Ingredients
- a pint of green peas
Directions
The basis of all good soups is the juice of meat. This may be made by boiling the cracked joints of uncooked beef, veal or mutton ; to these may be added the cracked bones of cooked game or underdone beef or mutton, but for juices and nourishment depend upon the juices of the uncooked meat, the rest being only added for flavoring. To extract the juices, cut the meat into small pieces, break the bone the whole length, put into cold water, without salt, and let heat very slowly_ When it once comes to a boil, let it be well skimmed, and then put the pot where it will simmer slowly until the meat is thoroughly done and freed from the juices, keeping the pot closely covered the while. The
020 SOUPS.
next day, when the soup is cold, remove the fat, which will harden on top of the soup. All soups are better for being made one day before using, and the next day put on the stove and the vegetables- added.
This is the basis of almost all gravy soups, which are called by the name of the vegetables that are put into them : carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and a few leaves of cabbage, make what is called spring soup ; to this a pint of green peas, or asparagus, or French beans cut into pieces, or a cabbage lettuce, is an improvement. With rice, Scotch barley, or vermicelli, maccaroni or celery, cut into lengths, it will be the soup usually called by those names. Or turnips scooped, round or young onions, will give a clear turnip or onion soup. The roots and vege- tables used must be boiled tirst, or they will impregnate the soup with too strong a flavor. Seasoning for those soups is the same, viz., salt, and a very little cayenne pepper.
Caramel (which is only a fancy name for burned sugar) eggs, and slices of bread, fried to a crisp in butter, are also sometimes added, and impart a savory relish to the soup.
To make soup attractive, therefore palatable, always strain it before sending to the table. Do not uncover until ready to ladle out the soup and be sure to have the soup plates heated beforehand.
TOMATO PASTE FOR SOUP,
Peel the tomatoes and stew them quite dry ; then put them on plates and stand in the sun to dry ; when dried into a paste, put it into jars and tie them down ; this can be kept all winter, if put in a cool, dry place.