into a clean pan, and let it drain closel}7 from the meat. When it is nearly or quite cold, clear off all the fat from it ; roll the head lightly round, leaving the tongue inside, or taking it out, as is most convenient, secure it with tape or twine, pour the soup over, and bring it gently to boil upon a moderate fire ; keep it well skimmed, and simmer it from an hour to an hour and a quarter ; then lift the head into a deep pan or tureen, add the soup to it, and let it remain in until nearly cold, as this will prevent the edges from becoming dark. Cut into quarter-inch slices, and then divide into dice, from six to eight ounces of the lean of an undressed ham, and if possible, one of good flavour ; free it perfectly from fat, rind, and the smoked edges ; peel and slice four moderate -sized eschalots, or if these should not be at hand, one mild onion in lieu of them. Dissolve in a well-tinned stewpan or thick iron saucepan which holds a gallon or more, four ounces of butter ; put in the ham and eschalots, or onion, with half a dozen cloves, two middling -sized blades of mace, a half-teaspoonful of peppercorns, three or four very small sprigs of thyme, three tea- spoonsful of minced parsley, one of lemon thyme and winter savoury mixed, and when the flavour is thought appropriate, the very thin rind of half a small fresh lemon. Stew these as softly as possible for nearly or quite an hour, and keep the pan frequently shaken : then put into a dredging box two ounces of fine dry flour, and sprinkle it to them by degrees ; mix the whole well together, and after a few minutes more of gentle simmering, add very gradually five full pints of the stock

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.