Oyster Soup

Ingredients

• one quart stock
• a half pint of the hot stock
• quart milk
• half cup crushed oyster crackers
• three tablespoons butter
• salt to taste
• white pepper to taste
• oysters from a quart of oysters
• a little minced parsley

Method

1. 1

   Put stock in kettle, add oyster liquor from drained oysters.

2. 2

   Skim if necessary, add oysters, let come to a boil, then stir in crushed oyster crackers, butter, salt, and white pepper.

3. 3

   Add boiled milk, or pour milk into tureen and add soup.

4. 4

   Optionally, scald oysters in their liquor before adding.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The new practical housekeeping (1890) by Estelle Woods Wilcox, page 519. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

one quart stock, White Stock is nicest, in kettle, or water may be used; add oyster liquor from auart of oys- ters, having drained latter in colander, pouring over tnem a half pint of the hot stock ; skim if necessary, put in oysters, let just come to a boil, set on back of range, stir in half cup crushed oyster crack- ers, three tablespoons butter, salt and white pepper to taste, and then quart milk, which has been boiled in custard kettle ; or the milk may be placed in tureen and the soup poured over. Some sprinkle a little minced parslev over just before scalding. If wished very nice, the oysters may be first Scalded in their liquor, taken out and bearded and placed in tureen. To a pint of stock add the beards and strained liquor and simmer half an hour ; strain, add three pints of stock, let come to boiling point, season as above, add halfpmt boiling cream, pour over ousters and serve at once. By cooking the beards a stronger flavor is procured and the oysters are more delicate without them. For JUock Oyster Soup^ take one teacup codfish, cut in half-inch squares. Freshen by covering witii cold water, let it come to a boil, then pour ofl* and add cup water^ quart sweet milk, cup sweet cream, tablespoon corn-starch, stirred smooth in a little cold milk, lump of butter size of an egg, pepper, and salt to taste. Serve with crackers or toast. Pea Soup, — Cook pint of peas till tender in two quarts boiling water, add two tablespoons butter, salt, white pepper and haS pint cream or rich milk, tablespoon minced parsley and teaspoon sugar with a little thickening of corn-starch. Place on back of stove and add beaten yolks of one or two eggs and serve. With Carrots^ add with the pease, half pint carrots cut in thin slices, aa for Julienne Soup, and a pint more water and finish as above. With Spinctch, add to pease one pint spinach prepared as for cook- ing ; or for a Triple Soup, use all three vegetables with three Suarts water and finish as above. To make richer use Plain Eouillon instead of the water. With Onions^ boil pint shelled pease tender, with a bunch parsley and two young onions in a ver^ little water ; rub through sieve and add two quarts any stock ; let it come just to boiling point and serv<^, as if boiled after the puree is added it is not of as nne color. SOUPS. 599 Tomato Soup. — Clear tomato soup should be as bright as wine, not highly colored or highly flavored, but thoroughly good, and should never be made until really wanted, as freshness of flavor is a matter of first importance. Prepare stock from leg of beef; that from bones and odd pieces will not do for this soup ; it must be strong and of a clear golden-brown color and without a particle of grease ; such as may be secured by stewing about six pounds of leg of beef slowly for one or two hours in three quarts of water ; then pour ofTthe stock, let stand till cold and the meat may be put on again to make a second stock for other purposes. To about three pints of this stock add from eight to twelve ripe tomatoes, accord* mg to size, cut in slices, or canned tomatoes may be used, one med- ium-sized onion, sliced, and a few slices of carrot and turnip ; boil half an hour ana then strain off, taking care not to press any of the vegetables, which must not be over-cooked. To the clear soup add tablespoon of sugar and vinegar, one of Worcester sauce, and a lit- tle cavenne. If soup is not clear and bright, strain it through a folded towel in colander. With Sice, to two quarts stock add pint tresh or canned tomatoes, and cup boiled rice. Cook slowly naif an hour and season to taste. Other vegetables may first be added, cooking an hour, then adding as above. Vegetable Soup^ — Slice cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and cook as above, always remembering to have water or stock boiling in which vegetables are placed ; when tender add stewed tomatoes rubbed through a sieve or not as wished ; whenever tomatoes are used in any soup it is a very great improvement to first stew them either fresh or canned, seasoning with butter, salt and pepper ; this makes a little more trouble but the soup is very much nner flavored. When done, if soup^ is wished richer add any stock on hand till flavored as wishedi'boil up once and serve. Cooking the vegetables tender in water is more economical than using stock as in adding latter at last, only a small quantity need be used to produce required flavor; or recooKing a soup bone adding vegetables as soon as it boils makes a nice soup. Balls for Soup, — There are many different articles served in soup besides those given, such as fancy letters, stars, triangles, etc., which may be purchased, and also the French Paste which comes in squares in little boxes. This is used more for coloring and flavor- ing ; place in tureen and pour soup over it, stirring as soup is served. Among the different balls used are the Egg Balls, mix raw egg with just enough flour or corn-starch to make into round balls, then drop into soup and boil ten minutes. A little milk, a teaspoon to one »egg, is an improvement ; also a sprinkle of salt. Or for two quarts soup make balls by boiling one egg hard ; put yolk of it in a bowl, pound to a paste and break in a raw egg yolk, add a dust cayenne pepper, tablespoon salad oil, saltspoon salt, and flour to 600 SOUPS. roll into balls with the hands about a teaspoon. Put dry flour on both hands, use saltspoon of mixture, or make a long roll and cut off ends and make into balls ; have deep saucepan half full of boil* ing water, put in egg balls and let them boil till they come to top, then take out with strainer, put in soup when ready to serve, or some cook them in soup. They are also nice served with other dishes ; or to yolks of three eg^s use one raw yolk and omit the salad piL Some use the raw white of the egg rather than yolk and also care- fully fry brown in butter or any nice fat : then place in tureen and pour over the soup. For Farina Balls, boil quart milk

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