A Guide to Modern Cookery

Chapter XIII Soups

Soups are divided into two leading classes, viz.:—

1. Clear soups, which include plain and garnished consommés.

2. Thick soups, which comprise the Purées, Veloutés, and Creams.

A third class, which is independent of either of the above, inasmuch as it forms part of plain, household cookery, embraces vegetable soups and Garbures or gratined soups. But in important dinners—by this I mean rich dinners—only the first two classes are recognised.

When a menu contains two soups, one must be clear and the other thick. If only one is to be served, it may be either clear or thick, in which case the two kinds are represented alternately at different meals.

In Part I. of this work I indicated the general mode of procedure for consommés and thick soups; I explained how the latter might be converted from plain purées into veloutés or creams, or from veloutés into creams; and all that now remains is to reveal the recipes proper to each of those soups.

Remarks.—In the course of the recipes for consommés, given hereafter, the use of Royales (Nos. 206 to 213) and of Quenelles, variously prepared (Nos. 193 to 195 and 205), will often be enjoined. For the preparation of these garnishes, therefore, the reader will have to refer to the numbers indicated.

The quantities for the clear soups that follow are all calculated to be sufficient for a standard number of six people, and the quantity of Royales is always given in so many dariole-moulds, which contain about one-eighth pint, or baba-moulds, which hold about one-fifth pint.

Of course, it will be understood that the poaching need not necessarily have been effected in these moulds, for very small “Charlotte” moulds would do quite as well. But I had recourse to the particular utensils mentioned above, in order that there might be no sort of doubt as to the exact quantity of royale it would be necessary to prepare for any one of the soups.

Clear Soups and Garnished Consommés

539 — Consommé Alexandra

Have a quart of excellent chicken consommé ready; add thereto, in order to thicken it slightly, three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through muslin, and very clear.

Put the following garnish into the soup-tureen: One tablespoonful of white chicken-meat cut in fine julienne-fashion, one tablespoonful of small chicken quenelles, grooved and long in shape, and one tablespoonful of lettuce chiffonade.

Pour the boiling consommé upon this garnish, and send to the table immediately.

540 — Consommé Ambassadrice

Have one quart of chicken consommé ready; also there should have been prepared beforehand, with the view of using them quite cold, three different kinds of royales, consisting respectively of truffle purée, tomato purée, and purée of peas, each of which should have been poached in a dariole-mould.

Cut these royales up into regular dice, and put them in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of chicken fillet and an equal quantity of small, freshly-cooked mushrooms, finely minced. Pour the boiling consommé over these garnishes, and serve at once.

541 — Consommé Andalouse

Prepare a baba-mould of royale made from tomato purée. When quite cold, cut it into dice, and put these in the soup-tureen with one small tablespoonful of cooked ham cut in julienne-fashion, one tablespoonful of boiled rice, with every grain distinct and separate, and two tablespoonfuls of threaded eggs (No. 217).

When about to serve, pour one quart of very clear chicken consommé over the garnish.

542 — Consommé D’Arenberg

With a small spoon-cutter, pick out a spoonful of carrot pearls and the same quantity of turnip pearls. Cook these vegetables by boiling them in consommé, taking care that the latter be reduced to a glaze when the vegetables are cooked. With the same spoon take the same quantity as above of very black truffle; also prepare a dariole-mould of royale made from asparagus heads, and a dozen small chicken-forcemeat quenelles, which should be moulded to the shape of large pearls.

Poach the quenelles, cut the royales up into slices, which must be stamped with an indented fancy-cutter, and put the whole into the soup-tureen with the carrots, turnips, and truffle pearls, and one tablespoonful of very green peas.

Pour a quart of chicken consommé over the garnish, and send to the table at once.

543 — Consommé à la Bohémienne

Prepare three dariole-moulds of foie-gras royale, and twelve profiterolles (No. 218) of the size of hazel-nuts, the latter being made very crisp.

When the royale is cold, cut it into little, regular squares, and put these into the soup-tureen.

When about to serve, pour over this garnish a quart of chicken consommé, thickened by means of three tablespoonfuls of tapioca, poached and strained through linen.

Send the profiterolles to the table separately, and very hot.

544 — Consommé Boïeldieu

Prepare eighteen chicken-forcemeat quenelles, moulded by means of a small teaspoon; some should be stuffed with foie-gras purée, moistened with a little velouté; others with chicken purée; and yet others with truffle purée—in short, six of each kind.

Place these, one by one, on a buttered sauté-pan; poach them, drain them, and put them in the soup-tureen with a tablespoonful of white chicken-meat, cut into dice.

When about to serve, pour one quart of chicken consommé, thickened as above with tapioca, over the garnish.

545 — Consommé Bouquetiere

Prepare a garnish of carrots and turnips, cut with the tubular cutter or with the spoon; French beans cut into lozenges, asparagus-heads, and green peas, all of which vegetables should be fresh and young. Cook each vegetable according to its nature, and put the whole into the soup-tureen.

When about to serve, pour over the garnish one quart of chicken consommé thickened with two tablespoonfuls of tapioca, poached and strained through fine linen.

546 — Consommé Bourdaloue

Prepare a dariole-mould of each of the four following royales:—

1. Of a purée of haricot-beans with a slight addition of tomato.

2. Of a chicken purée moistened with velouté.

3. Of a purée of asparagus-tops combined with a few cooked spinach leaves, to deepen the colour.

4. Of a carrot purée (Purée Crécy).

Having poached and cooled the royales, cut them as follows:—

(1) Into dice, (2) into lozenges, (3) into little leaves, and (4) into stars.

Place them all in the soup-tureen, and, when about to serve, pour one quart of boiling and very clear chicken consommé over them.

547 — Potage Bortsch

Cut in julienne-fashion the heads of two leeks, one carrot, half of an onion, four oz. of the white of cabbage leaves, half a root of parsley, the white part of a stick of celery, and four oz. of beetroot; set the whole to stew gently in butter.

Moisten with one quart of white consommé and two or three tablespoonfuls of the juice of grated beetroot; add a small bunch of fennel and sweet marjoram, two lbs. of moderately fat breast of beef, and the half of a semi-roasted duck; set to cook gently for four hours.

When about to serve, cut the breast of beef into large dice, and cut the duck into small slices; finish the soup with one-quarter pint of beetroot juice, extracted from grated beetroot pressed in linen, and a little blanched and chopped fennel and parsley. Put the beef dice and sliced duck into the soup, with twelve grilled and despumated chipolatas.

Serve, separately, a sauceboat of sour cream.

N.B.—The chipolatas may be replaced by very small patties with duck forcemeat, which should be served separately.

548 — Consommé Brunoise

Cut into small dice the red part only of two small carrots, one small turnip, the heads of two leeks, a small stick of celery, and the third of an onion of medium size.

Season the vegetables moderately with salt and a pinch of sugar, and stew them in butter. Moisten with one-half pint of consommé, and complete the cooking of the Brunoise gently. Five minutes before serving, finish with one quart of boiling, ordinary consommé, a moderate tablespoonful of peas, and the same quantity of French beans, cut into dice and kept very green.

Pour into the soup-tureen, and add a pinch of fine chervil pluches.

549 — Consommé Carmen

Prepare one quart of consommé, to which add, while clarifying, one-quarter pint of raw tomato purée, in order to give it a faint, pink tinge.

Also peel and press a small and rather firm tomato; cut into dice, and poach the latter in some of the consommé; put them in the soup-tureen with a small tablespoonful of mild capsicum, cut in fine julienne-fashion, and one tablespoonful of plain-boiled rice.

When about to serve, pour the boiling consommé over the garnish, and add a small pinch of chervil pluches.

550 — Consommé Castellane

Prepare (1) one quart of game consommé, flavoured with a fumet of woodcock; (2) two baba-moulds of royale, two-thirds of which consists of a purée of woodcock and one-third of lentils, with half the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, chopped and thickened with the usual leason.

Cut this royale into slices, about the size of a florin, one-half inch thick. Put these into the soup-tureen, together with one tablespoonful of a julienne of roast woodcock fillets, and pour thereon the boiling game consommé.

551 — Consommé Célestine

Prepare one quart of chicken consommé, and add thereto three small tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through fine linen.

For the garnish make three pannequets (No. 2403 and 2476) without sugar, and spread over each a thin coating of chicken forcemeat with cream. Place one on top of the other, sprinkle the layer of forcemeat on the uppermost one with finely-chopped, very black truffles, and place in the front of the oven for a few minutes, in order to poach the forcemeat.

Stamp the pannequets out with an even fancy-cutter about one inch in diameter. Put the pieces into a soup-tureen, and, when about to serve, pour in the boiling consommé.

552 — Consommé Chartreuse

Prepare (1) eighteen small ravioles (No. 2296)—six from spinach purée, six from foie-gras purée, and the remaining six from chopped mushrooms; (2) two small tablespoonfuls of tomato dice. Ten minutes before serving, poach the ravioles in boiling, salted water, and the tomato dice in some of the consommé.

Put the ravioles and the tomato dice (well drained) into the soup-tureen, and pour over them one quart of consommé with a moderate addition of tapioca. Add a pinch of chervil pluches.

553 — Consommé aux Cheveux D’Ange

About two minutes before serving, plunge three oz. of very fine vermicelli, known as Angel’s Hair (Cheveux d’Ange) into one quart of excellent, boiling consommé.

An instant only is needed to poach the vermicelli, and the latter does not require to be blanched.

This soup, like those containing pastes, should be accompanied by freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

554 — Consommé Colbert

Have ready one quart of excellent Printanier chicken consommé (No. 601). Also poach six small eggs in slightly salted and acidulated water. The eggs should be as small and as fresh as possible, both of which conditions are absolutely necessary for a proper poaching (see poached eggs, No. 411). Set these eggs in a small timbale with a little consommé, and send them to the table with the Printanier. Having poured the latter into the plates, put one of the eggs into each of these.

555 — Consommé Colombine

Prepare a good tablespoonful of carrot pearls, and as many turnip pearls, keeping the latter very white. Cook them in the customary way, and put them in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of very green peas, one tablespoonful of a julienne of roast-pigeon fillets, and six poached pigeons’ eggs, which latter should be sent to the table in a timbale at the same time as the consommé.

Pour over the other garnish one quart of very clear, boiling, chicken consommé, and serve immediately.

This soup can only appear on summer and spring menus, when the pigeons’ eggs are in season.

556 — Croûte au Pot

Prepare a freshly-cooked vegetable garnish for a stockpot:—Carrots and turnips cut into small sticks and trimmed; a few heads of leeks, and cabbage, parboiled, minced, and cooked in very fat consommé.

Put these vegetables in a somewhat greasy broth for ten minutes.

Also prepare seven or eight crusts of French soup “flutes”; besprinkle them with stock grease, and dry them in the oven. Put the vegetable garnish into the soup-tureen; pour thereon one quart of consommé of the Petite Marmite (No. 598), and add to the dried crusts.

557 — Consommé Cyrano

Prepare (1) one quart of consommé with a fumet of duck; (2) twelve small quenelles of duck forcemeat, which should be made flat and oval. Having poached the quenelles, drain them, and set them in a small, shallow earthen pan or timbale; sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese and a few drops of chicken glaze, and set to glaze in the oven.

The quenelles are served separately in the pan in which they have been glazed, and the consommé is sent to the table in a soup-tureen.

558 — Consommé Demidoff

With the small spoon-cutter, pick out a good tablespoonful of carrot, and the same quantity of turnip pearls. Cook these vegetables in the customary way, and put them in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of truffle pearls, the same quantity of peas, and small, poached, chicken-forcemeat quenelles with herbs. Pour one quart of boiling chicken consommé over this garnish, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

559 — Consommé Deslignac

Prepare (1) two small, stuffed lettuces, rolled into sausage form and poached; (2) two baba-moulds of royale with cream. Cut the royale into small, regular dice; trim the lettuce, and cut it into slices; put this garnish into the soup-tureen, and pour thereon one quart of boiling chicken consommé, thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through linen. Add a pinch of chervil pluches.

560 — Consommé aux Diablotins

Cut a French soup “flute” into twelve slices one-quarter inch thick. Reduce about one-quarter pint of Béchamel to a thick consistence; add thereto, away from the fire, two heaped tablespoonfuls of grated Gruyère cheese, and season with a little cayenne.

Garnish the slices of soup “flute” with this preparation, arranged in the form of a dome, upon a tray, and set it to glaze a few minutes before serving.

Pour one quart of chicken consommé into the soup-tureen, and add the diablotins.

561 — Consommé Diplomate

Roll into small sausage-form three oz. of chicken forcemeat, finished with crayfish butter. Poach the sausages, cut them into thin roundels, and put them into the soup-tureen with one dessertspoonful of very black truffle, cut in julienne-fashion.

Pour over this garnish one quart of boiling chicken consommé, thickened with two tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through linen.

562 — Consommé Divette

Prepare two baba-moulds of royale made from crayfish velouté, eighteen small quenelles of smelt forcemeat, moulded to the shape of pearls, and one tablespoonful of small pearls of very black truffle.

Cut the royale into oval slices, and put these into the soup with the poached quenelles and the truffle pearls.

Pour one quart of very clear, boiling consommé over the garnish.

563 — Consommé Doria

Prepare the following garnish:—Thirty pellets of cucumber in the shape of large pearls; eighteen small quenelles of chicken forcemeat, long in shape and grooved; six little pellets, about the size of a large pea, of pâte à choux, combined with grated cheese, rolled by hand; and one and one-half tablespoonfuls of Japanese pearls, poached in some of the consommé.

Put the cucumber pellets, cooked in consommé, into the soup-tureen; add the poached quenelles and the Japanese pearls.

Four minutes before serving, plunge the pellets of pâte à choux into hot fat, keeping them crisp.

564 — Consommé Douglas

With an even cutter, the size of a penny, cut up some braised and cooled sweetbread into twelve roundels one-third inch thick; with the same cutter cut out twelve more roundels from some cooked artichoke-bottoms, and put the whole into the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of very green asparagus-heads.

When about to serve, pour one quart of boiling, highly seasoned, ordinary consommé upon the garnish.

565 — Consommé à l’Écossaise

Prepare a special mutton broth, and, at the same time, cook a fine piece of breast of mutton for the garnish.

Per two quarts of broth, put into the soup-tureen four tablespoonfuls of pearl-barley, cooked very gently beforehand; two tablespoonfuls of French beans, cut into lozenges, and the breast of mutton cut into regular dice of one-half inch side, in the proportion of one tablespoonful for each person.

Pour the boiling mutton broth over this garnish, after having removed all the grease and strained it through linen.

566 — Consommé Favorite

With a spoon-cutter, pick from out some violet potatoes eighteen pellets the size of small hazel-nuts, and cook them in salted water in good time for them to be ready for the dishing up of the soup. Put them in the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of a julienne of artichoke-bottoms and the same quantity of cooked mushrooms, also cut in julienne-fashion.

Pour over the garnish one quart of chicken consommé, thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen. Add a pinch of chervil pluches.

566a — Consommé à la Fermière

Mince, somewhat finely, one small carrot, one small turnip, the heads of two leeks, and the half of an onion. Slightly stew these vegetables in one and one-half oz. of butter; moisten with one and one-half pints of white consommé; add two oz. of parboiled cabbage, cut roughly into a julienne, and complete the cooking gently, taking care to remove all grease, with the view of obtaining a very clear consommé.

Pour into the soup-tureen, and add a few thin slices of French soup “flute,” slightly dried.

567 — Consommé Florentine

With fine chicken forcemeat make twenty-four small quenelles on a buttered tray, their shape being that of small Mecca loaves. To the forcemeat of six of these quenelles add some very finely chopped tongue; add white chicken-meat to that of another six; and to that of the remaining twelve add some very reduced spinach purée. The quenelles with spinach should number twice those with the other two ingredients, in order that the preparation may be in keeping with its designation “à la Florentine.”

Poach the quenelles; put them in the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of very green, cooked peas.

When about to serve, pour one quart of very clear, boiling chicken consommé over this garnish, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

568 — Consommé Gauloise

Prepare two dariole-moulds of ham royale, and poach the latter in a small, well-buttered Charlotte mould. When quite cold, cut it into large lozenges, and put these into the soup-tureen with six small cocks’ combs and six small cocks’ kidneys (these latter as small as possible).

When about to serve, pour over this garnish one quart of chicken consommé, thickened slightly with two tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through linen.

569 — Consommé George Sand

Have ready one quart of consommé flavoured with very clear fish fumet. Also prepare twelve small quenelles of whiting forcemeat, finished with crayfish butter; stew twelve morels, which should be left whole if very small, and cut into two if they are of medium size; twelve small slices of poached carps’ milt, and twelve little roundels of French soup “flutes.”

Put the poached quenelles and the stewed morels into the soup-tureen; pour therein the boiling, fish consommé, and send the slices of carps’ milt set on the roundels of French soup “flute” separately to the table.

570 — Consommé Germaine

Prepare two dariole-moulds of royale made from a purée of very green peas, combined with a tablespoonful of Mirepoix stewed in butter, and a strong pinch of small, chervil pluches; eighteen small quenelles of chicken forcemeat with cream, moulded to the form of pastils.

When the royale is cold, cut it into regular roundels, and put these into the soup-tureen with the poached quenelles.

When about to serve, pour one quart of boiling chicken consommé over the garnish.

571 — Consommé Girondine

Prepare (1) one quart of highly-seasoned beef consommé; (2) two baba-moulds of ordinary royale made with whole eggs and combined with two tablespoonfuls of cooked and finely-chopped lean ham; (3) three tablespoonfuls of a julienne of carrots (the red part only) stewed in butter, the cooking of which should be completed in the consommé.

Put the royale, cut into large, regular lozenges, and the julienne of carrots into the soup-tureen, and pour in the boiling beef consommé.

572 — Consommé Grimaldi

Have ready one quart of excellent ordinary consommé, to which have been added, while clarifying, four tablespoonfuls of raw tomato purée, strained through fine linen.

Also prepare two dariole-moulds of ordinary royale, and three tablespoonfuls of a fine julienne of the white of celery, stewed in butter, finally cooked in the consommé, and with all grease removed.

Put the royale, cut into large dice, and the julienne of celery into the soup-tureen, and pour thereon the boiling consommé with tomatoes.

573 — Consommé Imperiale

Prepare three dariole-moulds of mousseline forcemeat of fowl (No. 195), and put it to poach in a small Charlotte mould.

When quite cold, cut it, by means of a cutter, into roundels the size of a penny, and put these in the soup-tureen with six small blanched cocks’ combs and three sliced cocks’ kidneys, and two tablespoonfuls of very green peas.

Pour over this garnish one quart of chicken consommé, thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.

574 — Consommé à l’Indienne

Have ready one quart of ordinary consommé seasoned with curry. Also prepare three baba-moulds of royale made from cocoanut milk, and, when quite cold, cut into small dice.

Put this royale into the soup-tureen; pour on it the boiling consommé with curry, and send to the table, separately, four tablespoonfuls of Rice à l’Indienne (No. 2254).

575 — Consommé à l’Infante

With some pâte à choux (No. 2374) prepare eighteen profiterolles of the size of hazel-nuts. Cook them, taking care to keep them very crisp, and stuff them when cold with purée de foie gras moistened with velouté.

Put two tablespoonfuls of a fine julienne of mild capsicum into the soup-tureen, and pour thereon one quart of boiling chicken consommé, moderately thickened with poached tapioca strained through linen.

Serve the profiterolles of foie gras separately, after having heated them in the front of the oven.

N.B.—The garnish of Consommé à l’Infante may consist only of the profiterolles, and the julienne of capsicum may be suppressed; this is a matter of taste.

576 — Consommé Jacqueline

With a small spoon-cutter, pick from out some carrots twenty-four little oval pellets, which should be cooked in the consommé. Prepare two baba-moulds of royale with cream.

Put into the soup-tureen the pellets of carrots and the royale cut to the shape of pastils, one tablespoonful of peas, the same quantity of very green asparagus-heads, and one tablespoonful of rice.

When about to serve, pour one quart of boiling chicken consommé over this garnish.

576a — Consommé Julienne

Cut into fillets, two inches in length, the red part only of two medium-sized carrots, one medium-sized turnip, one leek, half a stick of celery, some cabbage leaves, and half an onion. Season these vegetables with a pinch of salt and as much castor sugar; stew them in one oz. of butter; moisten with one and one-half pints of white consommé, and then add two oz. of small parboiled cabbages, cut after the manner of the other vegetables.

Finish the cooking gently, removing the grease the while, and complete with one small tablespoonful of very green, cooked peas, one tablespoonful of sorrel and lettuce chiffonade, and one pinch of chervil pluches.

577 — Consommé Lorette

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé. Also prepare two tablespoonfuls of a fine julienne of celery stewed in butter and cooked in the consommé; twelve small “pommes à la lorette” (No. 2226), the size of hazel-nuts, and shaped like small crescents. These potatoes should be fried in hot fat four minutes before serving.

Put into the soup-tureen the julienne of celery, twelve small, freshly-poached cocks’ kidneys, and one tablespoonful of a julienne of pimentos; pour the boiling consommé over this garnish; add a pinch of chervil pluches, and send the lorette potatoes to the table separately.

578 — Consommé Macdonald

Prepare (1) one quart of highly seasoned beef consommé, (2) two dariole-moulds of brain-purée royale; (3) two tablespoonfuls of cucumbers cut into small dice and cooked in consommé until the latter is reduced to a glaze; (4) five little ravioles garnished with chicken forcemeat combined with a third of its volume of spinach. Put these ravioles to poach in salted boiling water twelve minutes before serving.

Put into the soup-tureen the royale of brains cut into roundels one-third inch thick, the dice of cucumber, and the ravioles poached and well drained.

Pour the boiling beef consommé over this garnish just before serving.

579 — Consommé Marguerite

Take two tablespoonfuls of chicken forcemeat with cream, and roll it into sausage-form on the floured mixing-board. Put the sausage to poach. Rub the yolk of an egg through a fine sieve, and cohere it with half a teaspoonful of raw forcemeat.

Having poached and cooled the chicken sausage, cut it into thin roundels, and stamp each roundel with a fancy-cutter to the shape of a marguerite. Arrange the marguerites on a dish, and lay in the middle of each a bit of the egg and forcemeat, in imitation of the flower-centre.

Put these marguerites into the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of small, green asparagus cut into lengths of one inch. When about to serve, pour one quart of very clear, boiling chicken consommé over this garnish.

580 — Consommé Marquise

Prepare one quart of good, ordinary consommé, to which three sticks of celery have been added, while clarifying, in order that the taste of the celery may be very decided.

Make thirty small quenelles of chicken forcemeat combined with finely-chopped filberts, giving them the shape of pastils.

Poach these quenelles ten minutes before serving. Also poach in court-bouillon two calf’s piths, and cut them into thin roundels.

Put the poached quenelles and the roundels of calf’s piths into the soup-tureen, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.

581 — Consommé Mercédès

Prepare one quart of chicken consommé with pimentos, combined, at the last minute, away from the fire, with one-half pint of sherry.

Put into the soup-tureen two tablespoonfuls of capsicum, cut in fine julienne-fashion and short, and some small, freshly-cooked cocks’ combs.

When about to serve, pour the consommé over this garnish.

582 — Consommé Messaline

Prepare one quart of chicken consommé, and add thereto, while clarifying, one-quarter pint of tomato essence, obtained by reducing the moisture contained by the tomato to a syrup.

Put into the soup-tureen twelve small, freshly-poached cocks’ combs, two tablespoonfuls of Spanish capsicum cut into a julienne and poached in the consommé if fresh (this should have been previously grilled, with the view of removing the skins), and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice, every grain of which should be distinct.

Pour the boiling consommé over this garnish.

583 — Consommé Metternich

Prepare one quart of game consommé with pheasant fumet. Also poach two dariole-moulds of royale, made from a purée of artichokes combined with some tablespoonfuls of the reduced game Espagnole. Cut this royale into dice; put these into a soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of a julienne of pheasant fillets, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.

584 — Consommé à la Milanaise

Cook in slightly salted boiling water two oz. of moderately thick macaroni. As soon as it is cooked, drain it, lay it on a piece of linen, and cut it into small rings. Also prepare one-quarter pint of Béchamel, thickened with the yolk of one egg combined with one oz. of grated cheese, and keep it very dense.

Mix the rings of macaroni with this sauce; spread the whole on a dish, and leave to cool. Now divide up the preparation into portions the size of walnuts; roll these into balls, and then flatten them out to form quoits about the size of shillings. Treat these quoits with an anglaise, and very fine bread-crumbs, and plunge into hot fat four minutes before serving. Drain them when they have acquired a fine golden colour.

Pour one quart of boiling chicken consommé into the soup-tureen, and send to the table, separately, (1) the fried macaroni quoits; (2) one and one-half oz. of Gruyère and Parmesan cheese, in equal quantities, grated and mixed.

585 — Consommé Mireille

Add one tablespoonful of very concentrated tomato purée to three oz. of chicken forcemeat; roll this preparation into the form of a somewhat large sausage, and poach it. When cold, cut it into roundels, one-quarter inch thick, and stamp each roundel with an oval fancy-cutter in the shape of a medallion. Put these medallions in the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of saffroned pilaff rice (No. 2255), and, when about to serve, pour thereon one quart of very clear, boiling chicken consommé.

586 — Consommé Mirette

Make eighteen quenelles of chicken forcemeat in the shape of large pearls, and poach them. Prepare two tablespoonfuls of lettuce chiffonade (the heart of one lettuce cut julienne-fashion and stewed in butter); make eighteen paillettes with Parmesan (No. 2322), and put them in a very hot oven eight or ten minutes before serving.

Put the poached quenelles and the lettuce chiffonade into the soup-tureen; pour thereon one quart of boiling consommé of the Petite Marmite, and one pinch of chervil pluches.

Send the paillettes au Parmesan to the table separately, and have them very hot.

587 — Consommé Monte Carlo

Make and poach thirty small quenelles of chicken forcemeat; cisel and stew in butter the heart of one lettuce; prepare twelve little profiterolles of pâte à choux, the size of hazel-nuts, and cook them, taking care to keep them crisp.

Put the quenelles and the lettuce chiffonade into the soup-tureen; pour thereon one quart of very clear, boiling, chicken consommé, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

Serve the profiterolles separately and very hot.

588 — Consommé Montmorency

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca, strained through linen.

Prepare eighteen small grooved quenelles of chicken forcemeat. Poach, drain, and put them into the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of very green asparagus-heads and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice, every grain of which should be distinct and separate.

589 — Consommé à la Moscovite

Prepare one quart of sterlet or sturgeon consommé, and add thereto some cucumber essence, obtained by pounding a cored and peeled cucumber, and straining the resulting purée through linen.

Put into the soup-tureen two tablespoonfuls of a julienne of salted mushrooms, one oz. of soaked vesiga cut into dice and cooked in broth, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.

N.B.—Vesiga or the spine-marrow of the sturgeon ought to be soaked in cold water for a few hours in order to soften and swell it, after which it should be cut into dice and cooked in broth. For every four tablespoonfuls of cooked vesiga, one oz. of dry vesiga should be allowed.

590 — Consommé Nesselrode

Have ready one quart of game consommé, prepared with hazel-hen fumet. Poach two baba-moulds of royale made from chestnut purée with two small tablespoonfuls of game salmis sauce added thereto; cut it into roundels half-inch thick, and trim these with a grooved fancy-cutter.

Put them into the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of a julienne of hazel-hen fillets, the same quantity of a julienne of mushrooms, and pour thereon the boiling game consommé.

591 — Consommé aux Nids D’Hirondelles

The nests used for this soup are those of the esculent swallow, and their shape somewhat resembles that of the rind of a quartered, dry orange.

In the first place, prepare a chicken consommé containing a large proportion of nutritious principles. Set three nests to soak in cold water for twenty-four hours, the object being to swell the mucilaginous elements of which they are composed and to make them transparent.

When they have soaked sufficiently remove any pieces of feather which may have remained in them, using for this purpose the point of a needle, and, when the nests are quite clean, drain them and put them into the consommé. At this stage set the consommé to boil, gently, for thirty or thirty-five minutes without interruption. During this time the gummy portions of the nests will melt into the consommé, giving the latter its characteristic viscidity, and there will only remain visible those portions which, in the natural state, constitute the framework of the nests; that is to say, little threads not unlike superfine transparent vermicelli.

592 — Consommé aux Œufs de Fauvette

I introduced this consommé in honour of the illustrious singer, Adelina Patti.

It consists of a chicken consommé, which should be made as perfect as possible, and a garnish composed of the poached eggs of small birds.

593 — Consommé Olga

Prepare one quart of excellent ordinary consommé, and add thereto, when about to serve and away from the fire, one-quarter pint of port wine.

Also cut into a fine julienne the quarter of a small celeriac, the white of a leek, and the red part only of a small carrot. Stew this julienne in butter and complete its cooking in consommé, reducing the latter to a glaze.

When about to serve put this julienne in a soup tureen, add a few tablespoonfuls of a julienne of salted gherkins, and pour thereon the consommé with port.

594 — Consommé D’Orléans

Lay on a buttered tray ten small quenelles of ordinary chicken forcemeat, ten others of chicken forcemeat combined with a very red tomato purée, and ten more of the same forcemeat, combined with a purée of spinach, all the quenelles being grooved.

Ten minutes before serving poach these quenelles, drain them, put them in the soup-tureen, and pour therein one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen. Add a pinch of chervil pluches.

595 — Consommé D’Orsay

Prepare one quart of very clear chicken consommé, also make fifteen small quenelles of pigeon forcemeat moulded to the shape of eggs by means of a very small spoon, and poach the yolks of ten eggs, taking care to keep them very soft.

596 — Ox-Tail Soup

For Ten People.—Garnish the bottom of a small stock-pot or stewpan with one fine carrot and two medium-sized onions cut into roundels and browned in butter, and one faggot. Add two small ox-tails, or one of medium size weighing about four lbs. (The tails should be cut into sections, each of which should contain one of the caudal vertebræ, and they should then be browned in the oven.) Also add two lbs. of gelatinous bones, broken very small and likewise browned in the oven.

Now proceed exactly as for brown veal stock (No. 9), taking note that the whole moistening must consist of no more than two and one-half quarts of ordinary broth and one quart of water.

Set to boil very gently for four and one-half or five hours. This done, strain the broth, which should be reduced to two and one-half quarts, and completely remove its grease. Transfer the largest sections of the tails, by means of a braiding-needle, one by one to another saucepan. Cover them with broth, and keep them warm for the garnish.

Finely chop one lb. of very lean beef; put this mince into a saucepan with the white of a leek cut into dice and half the white of an egg, and mix thoroughly. Add the broth, the grease of which has been removed, set to boil, stirring constantly the while, and then leave to simmer for one hour, which is the time required for the beef to exude all its juices and for the clarification of the broth.

While the clarification is in progress cut a small carrot in brunoise fashion, or turn it by means of a very small spoon. Cook this garnish in a little water with butter, salt, and sugar.

A few minutes before serving strain the ox-tail broth through a napkin, put the sections of ox-tail and brunoise into the soup-tureen, and pour thereon the prepared broth. This soup may be flavoured with port or sherry, but this is optional.

N.B.—If a thickened ox-tail soup be required add to the broth per every quart of it one-third of an oz. of arrowroot diluted with a little of the broth or some cold water.

597 — Consommé Parisienne

Have one quart of chicken consommé ready.

For the garnish prepare two dariole-moulds of royale made from a purée of ordinary julienne, a small macédoine of vegetables, comprising one heaped tablespoonful each of carrots and turnips divided up by means of a small grooved spoon and cooked in the usual way, one tablespoonful of small peas, the same quantity of fine French beans cut into lozenges, and one tablespoonful of asparagus-heads.

Cut the royale into regular roundels; put these in the soup-tureen with the macédoine of vegetables, and, when about to serve, pour thereon the boiling chicken consommé. Add a pinch of fine chervil pluches.

598 — La Petite Marmite

For Ten People.—Prepare a consommé in a special earthenware stock-pot in accordance with the procedure indicated in recipe No. 1, but with the following quantities, viz., two lbs. of lean beef and as much breast of beef, one marrow-bone tied in a muslin-bag, and the necks, the pinions, and the gizzards of six large fowls, these giblets being inserted in the stewpan one hour before dishing up.

Moisten with three and one-half quarts of water and add three-quarters of an oz. of salt. Set to boil, skim as indicated, and cook gently with the view of obtaining a very clear broth. One hour before serving add six oz. of carrots and the same quantity of turnips, both cut to the shape of large olives, five oz. of the white of leeks, and a heart of celery.

Cook a quarter of a very white, properly blanched cabbage, separately, in a saucepan with a little consommé and some stock grease.

When about to serve test the seasoning of the consommé, which latter should be very clear; thoroughly clean the stewpan, which may even be covered with a clean napkin; withdraw the marrow-bone; take it out of its muslin-bag, and send it and the cabbage to the table separately, accompanied by a plate of small pieces of hot toast for the marrow.

599 — The Pot-au-Feu

Prepare this exactly like the Petite Marmite.

600 — Poule au Pot, or Poule au Pot Henri IV

This is a variation of the Petite Marmite, in which a tender and very fleshy hen is substituted for the giblets of fowl.

Strictly observe the rule of never using a new earthenware stock-pot before having boiled water in it for at least twelve hours. Also bear in mind that earthenware stock-pots should be washed in hot water only, without any soda or soap.

601 — Consommé Printanier

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé, also cut one carrot and one turnip into roundels one-half inch thick. With a tubular cutter one-eighth inch in diameter, cut these roundels into little rods, making a sufficient number to fill one tablespoonful with each vegetable. Cook these little rods in consommé, and reduce the latter to a glaze.

Put the carrot and turnip rods into the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of small peas, the same quantity of small French beans and asparagus-heads, the former cut into lozenges, ten roundels of sorrel leaves, and as many of lettuce leaves, the latter being poached in some consommé. When about to serve pour the boiling consommé over these garnishes and add a large pinch of small chervil pluches.

602 — Consommé Printanier aux Quenelles

Prepare the printanier exactly as directed above, but slightly lessen the quantities of the vegetables constituting the garnish.

Make eighteen small quenelles of chicken forcemeat in the shape of little grooved meringues, and poach them ten minutes before dishing up.

Drain them, put them into the soup-tureen with the other garnishes, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.

603 — Consommé aux Profiterolles

Prepare forty very dry profiterolles (No. 218), and add an excellent chicken consommé to them at the last moment.

The profiterolles may also be made to the size of walnuts, in which case they may be stuffed with a purée of chicken, foie gras, &c.

604 — Consommé Rachel

Prepare one quart of chicken consommé, and thicken it with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen. With a round, even cutter stamp out twelve roundels of crumb of bread the size of pennies and one-half inch thick. Poach in consommé as many slices of very fresh beef-marrow as there are roundels of bread.

Six minutes before serving fry the roundels of bread in clarified butter, hollow out their centres, and place on each a slice of poached beef-marrow suitably trimmed.

Put three tablespoonfuls of a julienne of cooked artichoke bottoms into the soup-tureen, pour thereon the thickened consommé, and add the roundels of bread garnished with marrow.

605 — Consommé Rejane

Prepare one quart of excellent white consommé, set it to boil, and add a julienne of the white of half a fowl and the heads of two leeks cut similarly to the fowl. Set to cook gently for ten minutes, taking care to disturb the consommé as little as possible, add three oz. of potatoes cut into a julienne, complete the cooking, and serve immediately.

606 — Consommé Renaissance

Prepare one quart of clear chicken consommé.

For the garnish make two dariole-moulds of royale with a purée of early-season herbs thickened with velouté and whole eggs; with a small grooved spoon-cutter pick out one tablespoonful of pellets from a turnip and the red part only of a carrot. Cook these vegetables in the usual way. Cut the royale with a grooved fancy-cutter into pieces of the shape of small leaves. Put the leaves of royale into the soup-tureen with the carrot and turnip pellets, one tablespoonful of very green peas, the same quantity of French beans cut into lozenges, one tablespoonful of asparagus-heads, and twelve very small particles of very white cauliflower. Pour the boiling consommé over these garnishes, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

607 — Consommé Richelieu

Have ready one quart of highly-seasoned beef consommé. Also (1) prepare twelve quenelles of chicken forcemeat moulded by means of a small coffee-spoon, proceeding as follows:—Line the spoon with a thin coating of the forcemeat, and in the middle lay some chopped, reduced, cold chicken aspic. Cover the jelly with a layer of forcemeat, shaping it like a dome; insert another spoon (first dipped in hot water) under the quenelle, and place the latter upon a buttered sautépan. Repeat the operation until the required number of quenelles have been moulded. Treated in this way, the quenelles, when poached, contain, so to speak, a liquid core. Five minutes before dishing up, poach the quenelles.

2. Cut six rectangles out of lettuce leaves; spread a thin layer of forcemeat over each; roll into paupiettes, and poach in some of the consommé.

3. Prepare two tablespoonfuls of a coarse julienne of carrots and turnips, stew them in butter, and complete their cooking in the consommé, which should be thoroughly cleared of grease.

Put the julienne, the paupiettes, and the stuffed quenelles into the soup-tureen; pour therein the boiling beef consommé, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

608 — Consommé Rossini

Prepare one quart of chicken consommé, slightly thickened with two tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.

Make eighteen profiterolles, from pâte à choux without sugar (No. 2374), to the size of hazel-nuts. Bake them in a moderate oven, keeping them very crisp, and garnish them, inside, with a foie-gras and truffle purée.

When about to serve, pour the consommé into the soup-tureen, and dish the profiterolles separately, after having placed them in good time in the front of the oven, so that they may reach the table very hot.

609 — Consommé Rothschild

Have ready one quart of game consommé, prepared with pheasant fumet. Add thereto, when about to serve, one-quarter pint of reduced Sauterne. Make two dariole-moulds of royale from a preparation consisting of one-third of the whole of purée of pheasant, one-third of chestnut purée, and one-third of pheasant salmis sauce. Poach the royale; cut it into grooved roundels, and place these in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of a julienne of fillets of pheasant.

When about to serve, pour the boiling consommé over the garnish.

610 — Consommé Saint Hubert

Take one quart of game consommé, prepared with venison fumet. Finish the consommé, at the time of serving, with one-quarter pint of Marsala.

Make three dariole-moulds of royale from a preparation consisting of one-third of the whole of venison purée, one-third of lentil purée, and one-third of reduced game Espagnole. Poach the royale in a small Charlotte mould, and, when it has cooled, cut it up with a fancy-cutter of the shape of a cross. Put the crosses of royale into the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of a julienne consisting of fillets of hare, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.

611 — Potage Sarah Bernhardt

Sprinkle three tablespoonfuls of tapioca into one quart of boiling chicken consommé, and leave to poach gently for fifteen or eighteen minutes.

Put the drained quenelles and the poached roundels of marrow into the soup-tureen; add one tablespoonful of a julienne of very black truffles, and the same quantity of asparagus-heads. Pour the boiling consommé, with tapioca, over this garnish.

612 — Consommé Sévigné

Keep one quart of very clear chicken consommé very warm.

Prepare ten quenelles of chicken forcemeat, moulded by means of a small coffee-spoon, and poach them; also have ready four braised lettuces.

Put the quenelles, the lettuce cut into small sections and properly trimmed, and one tablespoonful of peas into the soup-tureen; pour therein the boiling consommé and a pinch of chervil pluches.

613 — Consommé Souveraine

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé.

Make ten large quenelles from chicken forcemeat, and stuff them with a very fine brunoise, proceeding as follows:—Line a dessertspoon with a thin coat of forcemeat, and garnish the centre with the brunoise, previously cooked in consommé, and cold. Cover the brunoise with a layer of forcemeat, shaping it like a dome; insert another dessertspoon dipped into hot water under the quenelle, and transfer the latter to a buttered sautépan. Repeat the operation until the required number of quenelles have been moulded.

Allow eight minutes for the poaching of these quenelles; put them into the soup-tureen with two tablespoonfuls of peas; pour thereon the boiling consommé, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

614 — Turtle Soup

With the exception of a few leading London restaurants, where a large quantity of this preparation is constantly in demand, turtle soup is very rarely prepared in the kitchens of catering establishments. It is more generally obtained ready-made, either fresh or preserved, and as a rule of exceptional quality, from firms whose speciality it is to make it, and who deliver it in excellent condition.

From among the London firms who have deservedly earned a reputation for this soup, “Pécriaux” may be quoted as one whose produce is quite irreproachable.

When a comparatively small quantity of this soup is required, it is best to buy it ready-made; in the event of its being desirable to prepare it oneself, the following recipe will be found the simplest and most practical for the purpose.

Particulars of the Operation

The Slaughtering of the Turtle.—For soup, take a turtle weighing from 120 to 180 lbs., and let it be very fleshy and full of life.

To slaughter it, lay it on its back on a table, with its head hanging over the side. By means of a double butcher’s hook, one spike of which is thrust into the turtle’s lower jaw, while the other suspends an adequately heavy weight, make the animal hold its head back; then, with all possible dispatch, sever the head from the body.

Now immediately hang the body over a receptacle, that the blood may be collected, and leave it thus for one and one-half or two hours.

Then follows the dismemberment:—To begin with, thrust a strong knife between the carapace or upper shell and the plastron or lower shell, exactly where the two meet, and separate the one from the other. The turtle being on its back, cut all the adhering flesh from the plastron, and put the latter aside. Now cut off the flippers; remove the intestines, which throw away, and carefully collect all the green fat. Whereupon cut away the flesh adhering to the carapace; once more remove all fat, and keep both in reserve.

The Treatment of the Carapace, the Plastron, and the Flippers.—The carapace and plastron, which are the outside bony framework of the turtle, constitute the only portions wherefrom the gelatinous flesh, used as the garnish of the soup, are obtained.

Saw the carapace into six or eight pieces, and the plastron into four.

Put these pieces with the flippers into boiling water or into steam, to blanch. Withdraw the flippers as soon as they are sufficiently stiff for their skin to be removed, and leave the pieces of carapace and plastron to blanch for five minutes, in order that they may admit of being scraped. Now cool the pieces of carapace and plastron and the flippers, and put them into a stewpan containing enough water to abundantly cover them. Set to boil; garnish with vegetables, as in the case of an ordinary broth, and add a small quantity of turtle herbs.

Five or six hours should be allowed for the cooking of the carapace and the plastron, but the flippers, which are put to further uses in other culinary preparations, should be withdrawn at the end of five hours.

When the pieces are taken from the cooking-liquor, remove all the flesh from the bones, and cool the former; then trim it carefully, and cut it into little squares of one and one-half inches side. It is these squares together with the green fat (poached in salted water and sliced) which constitute the garnish of the soup.

The Preparation of Turtle Soup.—There are two modes of procedure, though their respective results are almost identical.

1. Make a broth of the flesh of turtle alone, and then add a very gelatinous beef consommé to it, in pursuance of the method employed when the turtle soup is bought ready-made.

This procedure is practically the best, more particularly if the soup has to be kept some time.

2. Make an ordinary broth of shin of beef, using the same quantity of the latter as of turtle. Also include half a calf’s foot and one-half lb. of calf’s shin per 3 lbs. of the beef. Add the flesh of the turtle, or, in the event of its being thought necessary to clarify, which operation I do not in the least advise, reserve it for that purpose.

The condiments and aromatics being the same for both methods, I shall now describe the procedure for method No. 1.

The Ingredients of the Soup.—Put into a stewpan of convenient size the flesh of the turtle and its head and bones. Moisten partly with the cooking-liquor of the carapace, and complete the moistening, in the case of a turtle weighing 120 lbs., with enough water to bring the whole to 50 quarts. By this means a soup of about thirty to thirty-five quarts will be obtained at the end of the operation. Add salt in the proportion of one oz. per every five quarts; set to boil; skim, and garnish with twelve carrots, a bunch of leeks (about ten bound with a head of celery), one lb. of parsley stalks, eight onions with ten cloves stuck into them, two lbs. of shallots, and one head of garlic. Set to boil gently for eight hours. An hour before straining the soup, add to the garnish four strips of lemon-peel, a bunch of herbs for turtle, comprising sweet basil, sweet marjoram, sage, rosemary, savory, and thyme, and a bag containing four oz. of coriander and two oz. of peppercorns.

The Serving of the Soup.—When about to serve this soup, heat it; test and rectify its seasoning, and finish it off by means of a port wine glass of very old Madeira to every quart.

Very often a milk punch is served with turtle soup, the recipe being:—

Milk Punch.—Prepare a syrup from one-half pint of water and three and one-half oz. of sugar, the consistence at the boil being 170° (Baumé’s Hydrometer). Set to infuse in this syrup two orange and two lemon zests. Strain at the end of ten minutes, and add one-half pint of rum, one-fifth pint of kirsch, two-thirds pint of milk, and the juice of three oranges and three lemons. Mix thoroughly. Let it stand for three hours; filter, and serve cold.

615 — Consommé Tosca

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.

Also prepare two tablespoonfuls of a julienne of carrots stewed in butter, the cooking of which is completed in the consommé; ten small quenelles of chicken forcemeat, combined, in the proportion of one-third, with foie gras and chopped truffles; ten small, very crisp profiterolles, stuffed with a purée of chicken with pistachio kernels.

Put the quenelles and the julienne into the soup-tureen, pour therein the boiling consommé, and send the profiterolles to the table separately, and very hot.

616 — Consommé Vert Pré

Sprinkle two tablespoonfuls of tapioca into one quart of boiling consommé, and set to cook gently for a quarter of an hour.

Put into the soup-tureen one tablespoonful of asparagus-heads, the same quantity of peas and of French beans cut into lozenges, a few roundels of sorrel leaves, and as many roundels of poached lettuce leaves.

Pour the boiling consommé, with tapioca, over this garnish, and add a large pinch of chervil pluches.

617 — Consommé Villeneuve

Have ready one quart of chicken consommé.

Prepare the following garnish:—Two small blanched lettuces, stuffed with chicken forcemeat combined with braised and chopped salted tongue; two dariole-moulds of ordinary royale, and two pancakes coated with a layer of chicken forcemeat, which should be placed in the front of the oven for a few moments with the view of poaching the forcemeat.

Put the cut-up lettuces, the pancakes cut into small, narrow lozenges, and the royale cut into pastils, into the soup-tureen; and, when about to serve, pour the boiling consommé over the whole.

Special Cold Consommé for Suppers

Remarks Relative to the Consommés.—I gave the recipes of these consommés in Part I. of this work (No. 6), and shall now, therefore, limit myself to the following remarks, which are of paramount importance:—

1. These consommés must be perfect in limpidness and quality.

2. The flavour which typifies them should be at once decided and yet not too pronounced.

3. When the flavour is imparted by a wine, the latter should be of the best possible quality. Rather than make use of inferior wines, the presence of which in the soup would tend to depreciate its quality, completely discard wine flavourings.

4. Supper consommés never contain any garnish.

618 — Consommé à l’Essence de Cailles

Use roast quails in the proportion of two for each pint of consommé; the fillets may be reserved for a cold entrée.

619 — Consommé à l’Essence de Céleri

It is impossible to state exactly how much celery should be used, the quantity being entirely subject to the more or less decided flavour of the vegetables at one’s disposal.

Experience alone can guide the operator in this matter.

620 — Consommé à l’Essence de Morilles

Allow five oz. of small fresh morels, or three oz. of dry ones per quart of the consommé. Pound them and mix them with the clarification.

621 — Consommé à l’Essence de Truffle

Use fresh truffles only in this case. Allow two oz. of peelings and trimmings per quart of the consommé; pound them and mix them with the clarification.

622 — Consommé au Fumet de Perdreau

Proceed as in No. 618; allow one partridge for each quart of the consommé.

623 — Consommé aux Paillettes D’Or

Take a very superior chicken consommé; add thereto, per quart, a glass of excellent liqueur brandy, and, in the same proportion, one gold-leaf cut into small spangles.

624 — Consommé aux Piments Doux

Add one-half oz. of fresh or preserved capsicum to every quart of the consommé. The product should be pounded and mixed with the clarification.

625 — Consommé à la Madrilène

Add four oz. of raw tomato and one oz. of capsicum to the consommé per every quart of the latter. Mix these ingredients with the clarification, and serve as cold as possible.

626 — Consommé à la Portugaise

Add to the consommé for every quart one-third pint of raw tomato purée and one-sixth pint of tomato juice. Cook with lid on for twenty minutes, taking care not to let it reach the boil; strain through muslin, pressing lightly the while, and season moderately with cayenne. Set to cool, and serve very cold.

627 — Consommés aux Vins

By adding a port wine glass full of the chosen wine to one pint of excellent cold chicken consommé, the following series of consommés may be made:—

Consommé au vin de Chypre.

Consommé au vin de Madère.

Consommé au vin de Malvoisie.

Consommé au vin de Marsala.

Consommé au vin de Porto doré.

Consommé au vin de Porto rose.

Consommé au vin de Samos.

Consommé au vin de Zucco.

628 — Gelee aux Pommes D’Amour

Proceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” and use that variety of small tomatoes which, in Provence, are called “Pommes d’amour.”

629 — Gelee de Volaille à la Napolitaine

Proceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” but finish it with one port wine-glassful of port or old Marsala per quart.

Thick Soups

In Part I., Chapter I., of this work I pointed out what thick soups consist of. I likewise touched upon the general rules which should be observed in the preparation of each class of these soups, and showed how most of them could, if necessary, be converted into and served as cullises, purées, bisques, veloutés, or creams. The principles governing these alterations are very simple, and after a moment’s reflection the operator will thoroughly grasp their import. Be this as it may, the reader will find the necessary directions at the end of each recipe that admits of various methods of preparation.

With regard to those recipes which are not followed by any directions of the sort referred to, and which I simply class under the name of Potages, these are unalterable preparations which may only be served in accordance with the directions given. This being clear, the reader will understand that I have refrained from repeating the quantities of butter, cream, thickening ingredients, &c., in each recipe. These particulars having been given in Part I., it will be necessary to refer to that part of the book for them.

630 — Purée de Carottes, Otherwise Crécy

Cut one lb. of the red part only of carrots into fine slices; chop one onion, and put the whole into a stewpan with a sprig of thyme and two oz. of butter. Stew gently for twenty minutes, and season with a pinch of salt and sugar. Add the thickening ingredient, i.e., either two oz. of rice or five and one-half oz. of bread dice fried in butter; also add one and one-half pints of white consommé, and set to cook very gently.

Rub through tammy, test the consistence, despumate, and add butter when dishing up.

Ordinary garnish: small bread dice fried in butter.

Occasional garnish: poached Japanese pearls in the proportion of two tablespoonfuls per quart of the soup.

631 — Purée de Carottes au Tapioca, Otherwise Velours

Make one pint of carrot purée as above, and poach two tablespoonfuls of tapioca in a pint of white consommé.

When about to serve, and after having buttered the purée of carrots, mix therewith the prepared tapioca.

632 — Purée de Céleri-Rave

Finely mince one lb. of celeriac; blanch it; thoroughly drain it, and stew it gently in one oz. of butter. Moisten with one quart of white consommé; add two medium-sized potatoes, minced, and set to cook gently. Rub through tammy; despumate the purée gently for half an hour, and add butter when dishing up.

Garnish: small bread dice fried in butter.

633 — Purée de Choux de Bruxelles, Otherwise Flamande

Parboil and drain one lb. of very fresh Brussels sprouts. Set them to stew gently in three oz. of butter; moisten with one pint of white consommé; for the leason add two medium-sized quartered potatoes, and complete the cooking.

Rub the whole through tammy, finish the purée with milk, despumate it in the usual way, and add butter when dishing up. Garnish with small bread dice fried in butter.

634 — Purée de Choux-Fleurs, Otherwise Dubarry

Parboil one lb. of cauliflower divided into bunches.

Drain them and put them in a saucepan with one pint of boiled milk and two medium-sized minced potatoes for the thickening. Set to cook gently, rub through tammy, finish with boiled milk, despumate, and add butter.

Garnish with small bread dice fried in butter.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream with small pieces of cauliflower as garnish.

635 — Purée de Crosnes, Otherwise Japonaise

Parboil and drain one lb. of well-cleaned stachys. Stew them in one oz. of butter; moisten with one pint of boiled milk or white consommé, according as to whether the purée is to be a Lenten one or not; add two medium-sized minced potatoes, and complete the cooking gently.

Rub through tammy, test the consistence, and add, if necessary, either a little boiled milk or some consommé; despumate, and add butter.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of Japanese pearls poached in consommé or milk.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

636 — Purée de Flageolets, Otherwise Musard

Cook together with the ordinary aromatic garnish three-quarters pint of dry flageolets, or, if they are in season, use twice that quantity of fresh ones.

Drain, pound, and moisten the purée with a little of the cooking-liquor of the flageolets, rub through tammy, and rectify the consistence with some white consommé and the necessary quantity of boiled milk. Despumate, and butter it when about to dish up.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of small bread dice fried in butter.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream, but for either of the latter it is preferable to use fresh flageolets, the garnish for both consisting of very small flageolets and chervil pluches.

637 — Purée de Haricots Blancs, Otherwise Soissonnaise

Cook in the usual way, that is to say, with carrots, a faggot, and one onion stuck with a clove, a good half-pint of dry haricot beans.

Crush all these, moisten with a few tablespoonfuls of their cooking-liquor, and rub through tammy.

Rectify the consistence of the purée with the necessary quantity of white consommé and milk, despumate, add butter when about to dish up, and garnish with small bread dice.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

638 — Purée de Haricots Verts, Otherwise Cormeilles

Parboil one and one-half lbs. of French beans and keep them very green. After having well drained them, stew them for ten or twelve minutes in one oz. of butter, moisten with one pint of white consommé, and add two medium-sized minced potatoes for the thickening.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of cooked French beans cut into narrow lozenges.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

639 — Purée de Haricots Rouges, Otherwise Condé

Put a heaped pint of red beans into cold water, set to boil slowly, skim, add three oz. of carrots, one small faggot, one onion stuck with a clove, and a bottleful of boiling red wine. Set to cook gently.

Drain the beans and crush them in a mortar. Moisten the purée with a few tablespoonfuls of the cooking-liquor of the beans, rub through tammy, rectify the consistence of the purée with some white consommé, follow the procedure of all purées, and add butter when about to serve.

Garnish with bread dice fried in butter.

640 — Purée de Lentilles, Otherwise Conti

Soak three-quarters of a pint of lentils in lukewarm water for two hours. Put them in a stewpan with two oz. of very lean breast of bacon, blanched, cooled, and cut into dice, and one quart of white consommé. Set to boil, skim, add three oz. of carrots, one onion, and one faggot, and cook very gently.

Drain the lentils, pound them together with the bacon, moisten the purée with a few tablespoonfuls of cooking-liquor, and rub through tammy. Rectify the consistence with some reserved cooking-liquor, then treat the purée in the usual way and add butter when about to serve.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of bread dice fried in butter and a pinch of chervil pluches.

N.B.—It should be borne in mind that the aromatic garnish used in cooking dry vegetables of what kind soever should be withdrawn before pounding the latter, that they may be rubbed through tammy.

641 — Purée de Navets, Otherwise Freneuse

Finely mince one lb. of very firm turnips, parboil, drain, and stew them in one and one-half oz. of butter, the necessary salt, and one-half oz. of sugar, until they are almost completely cooked. Moisten with one-half pint of white consommé, and complete the cooking. Meantime, cook two medium-sized, peeled and quartered potatoes in some consommé.

Now put the turnips and the potato into the same stewpan; crush them, and rub them through tammy. Bring the purée to the proper consistence by means of boiled milk, and finish it in the usual way.

Garnish with some small bread dice fried in butter.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

642 — Purée D’Oseille et de Vermicelle à la Crème

Sprinkle three oz. of well-separated vermicelli into one pint of boiling milk or white consommé (according as to whether the preparation be a Lenten one or not). Let the vermicelli poach gently for twenty-five minutes, and then add four tablespoonfuls of sorrel cooked in butter.

Rub the whole through tammy; finish the purée with sufficient milk or thin cream; heat until the boil is reached, and, when about to serve, complete by means of a leason composed of the yolks of two eggs and one-quarter pint of very fresh cream.

For the garnish, refer to the remarks under No. 646.

643 — Purée D’Oseille et de Sagou à la Crème

Proceed exactly as directed in the preceding recipe; but instead of vermicelli use three oz. of sago. Allow the usual time for cooking, and add the same quantity of sorrel cooked in butter.

Use the same quantities of milk or consommé in order to bring the purée to the proper consistence, and make use of a precisely similar leason.

644 — Purée D’Oseille et de Semoule à la Crème

The same as the above, but use three oz. of semolina. All other particulars remain the same.

645 — Purée D’Oseille et de Tapioca à la Crème

Procedure like that of No. 642, using instead of the vermicelli three oz. of tapioca.

646 — Remarks Relative to the Possible Variations of the Four Preceding Recipes

A large variety of this kind of soups may be prepared by using the quantity prescribed of salep, buckwheat, oatmeal, barley-meal, &c.

The chief point to be remembered in their preparation is their consistence, which should be that of a thin cream.

When too thick, these soups are pasty and disagreeable; when too thin, they are insipid; hence the desirability of aiming at a happy medium.

Their garnish is exceedingly variable, the more preferable forms being small bread dice fried in clarified butter, pressed; peeled tomatoes cut into dice and tossed in butter; small printaniers, brunoises, juliennes, paysannes, or well-poached rice.

Thus, from the typical recipe of these soups, a whole series may be prepared, which need not be gone into separately here.

647 — Purée de Pois aux Croûtons

Wash three-quarters of a pint of split peas in cold water and put them into a stewpan with one quart of cold water, a little salt, and one-half lb. of raw ham. Set to boil, skim, and add two oz. of mirepoix, the minced green leaves of three leeks, a fragment of thyme and bay, salt, and one-half oz. of sugar. Set to cook very gently.

Rub through tammy, bring the purée to the proper consistence by means of white consommé, despumate it sufficiently, and add butter to it when dishing up.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of small bread dice fried in butter.

648 — Purée de Pois Frais, Otherwise Saint-Germain

The two following methods may be employed, viz.:—

(1) Cook quickly one and one-quarter pints of fresh peas, just shelled, in boiling, salted water. Drain them, pound them in a mortar, moisten the purée with one pint of white consommé, and rub it through tammy. Bring it to the proper degree of heat, and add butter when about to serve. Prepared in this way, the purée should be of a perfect shade.

(2) Stew one and one-quarter pints of fresh peas in one and one-half oz. of butter, a little lettuce chiffonade, one and one-half oz. of the green part of leeks, a pinch of chervil, a little salt and sugar, and one-seventh pint of water.

Pound the peas as soon as they are cooked, moisten the purée with one pint of white consommé, and rub through tammy. Bring the preparation to the proper degree of heat and add butter at the last moment.

Garnish, in both cases, with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of very green, fine peas, and some chervil pluches. This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

649 — Purée de Pois Frais à la Menthe

Make the purée according to one of the above-mentioned methods, and add to the peas, while cooking, a faggot consisting of three little sprigs of fresh mint. Finish with consommé, and add butter in the usual way.

Garnish with nice peas, as above, and some very tender mint-leaves, chopped, instead of the chervil pluches.

Remarks Relative to those Soups which have a Purée of Peas for Base.—A large number of soups may be made from purées of fresh peas; among others I may mention the following, with brief directions as to their constituents and garnish, viz.:—

650 — Potage Ambassadeurs

Purée of fresh peas, quite ready for soup; finish with a small tablespoonful of sorrel and lettuce chiffonade, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice per quart of purée.

651 — Potage Camelia

Prepare this after the recipe of potage Lamballe; finish with one tablespoonful of a julienne of the white of a leek and one tablespoonful of white chicken meat, cut julienne-fashion, per quart of the soup.

652 — Potage Fontanges

Purée of fresh peas ready for soup; add two tablespoonfuls of a chiffonade of sorrel and a pinch of chervil pluches per quart of the purée, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice.

653 — Potage Lamballe

Half of this consists of a finished purée of peas, and the other half of tapioca poached in consommé as for the ordinary “potage au tapioca.”

654 — Potage Longchamps

This is the “potage Fontange,” kept somewhat clear, and with a garnish composed of one and one-half oz. of vermicelli, poached in consommé, and a pinch of chervil pluches per quart of the soup.

655 — Potage Marigny

Proceed as for “potage Fontange,” and add a garnish of one tablespoonful of peas and one tablespoonful of fine French beans cut into lozenges.

656 — Potage Marcilly

Half of this consists of a purée of peas and the other half of a purée of chicken. Prepare these purées in the usual way and mix them together when about to serve.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of Japanese pearls poached in consommé and twelve small quenelles of chicken forcemeat, in the shape of pearls, per quart of the soup.

657 — Potage Saint-Marceau

This is an ordinary purée of peas with butter, combined with two tablespoonfuls of a julienne consisting of the white of a leek and some chervil pluches per quart of the purée. This list could be considerably lengthened, but what there is of it amply suffices to show the great number of soups that may be obtained from the combination of other suitable products with the purée of peas and the modification of the garnish in each case.

658 — Purée de Pommes de Terre, Otherwise Parmentier

Finely mince the white of two medium-sized leeks, and fry them without colouration in one oz. of butter. Add three medium-sized peeled and quartered potatoes, one pint of white consommé, and cook quickly. The moment the potatoes seem soft to the touch crush them and rub them through tammy.

Finish the purée with some boiled milk or thin cream, heat until the boil is reached, and add butter when dishing up.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of small bread dice fried in butter and some chervil pluches.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

659 — Purée de Tomates, Otherwise Portugaise

Fry in one oz. of butter a somewhat finely-cut mirepoix consisting of one oz. of breast of bacon cut into dice, one-third of a carrot, half an onion, a fragment of thyme and bay. Add to this fried mirepoix eight medium-sized tomatoes, pressed and cut into pieces the size of a clove of garlic, a pinch of sugar, two and one-half oz. of rice, and one pint of white consommé. Set to cook gently, rub through tammy, and finish with the necessary quantity of consommé.

When about to serve complete the purée by adding thereto, away from the fire, two oz. of butter.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of poached rice, each grain being separate, and the same quantity of peeled tomatoes cut into dice and briskly tossed in butter.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

660 — Purée de Tomates au Tapioca, Otherwise Waldèze

Prepare one and one-half pints of tapioca in white consommé, and keep it a little lighter than ordinary tapioca. Also press, peel, and cut into dice the pulp of three medium-sized, very red tomatoes; poach these dice in some consommé and mix them with the tapioca.

Or, failing fresh tomatoes, add to the tapioca two tablespoonfuls of concentrated tomato purée diluted in a bowl with some white consommé.

Send two oz. of grated cheese to the table separately.

661 — Purée de Topinambour, Otherwise Palestine

Finely mince two lbs. of Jerusalem artichokes and stew them in one oz. of butter. Add five torrefied and crushed filberts, moistened with one pint of white consommé, and set to cook gently. Rub through tammy; finish the purée with one-quarter pint of milk, in which one tablespoonful of fecula has been diluted, cold. Set to boil and add butter when dishing up.

Garnish with small bread dice fried in butter.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

662 — Bisque D’Écrevisses

(1) Cut into very small dice one oz. of carrot, one oz. of onion, and two parsley stalks. Add a fragment of thyme and bay; brown this mirepoix with butter, in a sautépan; throw in fifteen crayfish for “Bisque” (their average weight being about one and one-third oz.), and toss them in the mirepoix until they acquire a very red colour. Sprinkle with two tablespoonfuls of burnt brandy and one-quarter pint of white wine, season with a large pinch of salt and a pinch of ground pepper, and set to reduce.

This done, moisten with one-quarter pint of white consommé and leave to cook for ten minutes.

(2) Shell the crayfishes’ tails and put them aside; also reserve eight carapaces. Drain the crayfishes of all their cooking-liquor; finely pound them and their remains and the mirepoix. Add the rice, properly cooked, and the cooking-liquor of the crayfish, and rub through a sieve, first, and then through tammy.

Add to the resulting purée one-half pint of white consommé, set to boil, wielding a whisk the while, pass through a strainer, and then keep the preparation in a bain-marie, taking care to place a few lumps of butter on its surface lest a skin should form while the bisque is waiting to be served.

Finish the preparation when dishing up with two and one-half oz. of butter, three tablespoonfuls of excellent thick cream, and a very little cayenne.

Garnish with the crayfish tails cut into dice, and the eight carapaces stuffed with a fish forcemeat with cream and poached seven or eight minutes previously.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

663 — Bisque de Homard

After substituting for the crayfish a raw lobster weighing three lbs., cut into small sections, the procedure is the same as that of No. 662. It is only necessary, therefore, to refer to that recipe for all particulars relating to preparation and quantities.

Garnish with the meat taken from the tail; this should have been kept aside and cut into small dice.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

664 — Bisque de Crevettes

The mode of procedure for this bisque, the mirepoix, the thickening ingredients, the moistening, and the finishing of the soup are identical with those of No. 662.

All that is needed, therefore, is to substitute for the crayfish two lbs. of raw shrimps.

Instead of using ordinary butter in finishing this bisque, use three oz. of shrimp butter. Garnish with twenty-five reserved tails, these being shelled and trimmed.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

665 — Coulis de Gibier, Otherwise au Chasseur

Prepare six oz. of the meat of a wild rabbit, six oz. of that of a partridge, and six oz. of that of a pheasant. These meats should be roasted and their roast-cases swilled with a liqueur-glass of burnt brandy. The resulting gravy should be added to the soup.

Now finely pound these meats together with one-half pint of cooked and drained lentils. When the whole has become a smooth purée add the cooking-liquor of the lentils and the swillings referred to above and rub through tammy.

Finish the cullis with the necessary quantity of consommé, heat it, and pass it through a strainer. Add butter at the last moment and season moderately.

Garnish with three tablespoonfuls of small, very fresh mushrooms; these to be finely minced and tossed in butter.

666 — Coulis de Grives au Pain Noir, Otherwise à l’Ardennaise

Fry four fine thrushes in butter and complete their cooking in one pint of feathered game consommé containing five oz. of rye-bread dice fried in butter. These dice constitute in this case the thickening element of the soup. Remove and put aside the thrushes’ fillets, finely pound the carcasses together with two juniper-berries, add the leason of bread dice, and rub through tammy.

Add to the resulting purée one-quarter pint of feathered-game consommé, set to boil, and pass through a strainer. Finish the cullis with two and one-half oz. of butter and four tablespoonfuls of cream.

Garnish with the reserved fillets cut into thin slices or into a julienne.

667 — Coulis de Grouse Ou de Gelinotte à l’Ancienne

Proceed as in No. 666 in so far as the preparatory details and the quantities are concerned, but take note of the following changes in other directions:—

(1) Substitute for the thrushes two grouse or two hazel-hens, taking care to discard the legs and the carcasses.

(2) Use ordinary bread dice instead of those of rye-bread.

668 — Coulis de Lapereau au Currie

Cut the legs of a young wild rabbit into small pieces, stiffen these in butter, and put them into the stewpan with a few roundels of carrot and onion, one small faggot of parsley and celery, and one quart of white consommé. Set to cook gently.

Also lightly brown in butter two tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, besprinkle with one-half tablespoonful of fecula and a sufficient quantity of curry, moisten with the strained cooking-liquor of the pieces of rabbit, bring to the boil, and set to simmer for seven or eight minutes. Rub through tammy and then despumate for twenty minutes, adding from time to time one or two tablespoonfuls of consommé with the view of promoting the clarification of the cullis. When about to serve finish the latter with three or four tablespoonfuls of cream.

Garnish with eighteen very small slices taken from the pieces of rabbit and two oz. of rice à l’Indienne, serving the latter separately.

669 — Coulis de Perdreau à la Purée de Marrons, Otherwise à la Mancelle

Split the shells of fifteen fine chestnuts, put them in a stewpan with water, boil them for five minutes, and shell and peel them quickly while they are still very hot. Then cook them gently in one-half pint of white consommé with one-third of a stick of celery, minced, and one piece of loaf-sugar.

Poële a partridge, remove the fillets for the purpose of garnish, bone the rest, and pound it finely together with the carcass and the poëling liquor. Add the chestnuts, pound the whole, and add some consommé to the resulting purée with the object of facilitating the rubbing through tammy. This done, add to the preparation about one-quarter pint of very clear game stock, bring the whole to the boil, pass it through a strainer, and finish the cullis, when dishing up, with a very little cayenne and one and one-half oz. of butter.

Garnish with the fillets of partridge cut into a small julienne.

670 — Coulis de Volaille, Otherwise à la Reine

Poach in one quart of white consommé a cleaned fowl weighing about three lbs. and two oz. of rice previously blanched. Having cooked the fowl, withdraw it, raise its fillets, and put them aside. Bone the remainder and finely pound the meat. When the latter is a smooth paste mix therewith the rice, which should be very well cooked, add the necessary amount of white consommé to the purée, and rub through tammy. Bring the cullis to the boil and pass it through a fine strainer.

Finish the preparation, when dishing up, with a leason composed of the yolks of three eggs, one-sixth pint of cream, and three oz. of butter.

Garnish with the reserved fillets cut into small, regular dice.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.

671 — Velouté Agnès Sorel

(1) Prepare one and one-half pints of poultry velouté, keeping it somewhat thin.

(2) Clean, wash, peel, and quickly pound eight oz. of very fresh mushrooms, newly gathered if possible.

Rub through a fine sieve, and add the resulting purée of raw mushrooms to the velouté. Bring the whole to the boil once or twice, and this done rub through tammy immediately. Finish with the leason and add butter when dishing up.

Garnish with one tablespoonful of a julienne of raw mushrooms tossed in butter, one tablespoonful of chicken fillets, and as much salted tongue, both of which should also be cut in julienne-fashion.

N.B.—With regard to veloutés I remind the reader that the velouté of ordinary consistence represents one-half of the soup, the purée typifying the latter represents one-quarter, while the consommé required to bring the soup to the correct degree of consistence should be in the proportion of the remaining quarter.

The leason, per quart of the soup, should consist of the yolks of three eggs and one-sixth pint of cream, while the average quantity of butter should measure about two and one-half oz. (see No. 242).

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

672 — Velouté de Blanchaille au Currie

Bear in mind that this soup ought to be made and served within the space of twenty minutes, for if it be left to stand for however short a time, it will most probably turn, in spite of every possible precaution.

Cook three oz. of finely chopped onion in butter without colouration, besprinkle with one-half coffeespoonful of curry, moisten with one and one-half pints of boiling water, add a faggot, a pinch of salt, a few sprigs of saffron (or a little of it powdered), and two oz. of Viennese bread.

Set to boil for ten minutes; this done add three-quarters lb. of very fresh Blanchailles, and cook over a brisk fire.

Rub through a hair-sieve, finish by means of a leason consisting of the yolks of three eggs and one-fifth pint of cream, and pour the whole into the soup-tureen over some dried slices of bread (buttered), over rice, or over some previously poached vermicelli. Serve at once.

673 — Velouté Carmélite

Prepare one and one-half pints of fish velouté, stew four oz. of fillets of sole and the same quantity of fillets of whiting in one and one-half oz. of butter and lemon juice. Pound the fish, add it to the velouté, and rub through tammy.

Add the necessary quantity of consommé, heat the velouté, and finish it, when about to serve, with a leason and butter.

Garnish with one tablespoonful of a julienne of poached fillets of sole and twelve small quenelles of smelt forcemeat.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

674 — Velouté aux Carottes, Otherwise Nivernaise

Cut into thin slices one lb. of the red part only of carrots, season with a pinch of table-salt and twice that amount of castor-sugar, and stew in one oz. of butter.

Add one pint of ordinary thin velouté and let the cooking of the carrots be completed therein. Rub through tammy, finish with one-half pint of white consommé, set to boil, and complete the preparation, when dishing up, with the leason and butter.

Garnish with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of a fine brunoise of the red part of carrots.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

675 — Velouté Comtesse

Prepare one pint of ordinary velouté, parboil one and one-half lbs. of white asparagus, and put them into the velouté. Complete the cooking gently. Rub through tammy, add one-half pint of white consommé, heat, and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with the leason and butter.

Garnish with one tablespoonful of a lettuce chiffonade and twelve small white asparagus-heads wherefrom all leaves have been removed.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

676 — Velouté au Concombres, Otherwise Danoise

Peel, remove the seeds from, mince, and stew in butter one lb. of parboil cucumber. Add this to one pint of ordinary velouté, which should have been prepared at the same time, and complete the cooking quickly. Rub through tammy, add the necessary quantity of white consommé, heat, and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with a leason and butter in the usual quantities.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

677 — Velouté Cressonière

After having slightly parboiled them, stew one lb. of very fresh watercress leaves in one and one-half oz. of butter, add them to one pint of ordinary velouté. Set to simmer for seven or eight minutes, rub through tammy, add one and one-half pints of ordinary white consommé, heat, and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with a leason and butter.

Garnish with one oz. of watercress leaves parboiled for three minutes.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

678 — Velouté Dame-Blanche

Prepare one and one-half pints of clear poultry velouté. Also finely pound ten or twelve well-washed sweet almonds, moisten them, little by little, with one-sixth pint of fresh water, and rub through a strong towel, twisting the latter to assist the process.

Add this almond milk to the velouté, and finish the latter, when dishing up, with the leason and butter.

Garnish with one tablespoonful of the white of a chicken cut into small dice, and twelve small quenelles of chicken forcemeat (in the shape of pearls) poached just before dishing up.

679 — Velouté D’Artois

Prepare one pint of ordinary velouté, and mix therewith one-half pint of a purée of haricot beans. Rub through tammy; add one-half pint of white consommé; heat, and finish the whole, when dishing up, with the leason and butter.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of an ordinary julienne and a pinch of chervil pluches.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

680 — Velouté D’Éperlans

Prepare a thin panada with one pint of boiled milk and two and one-half oz. of crumbled bread. Season with a pinch of salt and a very small quantity of mignonette. Also stew gently, in one oz. of butter, two tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, two and one-half oz. of fillets of smelt, one-half lb. of fillets of sole, or the meat of a dory, and the juice of the quarter of a lemon.

Rub through tammy; heat; season with a very little cayenne, and finish the whole, when dishing up, with an ordinary leason and one and one-half oz. of butter.

N.B.—1. In view of the decided flavour of the smelt, and the really disagreeable taste it imparts to a preparation which contains overmuch of it, its flesh should never exceed the proportion of one-third of the required quantity of fish. The remaining two-thirds should be supplied by a fish of neutral flavour, such as the sole or dory, both of which are admirably suited to this purpose.

2. The velouté d’éperlans should, like almost all fish veloutés, be prepared as quickly as possible, and at the last moment. The process should not last longer than thirty minutes, for, if there be any delay, the preparation will turn and lose its flavour.

3. For this soup I elected to use a panada as the thickening element, instead of a fish velouté, the reason being that, were the latter used, the taste of fish would in the end be too pronounced.

681 — Velouté D’Éperlans Joinville

Proceed in the matter of the base of the soup as in No. 680.

Finish the velouté with an ordinary leason and one and one-half oz. of shrimp butter.

Garnish with six crayfish tails, cut into four pieces, and one tablespoonful of a short julienne of truffles and mushrooms.

682 — Velouté D’Éperlans Princesse

The same as above, with twelve small quenelles of smelt forcemeat with crayfish butter, and one tablespoonful of very green asparagus-heads per quart of velouté.

683 — Velouté aux Grenouilles, Otherwise Sicilienne

Prepare one and one-half pints of delicate and rather thin fish velouté.

Trim fifteen or twenty frogs’ legs; toss them in butter without letting them acquire any colour, and set them to poach for ten minutes in two tablespoonfuls of white wine and the juice of a lemon. Pound them in a mortar; add the resulting purée to the velouté; set to simmer for seven or eight minutes, and rub through tammy.

Do not garnish this velouté.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

684 — Velouté de Homard, Otherwise Cardinal

Prepare one and three-quarter pints of bisque de homard (No. 663), but substitute velouté for the thickening with rice. Rub through tammy; heat, and complete, when dishing up, with two and one-half oz. of lobster butter and three-quarters oz. of red butter.

Garnish with two baba-moulds of a royale of lobster, cut by means of a fancy-cutter in the shape of a cross.

Shell-fish veloutés do not admit of an egg-yolk leason.

685 — Velouté de Homard a Cleveland

Break up two small live lobsters or one medium-sized one, and prepare it à l’Américaine (see “Lobster à l’Américaine”). Reserve a few slices of the meat for garnishing purposes. Finely pound the rest with the shell; combine the purée with one quart of ordinary velouté prepared beforehand, and add the lobster sauce. Rub through a sieve, first, then through tammy; heat without allowing to boil; add the required quantity of consommé, and once more pass the whole through a strainer.

Complete, when dishing up, with three oz. of best butter.

Garnish with one-half tablespoonful of peeled tomato pulp, cut into dice and half-melted in butter, and the reserved slices of lobster cut into dice.

686 — Velouté de Homard à l’Indienne

Prepare the lobster à l’Américaine as above, and flavour it with curry. Preserve a sufficient quantity of meat from the tail to afford an abundant garnish.

For the rest of the process proceed exactly as the preceding recipe directs.

Garnish with the reserved meat cut into dice, and four tablespoonfuls of rice à l’Indienne; send the latter to the table separately.

687 — Velouté de Homard à l’Orientale

Prepare a medium-sized lobster after the manner directed in “Homard à la Newburg with raw lobster” (see No. 948), and season with curry.

Reserve a few slices of the meat of the tail for the garnish; finely pound the remaining portions and the shell; add the lobster sauce, and combine the whole with one quart of ordinary velouté, kept somewhat light.

Rub through a sieve, first, then through tammy; heat the velouté without letting it boil; add the necessary quantity of consommé, and finish the preparation, when about to serve, with three oz. of butter.

Garnish with the reserved meat cut into dice, and two tablespoonfuls of rice à l’Indienne, each grain of which should be kept distinct and separate.

688 — Velouté de Homard au Paprika

Prepare a medium-sized lobster à l’Américaine, and, in addition to the usual ingredients of the preparation, include two concassed tomatoes and two roughly chopped onions. Season with paprika.

For the rest of the operation, proceed exactly as directed under “Velouté à la Cleveland.”

Garnish with lobster meat cut into dice, two tablespoonfuls of rice, and one tablespoonful of pimentos cut into dice.

689 — Velouté de Homard à la Persane

Proceed exactly as for “Velouté de Homard à l’Orientale.”

Garnish with lobster meat in dice, one tablespoonful of pimentos in dice, and two tablespoonfuls of pilaff rice, to which add a very little saffron.

Remarks relating to the Variation of these Veloutés.—By merely substituting an equivalent quantity of crayfish, shrimps, or crabs, for the lobster, the recipes dealing with veloutés of lobster, given above, may be applied to Veloutés of Crayfish, Shrimps, or Crabs.

It would therefore be pointless to repeat them, since all that is needed is to read crayfish, shrimps, or crabs wherever the word lobster appears.

Thus I shall only point out that the number of these veloutés may be increased at will, the only requisites being the change of the basic ingredient and the modification of the garnish.

690 — Velouté aux Huîtres

Prepare one quart of very delicate fish velouté, and bear in mind that the preparation must be made as speedily as possible. (See the remarks dealing with this question which follow upon the model recipe of the velouté d’éperlans.)

Garnish with four poached oysters (cleared of their beards) per each person.

691 — Velouté Isoline

Prepare one quart of poultry velouté. Complete it, when dishing up, with an ordinary leason and three oz. of crayfish butter.

Garnish with three tablespoonfuls of Japanese pearls poached in white consommé.

692 — Velouté Marie Louise

Prepare one pint of poultry velouté; mix therewith one-half pint of barley cream (No. 712), and rub through tammy. Add one-half pint of white consommé, and heat the velouté without letting it boil.

Finish it, when about to serve, with a leason and butter. Garnish with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of best macaroni, poached and cut into dice.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

693 — Velouté Marie Stuart

Prepare a poultry velouté with barley cream, as above. Finish it, when about to serve, with a leason and butter.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of a brunoise, and the same quantity of fine pearl barley cooked in white consommé.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

694 — Velouté au Pourpier

Proceed exactly as directed under “Velouté Cressonière” (No. 677), but substitute purslain for the watercress.

695 — Velouté à la Sultane

Prepare one quart of poultry velouté. Finish it, when dishing up, with a leason composed of the yolks of three eggs diluted with one-fifth pint of sweet-almond milk (made by pounding eighteen sweet almonds, mixing therewith one-fifth pint of water, and straining the whole through a twisted towel), and three oz. of pistachio butter. The velouté should be of a pale green shade.

Garnish with small crescents of chicken forcemeat prepared with crayfish butter, kept of a pink shade. These crescents should be laid, by means of a piping-bag, upon thin roundels of truffle, and poached in consommé.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream.

695a — Cold Chicken Velouté for Suppers

The preparation of these veloutés requires the utmost care, but, as a rule, they are very much liked.

Prepare a white roux from one oz. of butter and one and one-sixth oz. of flour per quart of the moistening. Dilute with some very strong clear consommé, thoroughly cleared of grease; boil, and despumate for one and one-half hours, adding meanwhile half as much consommé as served in the moistening of the velouté.

When the velouté is thoroughly despumated and entirely cleared of grease, strain it through a silk sieve, and add, per quart, one-quarter pint of very fresh thin cream. Cool, stirring incessantly the while; once more strain the velouté through the sieve when it is cold, and, if necessary, add some of the consommé already used, in order to give the velouté the consistence of a thickened consommé. Serve it in cups, and see that it be sufficiently thin to not impaste the mouth of the consumer.

This velouté is usually served as it stands, but it allows of various condimentary adjuncts. Such are:—Tomato and capsicum essences; crayfish, shrimp, or game creams. These creams or essences should be of consummate delicacy, and ought to lend only a very delicate flavour to the velouté.

696 — Crème D’Artichauts au Beurre de Noisette

Have ready one and one-half pints of Béchamel. Parboil, finely mince, and stew in butter four large artichoke-bottoms. Pound the latter; put them in the Béchamel, and rub the whole through tammy.

Add the necessary quantity of white consommé or milk, and set to heat without allowing to boil. Finish the preparation, when dishing up, with one-quarter pint of cream and one oz. of hazel-nut butter (No. 155).

Remarks relative to Creams.—I remind the reader here that (1) the thickening element of creams is a Béchamel prepared in the usual way (see No. 28); (2) in the preparation of a cream, of what kind soever, the Béchamel should constitute half of the whole, the basic ingredient a quarter, and the white consommé or milk the remaining quarter.

This class of soups is more particularly suited to Lenten menus.

697 — Crème D’Asperges, Otherwise Argenteuil

Parboil for five or six minutes one and one-half lbs. of Argenteuil asparagus, broken off at the spot where the hard part of the stalk begins. Drain them, and set them to complete their cooking gently in one and one-quarter pints of previously prepared Béchamel.

Rub through tammy; add the necessary quantity of white consommé, and heat without allowing to boil.

Finish with cream when dishing up.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of white asparagus-heads and a pinch of chervil pluches.

698 — Crème D’Asperges Vertes

Proceed exactly as for “Crème Argenteuil,” but substitute green asparagus for Argenteuil asparagus.

699 — Crème au Blé Vert, Otherwise Cérès

Put one lb. of dry, green wheat to soak in cold water for four hours. Then cook it slowly in one-half pint of water and as much white consommé. Mix therewith one and one-quarter pints of Béchamel and rub through tammy.

Add the necessary amount of white consommé to the purée; heat the whole without boiling, and finish it with cream when dishing up.

Garnish with a pinch of chervil pluches.

This soup may also be prepared as a purée or a velouté.

700 — Crème de Céleri

Mince one lb. of the white of celery; parboil for seven or eight minutes; drain, and stew in one oz. of butter. Mix one and one-quarter pints of Béchamel with it; complete the cooking slowly, and rub through tammy.

Add one-half pint of white consommé; heat without allowing to boil, and finish the preparation with cream when about to serve.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of a brunoise of celery.

This soup may also be prepared as a purée or a velouté.

701 — Crème de Cerfeuil Bulbeux, Otherwise Chevreuse

Mince and stew in butter one lb. of bulbous chervil, and mix therewith one and one-quarter pints of Béchamel. Complete the cooking slowly; rub through tammy; add sufficient white consommé; heat, and finish with cream when dishing up. Garnish with one tablespoonful of a fine julienne of chicken fillets and the same quantity of a julienne of truffles.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

702 — Crème de Chicorée de Bruxelles, Otherwise Bruxelloise

Take one lb. of very fresh chicory, and stew it for a good half-hour in one and one-half oz. of butter and the juice of one lemon.

Now mix one and one-quarter pints of Béchamel with it, and finish the cooking very slowly. Rub through tammy; add the necessary quantity of white consommé; heat, and complete with cream when serving.

Garnish with a julienne of Belgian chicory, stewed and well drained.

703 — Crème D’Épinards, Otherwise Florentine

Quickly parboil one lb. of shredded and well-washed spinach to which a little sorrel may be added; drain, press, and add thereto one and one-half pints of somewhat thin Béchamel. Complete the cooking; rub the whole through tammy, and finish it with the necessary amount of fresh cream.

Garnish with a julienne of spinach, quickly parboiled and stewed in butter.

704 — Crème de Fèves Nouvelles

Skin two-thirds lb. of new broad beans, freshly gathered, if possible. Cook them for ten minutes in boiling salted water containing a sprig of savory, and then add one and one-quarter pints of Béchamel. Complete the cooking of the broad beans in the Béchamel; rub through tammy; add one-half pint of white consommé or milk; heat without allowing to boil, and finish the preparation with cream when dishing up.

Garnish with very small skinned broad beans, split in two and parboiled with a sprig of savory.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

705 — Crème D’Ignames, Otherwise Brésilienne

Bake the yams in the oven, without peeling them. As soon as this is done, cut them in two, remove their pulp, and quickly rub the latter through a sieve while it is still hot. Dilute the purée with boiling milk or thin Béchamel in the proportion of one pint of the former and one-half pint of the latter per lb. of the purée. (This Béchamel should be made from one and one-half oz. of butter and one oz. of flour per quart of milk.)

Rub the whole through tammy, and finish the preparation in the usual way. Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of Brazilian pearls, poached in consommé.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

706 — Crème de Laitues, Otherwise Judic

Parboil and stew in butter two medium-sized ciseled lettuces, the greenest leaves of which should have been discarded. Add these to one and one-half pints of Béchamel.

Rub through tammy; add one pint of white consommé; heat, and finish as usual with cream.

Garnish with roundels of lettuce leaves, lightly coated with chicken forcemeat, a bit of truffle laid in their centre, and the whole poached at the last minute.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

707 — Crème de Maïs, Otherwise Washington

Cook some fresh maize in salted water (or use the preserved kind if the fresh is out of season), and combine therewith an equal quantity of thin Béchamel. Rub through tammy; heat, and finish with cream when dishing up.

Garnish with grains of maize cooked in salted water.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté by substituting for the Béchamel an excellent poultry velouté.

708 — Crème D’Oseille à l’Avoine

Pour one-quarter lb. of oatmeal diluted with one-half pint of cold milk into one quart of slightly salted boiling milk. Stir over the fire until the boil is reached; move the stewpan to the side of the fire, and simmer for two hours.

This done, add six tablespoonfuls of a fondue of sorrel and butter; set to simmer again for one-quarter hour, and rub the whole through tammy.

Complete the operation after the manner common to all creams.

709 — Crème D’Oseille à l’Orge

Proceed exactly as for No. 708, using the same quantities, but substituting barley-meal for oatmeal.

Remarks upon the Two above Creams.—They may also be prepared as veloutés. Their garnish may be greatly varied, and may consist of chiffonade of lettuce and sorrel; pressed peeled tomatoes, cut into dice and cooked in butter; poached rice or pastes (i.e., vermicelli, &c.); fine well-cooked pearl barley; brunoise; small printaniers, &c.

They belong, in fact, to the same order of soups as the purées of sorrel with pastes, the recipes of which were given earlier in the chapter.

710 — Crème D’Oxalis

Peel and slice the oxalis roots, and half-cook them in salted water. Drain, add it to one and one-half pints of Béchamel, and complete its cooking gently in the sauce.

Rub through tammy; add one-half pint of white consommé, and finish after the manner of other creams. Garnish with chervil pluches.

This soup may also be prepared as a purée or a velouté.

711 — Crème de Riz

Wash one-half lb. of rice in cold water; blanch it; cool it, and cook it very gently in one quart of white consommé. Crush in the mortar; rub through tammy, and dilute the rice purée with one pint of white consommé. Heat and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with the necessary quantity of cream.

Or pour four tablespoonfuls of rice cream, diluted with one-half pint of cold milk, into three pints of boiling milk; set to boil, stirring the while, and leave to cook very gently for twenty-five minutes. Rub through tammy, and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with the required quantity of cream.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

712 — Crème D’Orge

Wash three-quarters lb. of coarse pearl barley in lukewarm water, and cook it gently for about two and one-half hours in one pint of white consommé containing one piece of the white part of a stick of celery.

Crush in a mortar; rub through tammy; dilute the purée of barley with one pint of white consommé; heat, and finish the preparation, when dishing up, with the necessary quantity of cream.

This soup may also be prepared with barley-meal, the procedure in that case being the same as that of the “Crème de Riz” above.

Garnish with very fine, well-cooked pearl barley.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

713 — Crème de Volaille Princesse

Mix one and one-half pints of thin Béchamel with one-half pint of chicken purée. Rub through tammy; add one-half pint of white consommé to the preparation, or the same quantity of boiled milk; heat without allowing to boil, and finish with cream when dishing up.

Garnish with twenty very small slices of chicken fillets, white asparagus-heads, and chervil pluches.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

714 — Crème Reine-Margot

Mix one-half pint of chicken purée with one pint of thin Béchamel. Rub through tammy; add one and one-half pints of white consommé and one-quarter pint of almond milk (No. 678). Heat without allowing to boil, and finish with cream.

Garnish with very small grooved quenelles of chicken forcemeat combined with one oz. of pistachio purée per three oz. of forcemeat.

This soup may also be prepared as a velouté.

715 — Potage à l’Aurore

Wash one-quarter lb. of fine pearl barley in plenty of water. Put it into a stewpan with one quart of consommé, as much water, a faggot comprising parsley, celery, and chervil, and set to cook very gently for five hours. While the cooking progresses, take care to remove all the skin which forms on the surface, in order that the cooking-liquor may remain very clear.

When the barley is well cooked, transfer it to another stewpan, and add to it four tablespoonfuls of a thick and very red tomato purée, strained through muslin, and two tablespoonfuls of celery, minced in paysanne-fashion, stewed in butter, and finally cooked in consommé.

This excellent soup should not be made too thick.

716 — Potage Bagration Gras

Cut two-thirds lb. of very white fillet of veal into large dice, and stiffen these in butter without letting them acquire any colour. Add one and one-quarter pints of thin velouté with a veal base, and set to cook very gently.

Finely pound the veal; dilute the purée with velouté, and rub through tammy. Add one pint of white consommé; heat without boiling, and complete the preparation, when dishing up, with a leason of the yolks of three eggs diluted with four tablespoonfuls of cream and two oz. of butter.

Garnish with thin macaroni cut into short lengths, and send some grated cheese to the table separately.

717 — Potage Bagration Maigre

Prepare one and one-half pints of fresh velouté, and mix therewith one-quarter pint of mushroom velouté. (For making this, see “Velouté Agnès Sorel,” No. 671.)

Heat without boiling; pass through a strainer, and finish, when about to serve, with the same leason as for ordinary velouté, and two and one-half oz. of butter. Garnish with one fillet of sole, poached very white, and cut into a julienne; twelve small quenelles of sole or whiting forcemeat finished with crayfish butter, and six crayfishes’ tails cut into small pieces.

718 — Potage Choiseul

Prepare a “purée Conti” (No. 640) with an excellent fumet of game.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of sorrel, ciseled and cooked in butter, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice.

719 — Potage Compiègne

Prepare a light “Purée Soissonnaise”; butter it well, and add thereto as garnish three tablespoonfuls of ciseled sorrel cooked in butter, and chervil pluches.

720 — Potage Derby

Add one-half pint of Soubise purée (No. 104) to one pint of “Crème de Riz” (No. 711) flavoured with a very little curry. Rub the whole through tammy.

Add one-half pint of white consommé, and heat without boiling. Complete, when about to serve, with an ordinary leason and three oz. of butter.

Garnish with twelve small quenelles of chicken forcemeat combined with one-third of its volume of foie-gras purée, one tablespoonful of little truffle pearls, and an equal quantity of poached rice, each grain of which must be kept distinct and separate.

721 — Potage à la Diane

Cook one-half lb. of lentils with the usual garnish. Roast two medium-sized partridges, keeping them slightly underdone, and remove their fillets. Complete the cooking of the partridges with the lentils, drained of their cooking-liquor, in one pint of game consommé.

Prepare a royale (No. 209) with the reserved fillets.

When the birds are cooked, bone them; pound their meat, and add thereto the lentils and the cooking-liquor; rub through tammy.

Finish the purée with one and one-half pints of excellent thin game stock, and complete the soup, when dishing up, with two oz. of butter and two tablespoonfuls of reduced Madeira.

Garnish with the royale, cut into small regular crescents, and twelve small crescents of very black truffle.

722 — Potage Elisa

Prepare one and one-half pints of poultry velouté, and rub it through tammy. Complete with one-half pint of white consommé; heat without boiling, and finish, when dishing up, with an ordinary leason, two and one-half oz. of butter, and two tablespoonfuls of a fondue of sorrel.

723 — Potage Favori

Prepare one pint of a velouté of green asparagus; one-half pint of a velouté of lettuce, and one-half pint of poultry velouté. Put all three into a stewpan; add thereto the necessary quantity of white consommé to bring the soup to the correct degree of consistence; heat without boiling, and pass through a strainer.

Finish the soup, when dishing up, with an ordinary leason and two oz. of butter. Garnish with one tablespoonful of a chiffonade of sorrel, and one tablespoonful of green asparagus-heads.

724 — Potage Germiny

Cisel and melt in butter three oz. of shredded sorrel, and add thereto one and one-half pints of white consommé. A few minutes before serving, pour into the consommé a leason composed of the yolks of six eggs diluted with one-quarter pint of cream; set on the fire and stir, after the manner of an English custard, i.e., until the preparation begins to show signs of boiling.

Finish, away from the fire, with two and one-half oz. of butter, and add a pinch of chervil pluches.

Instead of the ordinary white consommé, which is used in its preparation, a consommé may be used in which such vegetables as carrots, turnips, peas, &c., are cooked, the latter being reserved for the garnish, while the cooking-liquor is thickened with egg-yolks and cream in accordance with the quantities and directions given in the above recipe.

A carrot cream, a cream of fresh peas, or of asparagus-heads, prepared in this way, would be much more delicate than those prepared after the ordinary recipes.

The essential point in this series of soups is the leason; this should consist of enough egg-yolks to render the preparations sufficiently thick and creamy.

725 — Potage aux Herbes

Cut two oz. of sorrel leaves into a julienne, and stew them in butter with one oz. of watercress leaves, one oz. of chervil pluches, and young pimpernel. Add one and one-half pints of water, the necessary salt, three medium-sized, peeled, and quartered potatoes, and cook gently.

Drain and reserve the cooking-liquor; crush the potatoes; dilute the purée with the cooking-liquor, and rub through tammy. Set to boil, and finish, when dishing up, with three oz. of Printanier butter with herbs, combined with a few leaves of sweet basil.

Add a pinch of chervil pluches.

726 — Potage Jubilee, Otherwise Balvet

Prepare, according to the directions given (No. 648), one and one-half pints of a purée of fresh peas, and add thereto one-half pint of consommé of “La Petite Marmite.” Set to boil, and finish with two oz. of butter.

Garnish with the vegetables from the Marmite, prepared as for Croûte au Pot.

727 — Potage Longchamps

Refer to the derivative soups of the “Purée de Pois” (No. 654).

728 — Potage Lavallière

Prepare one and one-half pints of “Crème de Volaille” (No. 713), finished with a leason of egg-yolks and cream; also two-thirds pint of “Crème de Céleri,” similarly finished, and combine the two creams.

Garnish with twelve small profiterolles, stuffed with chicken forcemeat, and a royale of celery in dice.

729 — Potage Madeleine

Prepare and combine the following purées:—One-third pint of artichoke purée, one-fifth pint of haricot-bean purée, one-seventh pint of Soubise purée. Add one pint of white consommé; set to boil; pass through a strainer, and finish, when dishing up, with two oz. of butter.

Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of sago poached in one-half pint of white consommé.

730 — Potage Miss Betsy

Proceed exactly as for “Potage à l’Aurore” (No. 715), but (1) flavour potage Miss Betsy with curry; (2) substitute for the celery peeled, cored apples cut into dice and cooked in butter.

N.B.—Both these soups (Aurore and Miss Betsy) are subject to much variation. All that is needed is to alter the flavouring element and the garnish. Thus the quantity of tomato may be reduced by half, and combined with one-quarter lb. of peas and their cooking-liquor (the peas in this case being cooked in one pint of water with a little salt and sugar); or with the same quantity of French beans, asparagus-heads, or sorrel cooked in butter, &c.

731 — Potage Montespan

Add one-half pint of somewhat thick tapioca to one and one-half pints of “Crème d’Asperges” (No. 697), prepared as directed. Garnish with very fine peas cooked in the English fashion.

732 — Potage Nélusko

Mix one and one-half pints of rather liquid poultry velouté with one-half pint of chicken purée. When serving, add an ordinary leason, and finish with two and one-half oz. of hazel-nut butter.

Garnish with very small quenelles of chicken forcemeat combined with one tablespoonful of hazel-nut powder per three oz. of the forcemeat.

733 — Potage Petit Duc

Take a fine woodcock; raise and reserve one of its fillets, and roast it, taking care to keep it very underdone. Then remove the other fillet, and with it prepare two dariole-moulds of royale (No. 209). Finely pound what remains of the woodcock, and combine with the resulting purée one and one-half pints of game velouté prepared with essence of woodcock. Cover the stewpan and place it in the bain-marie for thirty-five minutes. Now rub the whole through tammy; heat without boiling, and finish, when dishing up, with one and one-half oz. of butter, one and one-half oz. of cooked foie-gras purée, diluted with a few tablespoonfuls of the soup, one and one-half tablespoonfuls of cream, and one and one-half tablespoonfuls of burnt liqueur brandy.

Garnish with the royale cut into dice, and the reserved fillet of woodcock, stiffened in butter at the last moment, and cut into thin slices.

734 — Potage Régence

Prepare one quart of barley cream in accordance with the directions under No. 712. Finish it, when dishing up, with an ordinary leason and one and one-half oz. of crayfish butter.

Garnish with twelve small, grooved quenelles of chicken forcemeat finished with crayfish butter; one tablespoonful of small pearl barley, well cooked; and six small cocks’ combs, freshly poached and very white.

735 — Potage Rossolnik

Prepare (1) one quart of light, poultry velouté combined with cucumber juice; (2) ten pieces of parsley root and the same quantity of celery root, turned to the shape of small, new carrots, and split crosswise at their base; (3) twenty small lozenges of salted cucumber.

Parboil the roots and the cucumber lozenges for fifteen minutes, and add them to the velouté when about to cook the latter. Cook the whole gently for forty minutes, despumating the velouté the while. Finish with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of cucumber juice, and an ordinary leason.

Garnish with small chicken-forcemeat quenelles.

736 — Potage de Santé

Cook quickly, in salted water, three medium-sized, peeled, and quartered potatoes. When their pulps seem soft to the touch, drain them; rub them through a fine sieve, and dilute the resulting purée with one and one-half pints of white consommé. Add two tablespoonfuls of sorrel melted in butter, and finish the preparation with an ordinary leason and one oz. of butter.

737 — Potage Sigurd

Prepare one pint of “Velouté Parmentier” and one pint of tomato velouté. Combine the two; heat, and finish, when dishing up, with two and one-half oz. of butter.

Garnish with twenty small quenelles of chicken forcemeat, combined with one coffeespoonful of chopped capsicum, or capsicum in dice, per three oz. of the forcemeat.

738 — Potage Solferino

Mince the white of two leeks, the third of a medium-sized carrot, and half an onion, and stew the whole in one and one-half oz. of butter. Add one-half lb. of pressed tomatoes cut into pieces, two medium-sized, peeled potatoes, minced; moisten with two-thirds pint of white consommé, and cook gently. Crush the vegetables; rub them through tammy; complete the purée with the necessary quantity of white consommé; set to boil, and finish, when dishing up, with two and one-half oz. of butter.

Garnish with twelve little balls of potato, raised by means of the spoon-cutter, and cooked in salted water; two tablespoonfuls of French beans cut into lozenges; and some chervil pluches.

739 — Potage Viviane

Prepare one quart of “Crème de Volaille” (No. 713), and finish it with the usual leason. Garnish with one tablespoonful of artichoke-bottom, cut into dice, the same quantity of carrot dice, both gently cooked in butter, and one tablespoonful of truffle dice.

740 — Potage Windsor

Blanch and cool one small, boned calf’s foot, and cook it gently in a good white-wine mirepoix. Prepare one and one-half pints of “Crème de Riz” (No. 711), and add thereto the cooking-liquor of the calf’s foot, strained through muslin.

Finish this cream, when about to serve, with an ordinary leason, one and one-half tablespoonfuls of a slight infusion of turtle-soup herbs, and one and one-half oz. of butter.

Garnish with a julienne of half of the calf’s foot and twenty small quenelles consisting of a purée of hard-boiled egg-yolks and chicken forcemeat, these two preparations being in the proportion of two-thirds and one-third respectively.

741 — Soupe aux Abatis de Volaille à l’Anglaise

Cut the necks into three, the gizzards into four, and the pinions into two. Brown one-half lb. of these giblets in a thick-bottomed stewpan with one oz. of butter. Sprinkle with one tablespoonful of flour; slightly colour the latter, and moisten with one quart of white consommé and one pint of water. Add a faggot containing one stick of celery, and set to cook gently for three hours.

When the pieces of giblets are cooked, drain them, trim them, and put them into a stewpan with one dessertspoonful of parboiled rice and a heaped tablespoonful of the white of celery, minced and fried in butter. Strain the cooking-liquor of the giblets, through a strainer, over the enumerated garnishes; set to cook gently for another quarter of an hour; season strongly with pepper, and serve.

742 — Soupe aux Cerises

Stone two-thirds lb. of small, fleshy cherries, and put twenty aside for garnishing purposes. Put the others into a sugar-boiler with two-thirds pint of hot water, a small strip of lemon rind, and a fragment of cinnamon, and set to boil quickly for eight minutes.

Also boil in another sugar-boiler one-half pint of Port or Bordeaux wine. Crush half of the cherry-stones in the mortar; put them into the boiled wine, and let them infuse, away from the fire.

Rub the cooked cherries through a fine sieve; dilute the purée with the juice thickened by means of one tablespoonful of fecula moistened with cold water; add the cherries put aside for the garnish, and one-half tablespoonful of castor sugar, and again set to boil for four minutes.

Complete the preparation with the infusion strained through muslin; pour it into the soup-tureen, and add a few biscottes.

For the sake of variety, lady’s-finger biscuits may be substituted for the biscottes.

743 — Cocky-Leeki Soup

Set half a fowl to cook very gently in one and one-half pints of light and clear veal stock with a few aromatics.

Also prepare a julienne of the white of three leeks; stew this in butter without colouration, and complete the cooking thereof in the cooking-liquor of the fowl, strained and poured carefully away.

Serve some stewed prunes separately, but this is optional.

744 — Soupe aux Foies de Volaille

Make a roux from one and one-half oz. of butter and as much flour. When it has acquired a nice, light-brown colour, moisten it with one quart of white consommé or brown stock, and set to boil, stirring the while.

Add one-half lb. of raw chickens’ livers rubbed through a sieve, and set to cook for fifteen minutes. Rub the whole through tammy; season strongly with pepper; heat, and complete the preparation, at the last moment, with one-quarter lb. of sliced chickens’ livers, tossed in butter, and one wineglass of good Madeira.

745 — Soupe Julienne Darblay

Cook quickly in salted water two small, peeled, and quartered potatoes. Drain them, rub them through a fine sieve, and dilute the purée with one and one-half pints of white consommé. Add three tablespoonfuls of a julienne made in accordance with the above recipe; heat, and finish the preparation with an ordinary leason and one and one-half oz. of butter.

746 — Minestrone

Brown the minced white of two small leeks and one-third of an onion, also minced, in one oz. of chopped, fresh breast of bacon, and one-half oz. of grated, fat bacon. Moisten with one and one-half pints of white consommé, and add one-third of a carrot, one-third of a turnip, half a stick of celery, two oz. of small cabbage, and one small potato, or one-half of a medium-sized one, all of which vegetables must be finely minced.

About twenty-five minutes after the soup has started cooking, complete it with two tablespoonfuls of peas, a few French beans cut into lozenges, and one and one-half oz. of rice, or the same quantity of very thin macaroni broken into very small pieces.

This done, set to cook again for thirty minutes. A few minutes before serving, add to the soup one small, crushed clove of garlic, three leaves of sweet basil, and a small pinch of chopped chervil pluches; mix the whole with one-half tablespoonful of grated bacon.

Send to the table, separately, at the same time as the soup some freshly grated Gruyère.

747 — Mille-Fanti

First make the following preparation:—Beat two small eggs to a stiff froth, and mix therewith one and one-half oz. of the crumb of very good white bread, one oz. of grated Parmesan, and a little nutmeg. Boil one and two-thirds pints of white consommé, and pour the above preparation therein, little by little, stirring briskly the while with the whisk. Then move the stewpan to the side of the fire, put the lid on, and set to cook gently for seven or eight minutes.

When about to serve, stir the soup with a whisk, and pour it into the soup-tureen.

748 — Mulligatawny Soup

Cut a small fowl, or half a medium-sized one, into little pieces, and put these in a stewpan with a few roundels of carrot and onion, a small bunch of parsley and celery, one-half oz. of mushroom parings and one quart of white consommé. Set to boil, and then let cook gently.

Also lightly brown in butter half a medium-sized onion, chopped; besprinkle it with one dessertspoonful of fecula and one coffeespoonful of curry; moisten with the cooking-liquor of the fowl, strained through a sieve; boil, and set to cook gently for seven or eight minutes. Now rub the whole through tammy, and leave it to despumate for twenty minutes, adding one tablespoonful of consommé, from time to time, with the view of promoting the despumation, i.e., the purification of the soup.

When about to serve, finish the preparation with three or four tablespoonfuls of cream. Pour the whole into the soup-tureen; add a portion of the meat of the fowl, cut into thin slices, and serve separately two oz. of rice à l’Indienne.

749 — Soupe aux Gombos Ou Okra

This soup is held in high esteem by Americans. It is served either with garnish, as I direct below, or as a consommé, hot or cold, or in cups, after it has been strained.

Fry one medium-sized chopped onion in two oz. of butter, without letting it acquire any colour. Add one-quarter lb. of fresh lean bacon, or raw ham cut into medium-sized dice; fry for a few minutes, and add about one lb. of boned chicken-meat cut into large dice (the white parts of the chicken are used in preference); let these ingredients stiffen well; take care to stir fairly often, and moisten with two quarts of white chicken consommé. Boil, and set to cook gently for twenty or twenty-five minutes with lid on.

When the gombos are well cooked, carefully remove all grease from the preparation; test the seasoning, and, if necessary, add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.

Garnish the soup with two or three tablespoonfuls of plainly-cooked rice.

N.B.—This soup is excellent if it be finished with one-quarter pint of cream per quart. A cream of gombos may also be prepared, which may be garnished with the dice of chicken meat. In the latter case, the garnish of rice is optional.

750 — Soupe à la Paysanne

Finely mince one small carrot, one small turnip, one leek, one-third of a stick of celery, one-third of an onion, and some cabbage leaves. Stew the vegetables in one oz. of butter; moisten with one and one-half pints of white consommé, and set to boil. A few minutes having elapsed, add two small potatoes minced like the other vegetables, and complete the cooking gently. Send separately some roundels of soup-flutes.

751 — Soupe aux Poireaux et Pommes de Terre, Otherwise à la Bonne Femme

Finely mince the white of four medium-sized leeks. Put this into a stewpan with one oz. of butter, and stew gently for a quarter of an hour. Then add three medium-sized quartered potatoes, cut into roundels the thickness of pennies. Moisten with one pint of white consommé; add the necessary quantity of salt, and set to cook gently. When about to serve, finish the soup with one pint of boiled milk and one and one-half oz. of butter; pour it into the soup-tureen, and add twelve roundels of French soup-flutes, cut as thinly as possible.

752 — Soupe aux Rognons

Proceed exactly as for “Soupe aux Foies de Volaille,” but substitute for the garnish of sliced livers one of calf’s or sheep’s kidney cut into large dice, or sliced, and briskly tossed in butter just before dishing up.

Finish the soup similarly to the preceding one, i.e., with Madeira.

Notes

When about to serve, pour over the garnish one quart of boiling chicken consommé; complete with a pinch of chervil pluches, and serve the little, fried pellets separately.

Put the quenelles and the poached yolks into the soup-tureen with a julienne of three fillets of pigeon and a tablespoonful of asparagus-heads, and pour thereon the boiling consommé. Serve at once.

Make twenty small quenelles from chicken forcemeat, finished by means of crayfish butter, and mould them to the shape of small, grooved meringues. Poach these quenelles. Cut twelve roundels, the size of a penny, from a piece of beef-marrow, and poach them in the consommé.

Finally, strain the soup through a napkin; add the pieces of flesh from the carapace and plastron which were put aside for the garnish, and keep it until wanted in specially-made sandstone jars.

This soup may also be prepared as a cream or a velouté à la Nivernaise (see No. 674).

Set to cook gently, rub through tammy, rectify the consistence of the purée with a little boiled milk, despumate, and add butter when dishing up.

These soups derive a particular and agreeable flavour from their cohering element.

Treated thus, the purée will be of a fainter shade than the preceding one, but its flavour will be more delicate.

Also cook three oz. of rice in one and one-half pints of white consommé.

Garnish with small bread dice fried in butter.

Add the fish, stewed in butter and pounded, to the panada, together with one-half pint of ordinary thin velouté.

Heat the velouté, and finish it, when dishing up, with the ordinary leason and three and one-half oz. of best butter.

Add to the velouté the carefully collected liquor of the twenty-four oysters constituting the garnish, and complete, when about to serve, with a leason and butter.

As a rule, they comprise no butter, but are finished by means of one-third pint of very fresh cream per quart. Be this as it may, if it be desirable to butter them, one may do so, but in very small quantities, and taking care to use the very best butter.

Remarks concerning the Possible Variation of this Soup.—The mode of procedure adopted in the case of the Germiny could, if necessary, be applied to all thick soups, and it would then constitute a class to which the term “Cream” would be better suited than it is at present to the soups thus designated.

Garnish with very thin roundels of French soup-flute and chervil pluches.

Pour the preparation into the soup-tureen, and add the meat of the fowl, cut into a julienne.

Now add about one-half lb. of peeled gombo, cut in coarse paysanne-fashion, and three or four medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, concassed, and with their seeds withdrawn.