POTAGES OR SOUPS

Potage is the modern word for soup, and is used in bills of fare everywhere.

Three kinds of liquor are used to make potages: broth, milk, and water.

Besides the liquor, meat, fish, and vegetables are used.

The richest potages are made with _consomme_ and some other compounds; such as bread, Italian pastes, vegetables, etc.

_Consomme_ means rich broth; literally, it means consumed, perfect, that is, properly reduced and partly consumed, as it is the case in making it. _Consomme_ is broth reduced to a certain point, according to want or taste.

_Broth._--Broth is to good cooking what wheat is to bread. Dishes (with some exceptions) prepared without broth are, to those prepared with it, what rye or corn bread is to wheat bread. Broth, and especially _consomme_, are to old age what milk is to the infant. Broth is called _bouillon_ in France, and _stock_ in England. The word _pot-au-feu_ means the meat, vegetables, seasonings, spices, and the "pot" or soup-kettle itself, _i. e._, every thing made use of in making broth. The popular meaning of the term in France is, the soup and the beef and vegetables served as _releves_; and, with the working-classes, the only thing (with bread, wine, and fruit) composing the family dinner. The French army is fed on this _pot-au-feu_ three hundred and sixty days in the year.

It is a great mistake to believe that bones or veal make good broth; by boiling or simmering bones or veal, you obtain a gelatinous liquid, but not a rich broth with a pleasant flavor. When properly made, broth is clear. If milky, it has been made with bones, veal, or very inferior beef.

_Broth for Potages._--Take three pounds of good, lean, fresh beef, from any part except the shin. There must not be more than two ounces of bone to a pound of meat, and the less bone the better. Place the meat in a soup-kettle or iron saucepan lined with tin, with three quarts of cold water and salt, and set it on a good fire. After about thirty minutes, the scum or albumen of the meat will gather on the surface, and the water will commence boiling. Now place the kettle on a more moderate fire, add one gill of cold water, and begin to skim off the scum, which will take only a few minutes. Then add one middle-sized carrot, half as much turnip, one middle-sized leek, a stalk of celery, one of parsley, a bay-leaf, one onion with two cloves stuck in it, and two cloves of garlic. Keep the kettle between simmering and boiling heat for about five hours. Dish the meat with carrot, turnip, and leek around it, and serve it as a _releve_. Strain the broth, and it is ready for use.

If the broth is required to be richer, use more beef and less water, but follow the same process; if weaker, use more water and less beef, but still follow the same process.

_Broth for Sauces and Gravies._--Place in a soup-kettle or saucepan fresh bones of beef, mutton, lamb, veal, or poultry--of either, or of all; also, bones of the same meats from roasted pieces; also trimmings of the same, if very fresh, with one quart of cold water to every pound of bones or meat; skim it like the preceding, add the same vegetables and seasonings, and simmer for at least six hours. Then skim off very carefully all the fat on the surface, pass the remainder through a strainer or a sieve, and it is ready for use. This broth is certainly very inferior to the preceding one, but it is excellent for sauces and gravies, and is very cheaply made. It may be used for potages also; but, as we have said above, it is very gelatinous, and cannot be compared with the highly nutritious beef-broth.

Broth that is not to be used immediately must be cooled quickly after being strained, as the quicker it is cooled the longer it keeps. As soon as cold, put it in a stone jar or crockery vessel, and place it in a cool, dry, and dark place. It will keep three or four days in winter, but only one day in summer. If the weather is stormy, it will not keep even for twelve hours; it turns sour very quickly.

I do not put parsnips or thyme in broth, the taste of these two vegetables being too strong. They really neutralize the fine aroma of broth. Even in this nineteenth century there are some pretty good cooks who put thyme and parsnip in broth, but they do it by routine. Routine is in every thing the greatest enemy of progress. Ancient cookery used to put in the _pot_ (old name for soup-kettle) a burnt onion to give an amber color to the broth. This has exactly the same effect as thyme and parsnip, giving it a bad taste, and neutralizing the flavor given to the broth by the osmazome of the meat. When broth of an amber color is desired, add to it a few drops of burnt sugar, the receipt for making which will be found elsewhere.

_Consomme._--There are two ways of making _consomme_: one is to make broth as above, with the exception that five pounds of lean beef, instead of three, are used with three quarts of water, and simmered from seven to eight hours, instead of five, the vegetables and seasonings being the same; or by boiling broth gently till properly reduced.

The other way is to roast, until they are only one-third done, one, two, or three fowls, not under two years old; then place them in a soup-kettle with three pounds of lean beef; wet with three quarts of cold water; skim off as above directed; add the same vegetables and seasonings as for broth for potages. After having simmered the whole for three hours, the fowl or fowls must be taken out of the kettle, and the rest is to be simmered for about three hours longer. The meat, vegetables, and seasonings are then taken from the kettle or saucepan; the liquor is strained, and that liquor is the best _consomme_ that can be made; or by boiling the same, gently, in three quarts of good broth, you make _consomme_ also.

The reason for directing to use one, two, or three fowls is, that the more fowls used, the better and richer the broth. The fowls after having been thus used may be prepared in salad, and make a very excellent dish.

One pound of beef is enough to make broth for a potage for three or four persons.

Always use fresh meat; meat with a venison taste or tainted would spoil if not entirely destroy the broth.

_To clarify Broth._--If not as clear as wanted, beat the white of an egg with a gill of cold broth, and turn into the broth; boil gently about ten minutes, and strain through a cloth or towel.

Any kind of potage made with broth may be made with _consomme_. It may also be made with water, adding butter. With _consomme_ it is richer, and with water much inferior, than with broth.

When a rump-piece is used to make broth, it is better to bone it first, and take it from the soup-kettle after three or four hours; it is served as a _releve_, or prepared as cold beef. The broth is finished as directed; the bones and vegetables being kept on the fire longer than the meat.

Chicken and turkey broth are often called _potage de sante_ (potage of health).

_Chicken._--Roast or bake till turning yellow, a chicken over two years old. Put it in a soup-kettle with three pints of water, and set it on a rather slow fire; skim off the scum, add a middling-sized onion, a leek, a few stalks of chervil if handy, a middling-sized head of lettuce, and salt; simmer about three hours. Take out the chicken and vegetables, skim off the fat, strain, and use. This broth is excellent for a weak stomach, and is easy of digestion. The chicken is served in salad.

_Turkey._--Procure a rather old turkey and roast or bake it till about one-third done; put it in a soup-kettle with about a pint of water to a pound of meat, and set it on a rather slow fire. As soon as the scum comes on the surface, skim it off carefully; then add two onions, two leeks, two or three heads of lettuce, a small handful of chervil if handy, and salt. Simmer about five hours.

Use the broth as chicken-broth above, and serve the turkey in salad.

_Fish_ (also called _a la Lucullus_).--Slice three middling-sized onions and fry them with one ounce of butter till turning yellow; add three or four pounds of fish (bass, pike, trout, salmon, and the like), any fish having a firm and compact flesh, of one or several kinds; add also two carrots, two onions, and one leek, all sliced; four stalks of parsley, one of thyme, one clove of garlic, a bay-leaf, one clove, six pepper-corns, salt; cover the whole with cold water, set on a good but not brisk fire, boil gently for about two hours. If the water is boiling away, add some more; then strain, and use.

This broth may be used for _bisque_ and fish sauces, instead of beef-broth.

It may be made rich; for instance, instead of three pounds of fish, use six, seven, eight pounds, or more, and seasonings in proportion.

Louis XV. was on a visit to the monastery of Saint Denis one day during Lent; after having walked all over the grounds and gardens, he was offered a cup of broth by the superior.

Being a little fatigued, he took the cup and drank the whole at one draught.

In going back to Versailles, one of his suite, who did not like the monk-superior, adroitly alluded to the cup of broth, and managed to persuade the king that the monk had done it on purpose; that is, had made the king partake of meat-broth, when it was forbidden by the Church.

The next day the monk-superior was sent for and brought before the king. On hearing the object of the summons, he asked the king if the broth had indisposed him. Being answered in the negative, he begged to be allowed to prepare the same broth before the king himself, which he did, and from that time till his death the king used to send several hundred pounds of fish during Lent to the monks of Saint-Denis.

_Frog._--Skin and put the hind-legs of two dozen of frogs in cold water for an hour; drain and put them in a saucepan, and set it on a slow fire; stir now and then till they are turning yellow, then take them off and chop the flesh rather fine; put back in the pan with a carrot sliced, a stalk of celery and one leek, both chopped, a little salt, and cover the whole with water. Simmer for about two hours; mash the whole through a colander, add butter which you stir and mix in, and it is ready for use.

This broth, taken warm before retiring, is excellent for persons having a cough or cold.

It is also excellent for consumptive persons, and is only second to snail-broth.

_Another._--Take the hind-legs of fifty well-skinned green frogs, put them in cold water and a little salt for half an hour--drain them; then put them in a crockery kettle, with a leek, half a carrot, two stalks of celery, a middling-sized parsnip, a turnip, two onions, one clove of garlic, two ounces of fat bacon, a little salt, and white pepper; cover the whole well with cold water, set on the fire, simmer gently about four hours; strain, pour on _croutons_, and serve.

The hind-legs of the frogs are taken from the strainer, placed on a dish, and served at breakfast the next day, with a white sauce, or in fricassee, as a chicken.

_Game._--Roast or bake, till about one-third done, two prairie-hens, and put them in a soup-kettle with about one pound of lean beef, salt, and five pints of water. Set the kettle on a rather slow fire, skim off the scum when it gathers on the surface, and then add half a carrot, two stalks of parsley, one of celery, one onion with a clove stuck in it, a bay-leaf, six pepper-corns, and two cloves of garlic. Simmer about three hours, and take the birds out of the kettle; simmer then two hours longer; strain, and the broth is ready for use.

Game-broth is warming and stimulating; it may be taken alone, or prepared with _croutons_, rice, vermicelli, or other Italian pastes, the same as beef-broth.

The prairie-hens are served in _salmis_, and the beef is served as boiled beef.

_Snail._--Clean and prepare twenty-five snails as directed. Put them in a saucepan, with a carrot, an onion, and a head of lettuce, all chopped, a small handful of chervil, a few leaves of sorrel, and a little salt; cover the whole with three pints of cold water. Boil slowly for about three hours, strain the broth, add a little butter to it, and it is ready for use.

A tumblerful of this broth, taken warm before retiring, is certainly the best thing for a consumptive person.

It is also excellent for a cough.

Just salt the snails to taste, and eat them as they are, warm or cold.

_Veal._--Procure two pounds of veal, from the neck or breast piece. Put the meat in a soup-kettle with two quarts of cold water and a little salt; set it on a good fire, and skim off the scum as soon as it gathers on the surface. When skimmed, add a head of lettuce, a leek (and a few stalks of chervil if handy); simmer for about three hours; strain, and use.

This broth, as well as chicken and turkey broth, is excellent for convalescent persons.

It may be made richer by putting a little more meat, according to taste; but generally the physician gives directions.

_Another._--Soak a calf's liver in cold water for two hours, clean and wash it well; put it in a soup-kettle with about three pints of cold water, salt, boil gently for an hour and a half, and then add a handful of water-cresses; simmer fifteen minutes longer, strain and use.

_Another._--Proceed as above in every particular, except that you use a handful of chervil instead of water-cresses.

_Another._--Use three or four leeks instead of water-cresses, and proceed as above for every other particular.

The last three especially make a very refreshing drink, and are a great relief in some cases of fever.

_Vegetable Broth_ (called also _Bouillon Maigre_).--Scrape, clean, and slice three carrots and three turnips, peel three onions; fry the whole with a little butter till it turns rather yellow; and then add two plants of celery cut in pieces, three or four leeks, also cut in pieces; stir and fry the whole for about six minutes. When fried, add also one clove of garlic, salt, pepper, two cloves, two stalks of parsley, a little nutmeg grated; cover with about three quarts of water. Keep on a rather slow fire, skim off the scum carefully, and then simmer for about three hours. Strain, and use.

This liquor is called vegetable broth, and is used instead of broth in time of Lent by persons who do not want to use beef-broth.

_Another._--Proceed as above, and with the same vegetables till they are fried. Then add salt, pepper, two cloves of garlic, four stalks of parsley, three cloves, a little nutmeg grated, two quarts of white beans previously soaked in cold water for twenty-four hours, and five or six quarts of water. Skim it as above; simmer for about four hours; strain, and use.

The beans, carrots, turnips, and leeks may be mashed through a colander and served in _puree_.

_Another._--Proceed as above in every particular, with the exception that instead of using beans, you use peas, lentils, chestnuts, or samp. Peas and lentils are soaked in water only for four or five hours. Chestnuts must be shelled. Some other vegetables may be added, according to taste, and also according to the nature of the vegetables.

_Another._--Clean and put in a bowl a head of lettuce, a handful of sorrel, same of chervil, same of purslane, and all chopped fine; pour over nearly a quart of boiling water, add two ounces of butter, cover the bowl with a wet towel; leave thus half an hour, and strain.

When cold it makes a very refreshing drink, and is taken morning and evening with salt, to taste.

It may also be taken warm.

_A la Minute, or made quickly._--Cut four ounces of fat salt pork in dice and set it on the fire in a saucepan; stir, and when it is turning rather brown add one onion chopped, and half a middling-sized carrot, sliced; stir, and when they are partly fried, add also two pounds of lean beef cut in small dice; stir and fry for five minutes. Then pour in it about three pints of boiling water, salt, boil gently about forty minutes. Strain, and use.

The beef may be served with the broth, or separately as an _entree_, with a _piquante_, _ravigote_, or Robert sauce.

_Bisque of Lobster._--Boil one or several lobsters as directed, and when cold split the tail in two, lengthwise, take the flesh out of the shell, remove the black vein that is on the back, take out the meat of the two large claws, and keep the flesh of the claws and tail for the following day's breakfast.

For a _bisque_, nothing is thrown away but the head, stomach, and black vein. The head is the part immediately under the eyes; the stomach is a small, round pouch immediately behind the head; and the vein runs from the stomach to the end of the tail.

Put all the rest, shell, small claws, all the matter found in the large shell (green, white, or yellow), in a mortar and pound well. Then put a tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, set it on the fire, and when the butter is melted, put what is in the mortar in, stir with a wooden spoon for about ten minutes, then add one pint of warm broth, stir for about twenty minutes, and strain. Put the liquor back on the fire with about four ounces of toasted bread, boil five minutes, and mash through a colander. Put the liquor back again on the fire, add one quart of broth, boil gently ten minutes, and turn into the soup-dish.

While it is boiling, chop fine the coral-piece of the lobster or lobsters, knead it with a piece of butter of about the same bulk, then rub both through a wire sieve; put them in the soup-dish with _croutons_ and about two or three ounces of the flesh of the lobster cut in very small dice. Turn the broth into the soup-dish also, and as directed above, and serve warm.

When there is no coral in the lobster or lobsters, knead a hard-boiled yolk of egg with butter in its stead.

Use one, two, three, or more lobsters, according to how much soup is wanted. It is not costly, because the flesh, or most of it, is kept to make a salad the next day, for breakfast or lunch.

The salad might be served the same day at dinner, but lobster is a rather heavy food, and it is more prudent not to eat any late in the day.

_Bisque of Lobster a la Colbert._--Make a _bisque_ as above, and while it is on the fire, poach as directed as many eggs as there will be persons at dinner; put them in the soup-dish instead of _croutons_, and serve as above.

_Of Crabs._--Proceed as for a bisque of lobster in every particular, except that you use hard-shell crabs instead of lobster.

_The same a la Colbert._--Add to the above as many poached eggs as you have guests.

_Of Craw-fish (Bisque d'Ecrevisses)._--Our readers who have been in Europe will certainly remember the name of one of the best soups that can be made. It is made of craw-fish the same as with lobster, and is certainly more delicate than a _bisque_ of lobster or of crabs. (See Craw-fish for other particulars.)

A _bisque_ of craw-fish may also be served _a la Colbert_ the same as a _bisque_ of lobster.

_Bouillabaisse._--The real _bouillabaisse_ is made in Marseilles; they make an imitation of it in Bordeaux, and in many other parts of France and the Continent; but, like a Welsh rarebit prepared out of Wales, it is very inferior to the real one. However, we will give the receipt to make it here, and as good as possible with the fish that can be procured.

Put a gill of sweet-oil in a tin saucepan and set it on a sharp fire; when hot, add two onions and two cloves of garlic sliced; stir so as to partly fry them, and then take from the fire. Put also in the pan three pounds of fish, such as haddock, halibut, turbot, white-fish--of all if possible, but at least of two kinds; also a dozen muscles, just blanched and taken from the shell (some put them whole, properly cleaned). The fish is cut in pieces about two inches long. Then add one gill of Catawba or Sauterne wine, a bay-leaf, two cloves, two slices of lemon, the juice of a tomato, salt, pepper, a pinch of saffron, cover with cold water, and set the pan back on a brisk fire. After about thirty minutes add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley; boil ten minutes longer, and it is done.

The pieces of fish are then placed on a dish and served.

Put in a deep dish, and to be served at the same time, some slices of bread, over which you turn the sauce through a strainer.

One slice of bread and one piece of fish is served to each person, also some sauce.

It is put in two different dishes, to avoid breaking the pieces of fish.

There are over a hundred ways of making a _bouillabaisse_; the above is one of the best.

There are also about as many ways of spelling the same.

A _bouillabaisse_ is served as a soup.

_A la Colbert._--Scrape carrots and turnips and cut them in small dice or with a vegetable spoon; add green peas and string-beans, if handy, the beans cut in pieces; set them on the fire in a pan with cold water and salt; boil gently till done, and drain. Put them back on the fire, covered with warm broth, salt to taste, boil gently about two or three minutes, and turn into the soup-dish, in which you have put as many poached eggs as there are or will be persons at table. A poached egg with soup is served to every person. Proportions of broth and vegetables according to taste.

_Julienne._--Scrape two carrots and two turnips and cut them in pieces about an inch and a half long; cut slices lengthwise about one-eighth of an inch thick, then cut again across, so as to make square strips. Put them in a saucepan with about two ounces of butter, three tablespoonfuls of cabbage chopped fine, and half a middling-sized onion, also chopped; set on the fire and stir till about half fried. Add broth to make it as you wish, thin or thick; boil gently till done; salt to taste, skim off the fat, and serve. It takes about two hours.

_Julienne with Rice._--Boil two ounces of rice in water and a little salt, till about three-quarters done; drain and put in the julienne after having added the broth; finish as above.

_Julienne with Barley._--Boil barley till done; add it to the _julienne_ at the same time the broth is added, and serve as the above.

_Julienne aux Croutons._--Put some _croutons_ in the soup-dish, and when the _julienne_ is done, pour it over them, and serve.

_Brunoise._--Put an ounce of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and when melted, add one carrot, one turnip, a little celery, all cut in dice; stir till they turn yellow, then add about a quart of broth, a middling-sized leek cut in pieces, a few leaves of lettuce and of sorrel, if handy, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer about two hours; skim off the fat; add a few drops of burnt sugar to color.

Have _croutons_ in the soup-dish, turn the potage over them, and serve.

_Brunoise with Rice._--Proceed as above, except that you add from two to four ounces of boiled rice to the potage ten minutes before taking from the fire. Serve without croutons.

_Another._--Use boiled barley instead of boiled rice.

_A la Monaco._--Put some thin slices of stale bread in the soup-dish, sprinkle pulverized sugar and orange-rind grated all over. Pour boiling milk over; cover the dish for five minutes, and serve.

_A la Regence._--Put about two dozen _quenelles_ made with chicken into the soup-dish with half a pint of boiled green peas; turn boiling _consomme_ over, and serve warm.

_A la Royale._--Make a custard with a dozen yolks of eggs, about the same volume of good cream, season with sugar, salt, and a little nutmeg; cook, and when perfectly cold, cut it in slices and again cut in fancy shapes with paste-cutters or with a knife; place it in the soup-dish, pour boiling consomme gently over, and serve warm.

_Potage Printanier_ (called also _Jardiniere_ and _a la Paysanne_).--It is a potage _julienne_, to which is added the top or eatable part of six asparagus, six turnip-rooted red radishes, and two or three tablespoonfuls of green peas. They are fried, boiled, and served with the other vegetables.

_Veloute._--Put yolks of eggs in the soup-dish and beat them a little with cold or lukewarm broth; then pour boiling broth over them, little by little, stirring the while, and serve warm.

It is made thin or thick, according to taste.

_With Arrow-root._--Set broth in a saucepan on the fire, and as soon as it boils, sprinkle some arrow-root into it, stirring the while with a wooden spoon; boil gently for about half an hour, stirring now and then the while, and serve warm, adding salt to taste.

Milk or _consomme_ may be used instead of broth.

If you use milk, add a very little salt and sugar, to taste.

The proportion of arrow-root to a certain quantity of broth is according to taste; it can be made thick or thin.

_With Corn-starch._--Proceed as for arrow-root.

_With Bread._--This is the simplest of all. Dry some slices of bread, either stale or fresh, in the oven, place them in the soup-dish, pour boiling broth over them, cover the dish for two or three minutes, and serve.

_With Fecula._--Proceed as for arrow-root. Being finer, it does not require more than about twelve or fifteen minutes.

_With Barley._--Wash the barley in cold water, then drop it in boiling broth, little by little, stirring the while; when in, keep simmering till perfectly done, which you ascertain easily by tasting; add then salt to taste, a pinch of sugar, and serve warm.

It must be stirred occasionally while on the fire.

_With Gruel_ (_French Gruau_).--It is made as with arrow-root.

_With Indian Meal._--Proceed as with arrow-root.

_With Sago._--Sago must be boiled gently about an hour; but for the rest, proceed as with arrow-root in every particular.

_With Semoule._--With _semoule_ it is the same as with arrow-root, except that it is boiled only about fifteen minutes.

_With Tapioca._--Tapioca is prepared like arrow-root, but must be boiled about forty-five minutes.

All the above, like arrow-root, may be prepared with _consomme_, or with milk, as well as with broth.

_With Giblets._--Throw the giblets in boiling water and a little salt, boil for ten minutes, take off and drain. Drop them in broth, boil gently till done, and turn the whole into the soup dish, in which you have some leeks, boiled and cut in pieces. Serve warm.

Some _croutons_ may be added, and chervil chopped fine, just before turning into the soup-dish; or they may be placed in the soup-dish before pouring in the broth.

_With Mackerel._--Clean, prepare, and cut in pieces about one inch and a half long, a mackerel weighing about one pound and a half; fry it with two ounces of butter till it turns rather brown, then cover with nearly a quart of water; add a few slices of carrot, same of turnip, a small onion, two or three stalks of parsley, salt, pepper, a clove of garlic, and a stalk of celery if handy; boil slowly for about an hour; mash gently through a colander, put what has passed through the colander back on the fire, add a little butter, give one more boil, turn into the soup dish over _croutons_, and serve.

_With new Carrots._--Take small, young carrots, clean and wash them, then blanch them for about five minutes. Set them on the fire, cover with broth or _consomme_; boil gently till done, and serve.

_Another._--With carrots and peas. Proceed as above till the carrots are half done, then add blanched green peas; finish the cooking, and serve.

_Another._--Make as the above, but using one or two heads of cabbage-lettuce, blanched for two minutes, instead of green peas.

_Fancy Potage._--Take twelve very small rolls; cut off one end and remove all the soft part of it; fill them with _quenelles_ of chicken; replace the piece cut off as well as possible; place them in the soup-dish; pour boiling _consomme_ or good broth over them; cover the dish for ten minutes, and serve warm.

_With Vermicelli._--Drop the vermicelli in boiling water, and in which you have put a little salt; boil ten minutes, drain, drop again in cold water, drain again and put it in boiling broth; boil ten minutes; add salt to taste, and serve.

_With Macaroni._--Proceed as for vermicelli in every particular, except that it takes twice as long to cook.

_With Macaroni and Cheese._--Proceed as for the above, and when done, put grated cheese in the soup-dish, turn the macaroni over it, and serve.

_With Italian Pastes._--No matter of what shape are the pastes, proceed as for vermicelli; the only difference is in the time of cooking, which depends on the size.

_Consomme_ may be used instead of broth. If milk is used, sugar must be added.

_With Macaroni a la Corinne._--Set two quarts of cold water on the fire, with an ounce of salt, and two ounces of butter; at the first boil, drop into it four ounces of macaroni; boil five minutes, and drain. Immediately drop the macaroni in boiling _consomme_, and boil gently till done. Drain it again and place a layer of it in the soup-dish, over the macaroni; place a thin layer of Parmesan cheese grated; then a layer of _macedoine_ of vegetables; then again, a layer of macaroni, one of cheese, etc.; pour _consomme_ to taste on the whole, and serve warm.

_With Macaroni a la Medici_ (also called _a la Napolitaine_).--Proceed as for macaroni _a la Corinne_ in every particular, with the exception that you put also in the soup-dish a layer of _quenelles_ of chicken over that of _macedoine_ of vegetables, and serve in the same way.

The _quenelles_ are boiled till done, in broth in which you put a few sprigs of mignonette.

_Another._--Add to the above about a gill of thick tomato-sauce, just before pouring the _consomme_ over the macaroni, etc.

_Macaroni a la Romulus._--Prepare eight ounces of macaroni as directed for macaroni _a la Corinne_; place a layer of it in the soup-dish; then over it a layer of _quenelles_ of chicken; over the _quenelles_, a thin layer of grated Parmesan cheese; then a layer of thin slices of salt beef tongue, boiled and skimmed; over the latter a layer of sweetbreads boiled in broth and cut in thin slices also; and lastly a layer of thin slices of boiled flounders. Several layers of each of the above may be placed in the soup dish, in the same order; then boiling _consomme_ is poured over the whole; the dish is covered, put in a warm place for ten minutes, and served.

Although this dish is a regular potage, and served as such, still many Italians make a meal of it.

_With Macaroni a La Rossini._--Proceed as for macaroni _a la Corinne_ above, with two exceptions: first, that you add a layer of _quenelles_ of partridge; and second, that you use _consomme_ of partridge.

_With Macaroni a la St. Pierre._--Proceed also as for potage macaroni _a la Corinne_ as far as placing a layer of macaroni in the soup-dish; then put over it a layer of boiled soft roe of fish; over which put a thin layer of grated Parmesan cheese; then a layer of _quenelles_ of fish; another layer of macaroni; over it, a layer of boiled thin slices of salmon; macaroni again, etc. Pour boiling _consomme_ over the whole, and serve.

Although bearing the name of Saint Pierre (St. Peter), the above dish has not been devised by the saint; but, like all the above, save that _a la Corinne_, it has been invented by monks.

_With Nouilles._--Set broth on the fire in a saucepan, and at the first boiling take the _nouilles_ from the water with a skimmer and put in the broth, stir occasionally and boil gently till done. The proportions are according to taste. The more broth used for a certain quantity of _nouilles_ the thinner the soup will be, and _vice versa_. Salt to taste, and serve.

_With Potatoes._--Cut about half a pint of potatoes with a vegetable spoon (it is understood half a pint when cut, the rest being used to make mashed potatoes), and blanch them for three minutes, drain and put them in boiling broth; boil gently till about half done, add then two or three tablespoonfuls of green peas; finish the cooking; and just before serving add a pinch of sugar, salt to taste, turn into the soup-dish, and serve with or without croutons.

_With Quenelles._--Drop _quenelles_ in broth; boil gently till done, and serve.

The proportion according to taste. Half a dozen _quenelles_ for each person, and about half a pint of broth, make a good proportion.

_With Rice._--Put boiled rice in the soup-dish, turn boiling broth over it, and serve warm.

_With Turnips._--When clean, cut the turnips in slices, drop them in boiling water, add a little salt, boil for five minutes, and drain. Set them on the fire in a saucepan, cover them with milk, and boil gently till done. Mash them through a colander, put them back on the fire with milk, butter, a little sugar and salt; stir and boil gently a few minutes; then add a yolk of egg for two turnips, stir in also two or three tablespoonfuls of cream; stir, but do not boil; put some _croutons_ in the soup-dish, turn the turnips over, and serve.

_Puree of Split Peas._--The proportions vary according to taste; the more peas that are used with a certain quantity of broth, the thicker the potage will be, and _vice versa_.

Soak one pint of split peas in cold water over night and drain. Put them in a saucepan with a few slices of carrot, same of turnip, same of onion and salt. Cover with cold water, set on the fire and boil till done. Drain, and then mash through a colander. Put back on the fire with warm broth to taste--that is, to make the potage thin or thick, season with salt or pepper; boil gently for five minutes, stirring the while; turn into the soup-dish over _croutons_, and serve warm. It may be served without _croutons_.

_Puree of Green Peas._--It is sometimes called _a la Chantilly_, or _a la Francaise_. Put cold water and a little salt on the fire, and at the first boiling throw the peas in; if they are very tender, leave them in only a few seconds; if large and rather hard, boil one or two minutes; drain, mash them through a colander, and finish as the above.

_Puree of Dry Beans._--White and dry beans have several names, but no matter what kind, they are prepared alike. If you are not sure that the beans are new, soak them in cold water for about twenty-four hours, and drain. Cook, mash, and serve them the same as split peas.

_Puree of Lentils._--Wash the lentils in cold water and proceed as for split peas for the rest.

_Puree of Peas._--Proceed as for split peas.

_With Lima Beans._--Proceed as with green peas.

_With Potatoes._--Steam potatoes, then peel and mash them through a colander. Put them back on the fire with broth, butter, and salt to taste; stir, boil a few minutes, and serve with _croutons_. Water or milk may be used instead of broth.

_With Pumpkins._--Peel, take away the seed and cut the pumpkin in small pieces; put them in a stewpan with water just enough to cover them, a little salt and white pepper, set on the fire and take off when cooked; throw away the water, mash and strain the pumpkin, put it back in the stewpan, cover with milk, add a little sugar, set it again on the fire, and take off at the first boiling; pour a little of it on _croutons_ in the soup-dish, and keep covered in a warm place for ten minutes; then pour also the remainder in, and serve.

_Another._--Prepare as above, throw the pieces in boiling water with a little salt for five minutes, mash and drain; put butter in a stewpan, set it on the fire; when melted put the pumpkin in, stir about five minutes; have ready in your soup-dish some slices of bread fried in butter, and dusted with sugar, pour on them some boiling milk, keep covered in a warm place two or three minutes; then turn the pumpkin on, at the same time mixing the whole gently, and serve.

_With Squash._--It is made as with pumpkin.

_With Asparagus._--Proceed as for green peas.

_With Jerusalem Artichokes._--It is made like that of potatoes.

_With Carrots._--When made with young carrots, it is called potage _puree Crecy_, or _a la Crecy_. Add broth to taste to a _puree_ of carrots, turn into the soup-dish over _croutons_, and serve.

_With colored Beans._--When made with colored beans, it is called _a la Conde_. Proceed as with beans.

The Prince of Conde devised this potage, and besides cooking the beans in broth, he used to put in one or two partridges also, to give, as he used to say, "a good taste to the beans."

_With Cauliflowers._--Make a _puree_ of cauliflowers, to which you add broth to taste, and serve with _croutons_.

_With Chestnuts._--Add broth and _croutons_ to a _puree_ of chestnuts, and serve warm.

_With Turnips._--It is made as with carrots.

_With Wheat._--Cut ears of wheat when full, but not ripe, and put them away to dry. Shell the wheat; wash it in cold water, put it in a saucepan, cover it with broth and boil gently till done. Mash through a colander, put back on the fire with a little butter; add broth if too thick, stir now and then for about fifteen minutes; take from the fire, add two or three yolks of eggs beaten with a little cream and a pinch of sugar; mix them well with the rest, and serve warm.

_With Sweet Corn._--Proceed as with wheat in every particular. It makes a healthy and excellent potage.

Water may be used instead of broth, but it is not as nutritive.

_With Swallows' Nests, or Chinese Soup._--The nests are made a mucilaginous substance of, and built by the species of swallows called _Hirundo esculenta_; it would require several pages to describe them, together with their compound material, and would be out of place in a receipt book. Suffice it to say, that they sell for $100 a pound in London and Paris (gold of course), and the cheapest potage for one person costs about three dollars.

Soak about four ounces of it in cold water for ten hours, drain and clean. Put it in a saucepan, cover well with chicken-broth, place the saucepan in boiling water for about two hours, add salt to taste, and then drain again. Place the nests in the soup-dish, pour boiling _consomme_ over them, and serve warm.

The Chinese are said to use very rich _consomme_ of chicken to prepare them.

_With Tomatoes and Rice._--Blanch half a dozen tomatoes, and skin them. Put them in a saucepan with a quart of broth, season with an onion sliced, three or four sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, half a dozen pepper-corns, a bay-leaf, two cloves, two cloves of garlic; salt and pepper. Boil gently till reduced to about two-thirds, then mash gently through a colander. It is understood by mashing gently, to mash so that all the liquid part shall pass through the colander, and the seeds and spices shall be retained in it and thrown away.

While the tomatoes are on the fire boiling, set four ounces of rice on the fire with cold water and salt, and boil it till tender. Drain the rice, put it in a saucepan with the tomato-juice after being mashed, set the saucepan on the fire, add one ounce of butter, a teaspoonful of sugar, both according to taste; to make the potage thin or thick, boil gently fifteen minutes, turn into the soup-dish, and serve warm.

The same may be done with canned tomatoes; in that case, set a can of tomatoes on the fire with the same seasonings, and proceed exactly as for the above in every other particular.

_The same with Croutons._--Fry some _croutons_ with a little butter, put them in the soup-dish; turn the potage, or rather the same mixture as above, over them; cover the soup-dish for two or three minutes, and serve.

_With Tomatoes and Croutons only._--Fry the _croutons_ and put them in the soup-dish; turn the tomatoes only over them, after being prepared as above; cover the soup-dish for two or three minutes, and serve.

_Puree a la Reine._--Procure a rather old chicken and cut it in pieces as for fricassee; set it on the fire in a saucepan with about a quart of cold water, salt, and boil gently about one hour. Then add about four ounces of rice, washed in cold water, continue boiling until the chicken is overdone and tender. Take the pieces of chicken from the pan, scrape the flesh off the bones; cut the white flesh (the flesh that is on both sides of the breast-bone) in dice, and put it in the soup-dish; chop fine all the other flesh, and then mash it through a sieve or strainer, together with the rice. If it be rather too thick to mash through, moisten it with broth. A large iron spoon is the best utensil to mash through with. Then set the rice and flesh back on the fire in a saucepan with broth to taste, stir and add immediately from two to four ounces of butter, a gill of cream, or, if not handy, a gill of milk. Keep stirring on a slow fire for five or six minutes; salt to taste, turn into the soup-dish, and serve.

There is no danger of curdling if kept on a slow fire and not allowed to boil.

_The same with Broth._--To make the potage richer, cook the chicken and rice in broth instead of water, and proceed as above for the rest.

_The same with consomme._--The chicken and rice may also be cooked in _consomme_, and when mashed through the sieve, add _consomme_ also instead of broth, and you have an exceedingly rich soup. This is excellent for persons having throat diseases; it is easily swallowed, and very nutritious.

_The same a la Francaise._--The potage _puree a la francaise_ is the same as that a la reine, with the addition of _quenelles_ of chicken.

_The same a la Princesse._--Add to that _a la reine_, the white flesh of a roasted chicken, cut in dice, and put in the soup-dish.

Puree of Game.--Proceed as for potage _puree a la reine_, with the exception that you use prairie-hen, instead of chicken.

_Maigre, or Vegetable Soup._--Proceed as for _julienne_ in every particular, except that water is used instead of broth. Four ounces of butter may be used instead or two.

_Beef and Mutton Soup._--Take three pounds of beef and two pounds of breast of mutton; put both pieces in a crockery kettle with four quarts of cold water, salt, and pepper, set on a slow fire; skim carefully, then add half a carrot, two turnips, two onions with one clove stuck in each, two stalks of celery, two leeks, one sprig of parsley, and one clove of garlic. Simmer four or five hours; dish the meat with carrots, turnips, and leeks around, to be served after the soup if you choose; strain the broth, skim the fat off, put back on the fire, give one boil; have _croutons_ in the soup-dish, pour over them, and serve.

_Mock Turtle._--Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan and set it on the fire, when melted, add a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning brown, add three pints of broth (either beef-broth or broth made by boiling a calf's head, according to taste); boil five minutes then add a liquor glass of brandy or rum, from one to three glasses of Madeira, Port, or Sherry wine, about four ounces of calf's-head (the skin only) cut in dice, mushrooms or truffles, or both, also cut in dice; boil five minutes. While it is boiling, cut two hard-boiled eggs and half a lemon in dice and put them in the soup-dish; turn the broth over, and serve.

Made with beef broth it is certainly richer than when made with calf's-head broth, the latter is gelatinous but less nourishing than the former.

_Mock Turtle with consomme._--Use _consomme_ instead of broth, and you have as rich a soup as can be made.

Mock turtle is an English soup, very rich and very good.

_Au Chasseur (Hunter's or Sportsman's Soup)._--A potage _au chasseur_ is always made with game, such as rabbit, prairie-hen, grouse, venison, wild turkey, wild pigeon, etc., but never with aquatic birds. It might be made with quail, but that bird is really too delicate to make soup with. A whole bird or animal is never used, but the bones and trimmings only. After having cut off the fleshy parts, the bones are cracked and used to make the potage.

Take the bones of two prairie-hens after having cut off the flesh on both sides of the breast-bone, also the legs; cut the bones in pieces about half an inch long and set them on the fire with half an ounce of butter, stir for two or three minutes, cover with broth, or game broth, and boil gently till well cooked, or about two hours.

Put in another pan, and set it on the fire at the same time as the above, half a head of cabbage, one carrot, one turnip, and one onion, all cut fine; about half a pound of lean salt pork; cover with cold water, and boil gently for about two hours also.

In case the water or broth should boil away, add a little more.

After having boiled both vegetables and bones about two hours, take off the salt pork from the pan in which the vegetables are, and turn what you have in the other pan over the vegetables, through a strainer; add some broth if it is too thick; boil ten minutes, and serve.

Proceed as above with the bones and trimmings of other birds.

_Turtle or Terrapin._--Cut the turtle in dice, throw it in boiling water for two or three minutes, and drain; put it in a stewpan with onions and ham, also cut in dice; season with thyme, parsley, bay-leaf, salt, pepper, and a wine-glass of Madeira wine or of good brandy; wet with _Espagnole_ sauce or with _consomme_, set on a good fire, boil about half an hour. Ten minutes before taking from the fire, chop the eggs of the turtle, after having boiled them, and put them in a stewpan; if the turtle has none, chop and use hard-boiled eggs instead. When done, throw away parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, turn into bowls, add a little chopped chervil, and a quarter of a rind of lemon, also chopped; the latter is enough for six persons. Serve warm.

It may be strained before putting it in bowls, according to taste.

Turtle-steaks are prepared like beef-steaks.

_With Rice and Milk._--Wash half a pound of rice in cold water. Set it on the fire with about one pint of milk, boil gently till done, filling with more milk, so as to keep the rice always covered. When cooked, add a little butter, milk according to taste, sugar or salt, or both, and serve. It will not take more than two quarts of milk.

The French name for the above is _riz au lait_.

_With Okra._--Okra or gumbo is little known here; yet it is good in pickles, used like cucumbers. It is much used for soup in the Southern States and in the West Indies.

When green and tender, cut it very fine, cook it in broth, add a few tomatoes or tomato-sauce, according to taste; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. When the tomatoes are cooked, serve warm.

If dry, make a potage like that of tapioca, to which you add a little tomato-sauce and pepper.

_With Onions._--Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan, and when melted add a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning rather yellow add also four or five onions sliced, stir till fried, when you add broth to taste (about one quart); boil gently about fifteen minutes; mash through a colander, put back on the fire; give one boil, salt and pepper to taste; turn into the soup-dish, in which you have some _croutons_, and serve.

More or less onions may be used, according to taste.

_Ox-Tail._--Chop the ox-tail in pieces about one inch long, set them on the fire, with about one ounce of butter, stir till it turns rather brown, and turn the fat off. Then add broth to taste, boil slowly till the pieces of tail are well done; add salt, pepper, and when handy add also three or four tomatoes whole; boil gently about fifteen minutes longer, turn into the soup-dish, and serve meat and all.

Some add wine and liquor, the same as to the mock-turtle soup, but this is according to taste. The soup is excellent served without wine or liquor.

When no tomatoes are used, it is not necessary to boil fifteen minutes longer, serve as soon as done.

_Simple._--Use water instead of broth; season with carrot, turnip, parsley, leek, onions, cloves, salt, and pepper. Serve as the above.

_Ox-cheek._--An ox-cheek soup is made the same as an ox-tail soup. The broth is made with ox-cheek instead of with other parts of the beef, and the potage or soup made with the broth. A little wine--Madeira, Port, or Sherry--is sometimes added, as for mock-turtle.

_Sheep's-tail._--Proceed as for ox-tail in every particular.

_Sheep's-neck._--Made the same as ox-cheek soup.

_Sorrel._--Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan, set it on the fire, and as soon as melted, put a good handful of sorrel in, stir for about one minute; then add a pint and a half of water, salt; boil two or three minutes; add again a little butter, give one boil and turn into the soup-dish in which you have _croutons_.

As soon as taken from the fire, two, three, or four yolks of eggs, beaten with a tablespoonful of water, may be added.

Broth may be used instead of water.

_Oyster._--Put one quart of oysters with their liquor in a saucepan, with one pint of cold water, and set it on a good fire. Take from the fire at the first boil, and skim off the scum. Take the oysters from the pan with a skimmer and put them in the soup-dish. By keeping the soup-dish in a warm but not hot place, the oysters will not harden. Add to the juice in the saucepan a gill of white wine; give one boil, and take from the fire. Mix two ounces of butter with two tablespoonfuls of flour in a bowl; turn the juice and wine into the bowl also, and mix the whole well; put the mixture back in the saucepan, and set it on the fire, adding about half a dozen mushrooms, two or three stalks of parsley, and pepper to taste. Boil two minutes, turn over the oysters through a strainer, and serve.

The mushrooms may also be turned into the soup-dish.

_Cabbage._--Put in a kettle with two quarts and a half of water a pound of salted pork, same of breast of mutton; also, if handy, the remains of a roasted piece; set on a slow fire; skim before it boils, and then boil for about an hour and a half; strain, to remove the small bones, if any; put back in the kettle broth and meat, also one middling-sized cabbage, which you must have previously thrown in boiling water and boiled ten minutes; add then two carrots, one turnip, two leeks, half a head of celery, one onion with a clove stuck in it, a little salt and pepper, and about half a pound of sausage (not smoked); then boil gently about two hours, strain the broth, pour it on _croutons_ in the soup-dish, and serve.

The pork, mutton, and sausage, with the cabbage around, may be served on a dish after the soup at a family dinner, or kept for breakfast the next day.

_Cauliflower._--Clean and cut in small pieces three middling-sized cauliflowers. Put in a stewpan two ounces of butter, and set it on a moderate fire; when hot put the cauliflowers in; stir now and then till it turns brown, then add a sprig of thyme, same of parsley, a bay-leaf, one onion with a clove stuck in it, salt, and white pepper; simmer gently till the whole is well cooked, throw away the onion, clove, thyme, and bay-leaf; mash well the cauliflowers, strain and put back on the fire with the broth; give one boil, pour on _croutons_, and serve.

_Cheese._--Put four ounces of butter in a soup-kettle, with an onion chopped fine; set on a brisk fire, stir now and then till it has a yellow color, then sprinkle on it half a tablespoonful of flour, keep stirring till it turns brown; then add two quarts of water, salt, and pepper; boil about five minutes. Have prepared in the soup-dish the following: a thin layer of grated cheese, Gruyere or pine-apple cheese; on it a layer of thin slices of bread, then another of cheese, again another of bread, etc., three or four of each; strain, and pour the liquor in the kettle on the whole; keep in a warm place five minutes, and serve.

_Milk._--Put a quart of milk in a tin saucepan and set it on the fire; when it begins to rise, sweeten it to taste; give one boil, pour on toasted bread, or on _croutons_, or on two ounces of boiled rice, and serve.

Yolks of eggs may be stirred in, just before turning the milk into the soup-dish, and when taken from the fire.

_Maigre_ (called _Soup aux Herbes_, _Herb-Broth_, etc.).--Wash, drain, and chop fine a handful of sorrel, a dozen sprigs of chervil, and half a head of lettuce; put an ounce of butter in a stewpan, set it on a good fire; when melted, put the sorrel, chervil, and lettuce in, add salt and pepper, stir till the whole is cooked; then cover with lukewarm water; boil three minutes, beat well three yolks of eggs with a tablespoonful of water, take from the fire and put the eggs in while stirring; pour immediately on _croutons_, and serve.

_With Leeks._--Clean six leeks; cut them in pieces about half an inch long, then fry them with a little butter till turning rather yellow; add then about a pint and a half of water, boil gently till the leeks are perfectly cooked, salt to taste, and it is ready for use.

This broth may be taken warm or cold.

It is a demulcent, and at the same time the most refreshing drink that can be taken.

_With Clams._--Wash and clean the clams well. Then put them in a saucepan with half a pint of water (say one quart of clams), set on the fire, and at the first boil, take off and drain. Put the pan back on the fire with two ounces of butter in it; when melted, fry a chopped onion in the butter, add then the liquor drained, a pint of water, salt, pepper, parsley chopped fine, and the clams; boil two minutes, add also a little butter, and when melted and mixed, turn over some _croutons_ in the soup-dish, and serve warm.

_With Muscles._--Proceed as for clams in every particular.

_Allemande, or German Soup._--Soak four ounces of pearl-barley in tepid water for eight or ten hours, and strain. Put it in a saucepan with one quart of broth, a piece of leek, one of celery, and boil gently about one hour and a half. While it is boiling, mix well together in a bowl one tablespoonful of flour and half a gill of broth, which turn into the saucepan, also grated nutmeg and sugar to taste; boil ten minutes longer, and serve.

_Another, called a la Maria Theresa._--Proceed as for the above, except that you mix in a bowl six yolks of eggs with half a gill of broth, and no flour; and finish as in the preceding.

_Another way._--Instead of using pearl-barley, use flour that you have dried in a bakepan till it turns yellow.

_Indian, or Curry._--Put in a saucepan one ounce of butter and set it on the fire; when melted, fry in it two large onions, one carrot, and half a turnip, all sliced; also one leek, a stalk of celery, and four of parsley, all cut fine. When the whole is fried, cover with about one quart of broth, season with two cloves, a bay-leaf, half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, same of pimento, two stalks of thyme; boil gently about one hour and a quarter, and drain. Put the liquor back in the saucepan and add four ounces of boiled rice, a little saffron to color, simmer about fifteen minutes longer, and serve.

This soup is good and healthy for southern countries, but is too highly spiced for this climate.

_Polish, or Barscz._--Peel and clean fifteen or twenty red beets, split them in two or four lengthwise, and put them in an earthen vessel with a pail of water and about a pound of rye bread; cover the vessel as air-tight as possible, and set it in a warm place (about 80 degrees Fahr.) for about eight days. After that time the liquor is rather sour, then drain.

Put in a saucepan four pounds of lean beef, one pound of smoked pork, half a pound of ham, four onions, two leeks, and about four quarts of the liquor made as above. Simmer till the whole is done; skim off the scum that may gather on the surface, and then strain.

Roast till half done, three chickens, or one chicken and one rabbit, or one chicken and one duck; put them on the fire in a saucepan with the liquor strained from the beef, pork, etc., as described above. Boil gently about half an hour, strain the liquor again. Then cut the beef, smoked pork, and ham, in small dice, put the whole in the soup-dish, with the strained liquor, and serve warm, as soup.

The chicken, or chicken and rabbit, or chicken and duck, are generally served separately, with some of the beets used to make the liquor, and with the addition of mushrooms, parsley, celery, onions, and sausages, raw or cooked, according to taste; and salt, pepper, and spices, according to taste also.

The poorer classes make this soup with water instead of beet-juice, and very often with mutton instead of beef; but proceed as described above in every other particular.

_Russian, or Uka._--The _uka_ is made in Russia with sterlets. It may be made here with the sturgeon of the lakes, or with salmon or trout.

Cut the fish in pieces about two inches long, and put them in salt water for one hour, and drain. Cut in small pieces two roots of parsley and two of celery, throw them into boiling water five minutes and drain them. Then fry them with a little butter till they turn yellow, when add a gill of broth, and boil gently till it becomes rather thick. Put the pieces of fish in also, add salt and pepper, to taste, cover the whole with fish-broth, boil gently till the fish is cooked, and serve warm.

Some _caviare_ may be added just before serving.

_Another, or Tstchy._--Put four pounds of beef in a soup-kettle (the poorer classes always use mutton), with a chicken or a duck, half a pound of smoked pork, same of smoked sausages, four carrots, four cloves, twelve pepper-corns, salt, two leeks, two onions, four stalks of parsley, and one of celery; cover the whole with fish-broth, and set on a good fire. Skim off the scum carefully, and boil gently till the whole is done. As soon as either the chicken or duck, etc., is done, take it from the kettle. When the whole is cooked, drain.

Put the liquor back in the kettle with a middling-sized head of cabbage cut in four, or about the same quantity of sour-krout, slices of carrots and onions, pearl-barley, _semoule_, or gruel; simmer about three hours, and it is done.

It is served in two ways: first, all the meat and vegetables are cut in small pieces and served with the broth as soup; second, the broth is served with the vegetables cut up, and the meat is served after and separately, as a _releve_.

Nothing is thrown away but the pepper-corns and cloves.

_Spanish, or Olla Podrida._--Put four ounces of lean and fat salt pork into a saucepan and set it on a good fire; when partly fried, add half a pound of beef, same of mutton, same of veal (occasionally a chicken or partridge is added also), and four ounces of ham. Just cover the whole with cold water, and skim carefully as soon as the scum comes on the surface. When skimmed, add a gill of dry peas, previously soaked in water for an hour, half a small head of cabbage, pimento to taste, one carrot, one turnip, two leeks, three or four stalks of celery, same of parsley, two of thyme, two cloves, two onions, two cloves of garlic, ten pepper-corns, and some mace; fill up with water so that the whole is just covered, and simmer for about five hours.

In case the water should simmer away too much, add a little more.

When done, dish the pork, beef, mutton, veal, ham, and chicken. Put the peas, cabbage, carrots, turnips, leeks, celery, and onions on another dish.

Strain the liquor, pour it on _croutons_ in the soup-dish, and serve the three dishes at the same time.

The Spanish peasantry and the lower classes in cities, serve the whole in the same dish, and generally omit the beef and veal. The better class serve the soup first, and then the meat and vegetables afterward.

_Another._--Chop very fine two onions, one cucumber peeled and seeded, a little pimento, two cloves of garlic, four sprigs of parsley, same of chervil, and mix the whole in a bowl with the juice of four tomatoes, and to which add two or three tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs. Then season with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and water to taste, and serve.

The Spanish call it a cool and refreshing soup.

There is no good cooking possible without good sauces. Many excellent pieces of meat, etc., are spoiled by being served with a poor sauce.

Let every one bear in mind that water is no substitute for broth; that vinegar or water is no substitute for wine, etc.

There is no place where the old proverb can be better applied than in the kitchen, "Waste not, spare not."

The _French_, _Italians_, _Spaniards_, and _Germans_, use broth and wine in their cooking, and do not spend as much as the _Americans_ for their food; they could not afford it; but they waste not, neither do they lose any thing good through carelessness or prejudice.

Good sauces are not as difficult to make as is generally believed.

This general belief comes from the fact that many, after having partaken of a certain dish somewhere, and liking it much, ask of their own cook to prepare the same.

The cook, most probably, has never heard of it, but nevertheless prepares a dish which is hardly eatable, and is to the other what a crab-apple is to a raspberry.

The most important thing in making a sauce is for the cook to put his or her whole attention and care to it.

Most sauces must be stirred continually while on the fire, and especially white sauces, such as _Bechamel_, _Bechamel_ with cream or cream sauce, and white sauce.

It is necessary to stir all sauces now and then, to prevent the forming of a kind of skin on the surface.

The onions, shallots, garlics, and vinegar, used in sharp sauces, may be prepared as described for _piquante_ sauce.

Sauces can always be made to suit the taste. A thousand can be made as well as a hundred, by merely adding or subtracting one or more of the compounds, or by proceeding differently. An idea of what can be done in that line can be formed by reading our directions for Supreme Sauce.

HOW TO MAKE A SAUCE THICKER WHEN IT IS TOO THIN, AND THINNER WHEN TOO THICK.

Take two fresh eggs, break them gently, and separate the white part from the yolk; be careful to have the yolk free from any white (there is in every yolk a little white spot, which you cannot detach without using a fork, knife, or spoon); mix well the two yolks with two or three tablespoonfuls of the sauce that is too thin, and a piece of butter the size of a pigeon's egg; then take the sauce from the fire, pour the mixture in it, little by little, stirring all the time; when the whole is in, put back on the fire for three or four minutes, but do not allow it to boil; take away and use. When too thick, add broth.

_Allemande._--Chop fine and fry in butter four or five mushrooms; then add a little flour, and four or five tablespoonfuls of broth; reduce it to a sauce; put a piece of butter the size of an egg in it, also a sprig of white parsley chopped fine, one of thyme, a clove, a bay-leaf, a clove of garlic, a little nutmeg grated fine, the juice of a quarter of a lemon, and three well-beaten yolks of eggs, boil two or three minutes, and use. If found too thick, add a little broth.

_Anchovy Butter._--Strain essence of anchovy through a fine sieve, and knead it with fresh butter, or salt butter that you have kneaded in cold water previously, and it is ready for use.

_Anchovy Sauce._--Use butter without salt; if salty, work it in cold water. Set three ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and melt it slowly; then add about two teaspoonfuls of essence of anchovy; stir a few seconds, and it is done. More anchovy may be used if liked. It is served in a boat.

_Apple._--Peel, quarter, and core four or six apples, and set them on the fire in a small saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of water; stir now and then till done; when done, mash through a fine colander; add a little sugar, and it is ready for use.

If found too thin, keep on the fire for some time. If too thick, add a little water.

_Cranberry._--Put a quart of cranberries in a saucepan and set it on a rather slow fire; stir occasionally till done; mash gently through a fine colander, or through a strainer; add a little sugar, and use.

_Currant._--Proceed as for a cranberry-sauce in every particular, except that it must be mashed through a strainer or through a towel.

_Peach._--Stone about a quart of peaches, and proceed as for apple-sauce for the rest.

_Raspberry._--Made the same as currant-sauce.

The five sauces above are served with roasted game.

_Bechamel._--Mix cold, and well together, in a tin saucepan, two ounces of butter and a tablespoonful of flour; then add a pint of milk, and set on the fire; stir continually, and when turning rather thick, take off; beat a yolk of egg in a cup with a teaspoonful of water; turn it into the sauce, and mix well again; salt and white pepper to taste, and it is ready for use.

_Blonde._--Proceed exactly as for white sauce, using broth instead of water.

_Bread._--Take the soft part of half a ten-cent loaf of bread; break it in pieces, which put in a saucepan with a quart of good fresh milk, six pepper-corns chopped fine, and a little salt; set on the fire and boil five or six minutes, stirring the while; take off, mash through a strainer or a sieve, and it is ready for use.

A bread-sauce is really a very poor sauce. Its insipidity is concealed by the great amount of pepper that it contains.

_Brown Butter, or Beurre Noir._--This is butter set on the fire in a frying-pan and left till it turns perfectly brown, then a few sprigs of parsley are dropped in it, fried half a minute, and it is ready for use.

It is sometimes used with vinegar, but in that case it is described in the receipts.

_Caper._--Mix well together, cold, in a small saucepan, two ounces of butter and a tablespoonful of flour; then add a pint of broth, set on the fire, stir, and when thickening, add capers to taste, whole or chopped; give another boil, take from the fire, add salt, the yolk of an egg beaten with a teaspoonful of water, mix and serve.

_Celery._--Proceed as for a caper-sauce in every particular except that you add three or four stalks of celery chopped fine, and then boil ten or twelve minutes, and strain it before using.

_Colbert._--Set half a pint of meat gravy on the fire, in a small saucepan with half a dozen mushrooms and one or two truffles chopped fine (the latter, if handy), boil gently five minutes, add one ounce of butter, stir, and when the butter is melted and mixed with the rest, it is ready for use.

_Coulis of Fish_, _or Fish Gravy_, is one and the same thing.

Boil hard four eggs, and put the yolks in a mortar. Take a pike weighing about two pounds, clean, prepare, and broil it as directed; split it open, take all the bones and skin off, put the flesh in the mortar with the yolks, and pound the whole, and knead it with a little butter. Place a little butter, of the size of a walnut, in a stewpan, and set it on a good fire; when melted, fry in it till of a golden color, two carrots and two onions cut in slices; after that add also a piece of bay-leaf, two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a little isinglass, the eggs and fish, and cover with water; simmer gently about one hour and a half, and strain.

If found too thin after it is strained, set it back on the fire, add a little more isinglass, and simmer fifteen minutes longer.

_Coulis of Veal._--Place in a stewpan about one pound of veal, fillet or knuckle, with four ounces of bacon, not smoked, and cut fine; also a carrot cut fine, a little pepper, and grated nutmeg; set on a slow fire, cover well; half an hour after augment the fire, and as soon as you see the meat sticking to the pan, subdue it, leave it so ten minutes, then take from the fire, put the bacon, veal, and carrot on a dish; put butter about the size of an egg in the pan; when melted, sprinkle in it a teaspoonful of flour, stir with a wooden spoon, then put the meat back into it. Cover with warm broth and set on a slow fire for about two hours; take off, throw in it a few drops of cold water, skim off the fat, strain, and use.

_Cream._--A cream-sauce is a _Bechamel_ made with cream instead of milk.

It is often called _a la creme_, its French name.

_Cucumber._--Proceed as for caper-sauce, using pickled cucumbers, chopped fine, instead of capers.

_Egg._--Proceed as for caper-sauce in every particular, except that you use two hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine, instead of capers.

_Diplomat._--Make a cream-sauce with one pint of cream. When made, put in it nearly half a pound of lobster butter, stir, and when the whole is well mixed, add also about a tablespoonful of essence of anchovy and mix again; pepper to taste, and use.

It is a rich sauce, used with boiled fish and baked or roasted meat.

_Espagnole._--This sauce is very seldom made in the kitchen of a family, except of a large and wealthy family, being a rather expensive one. In the kitchen of a family, gravy or even broth is used in its stead; but, when preparing an extra dinner, it should be made, and a little of it used in all the brown sauces, either for meat, fish, or vegetables.

Spread about half a pound of butter in the bottom of a stewpan, lay in it lean ham and veal, partridge, wild rabbit, pheasant, or fowl of any kind, about four ounces of each, a small carrot cut in dice, one onion with a clove stuck in it, half a turnip, and a sprig of thyme; cover the pan and set it on the fire; let it simmer till reduced to a jelly, then mix in it two tablespoonfuls of flour, a wine-glass of white wine, cover with broth, add salt, pepper, a clove of garlic, a sprig of parsley, one clove, a bay-leaf, and two mushrooms cut in pieces; simmer from three to four hours, skim off the scum as soon as it comes on the surface; when done, take it from the fire, throw a few drops of cold water in, and skim off the fat, then strain and use.

It will keep for some time if kept air-tight in a pot or bottle, and in a cool, dry place.

_Essence of Spinage, or Spinach._--Soak in water, drain, dry, and pound well two or three handfuls of spinach, put them in a coarse towel and press the juice out, put it in a pan on a moderate fire, and when nearly boiling, take it off, strain, and add to it a little fine-crushed sugar, stir a little, and bottle when cold; it may be kept for months; use it where directed.

_Sauce for every kind of Fish, boiled, baked, or roasted_.--Boil hard two eggs, take the yolks and pound them well, and place them in a bowl. Have boiling water on the fire, and put in it cives, burnet, chervil, tarragon, and parsley, four or five sprigs of each; boil five minutes, take off, drain and pound them well, then strain them on the eggs, add two tablespoonfuls of cider vinegar, two of French mustard, salt, pepper, and four tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, which you pour in, little by little, at the same time mixing the whole well with a boxwood spoon, and it is ready for use.

_Fines Herbes._--Chop very fine a small handful of parsley, shallots, and chives; and proceed as for making a caper-sauce, except that you use the chopped spices instead of capers.

_Genoise._--Put two ounces of butter in a small saucepan, set it on the fire, and when melted, mix in it a tablespoonful of flour; stir for one minute, add one-fourth of a carrot, sliced, stir now and then, and when nearly fried, add also a pint of broth, half a pint of claret wine, a small onion, and a clove of garlic, chopped; two cloves, a bay-leaf, two stalks of parsley, one of thyme, salt, and pepper; boil gently about one hour and forty minutes, and strain. If it boils away, add a little broth. Put it back on the fire with about half an ounce of butter, boil gently for about ten minutes, and it is ready for use.

This sauce is excellent with any kind of boiled fish, but especially with trout, pike, and pickerel.

A trout served with a _genoise_ sauce is considered a _recherche_ dish.

_Hollandaise._--Set one ounce of butter on the fire in a saucepan, and when melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning rather yellow, add half a pint of broth, stir for one minute; add also four sprigs of parsley and four mushrooms chopped fine (one truffle sliced, if handy, would be excellent), a liquor-glass of Madeira, Port, or Sherry wine; boil gently ten minutes, stirring the while, and serve.

_Indian._--This sauce may be used with fish, in summer and in southern places.

Have a stewpan on a moderate fire, with two ounces of butter in it; when melted, add a teaspoonful of pimento, salt, a pinch of saffron, and one of grated nutmeg, also one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour--the latter you sprinkle in, little by little, stirring the while; cover with broth, boil twelve minutes and strain; afterward add two ounces of butter, stir a little, and use.

_Italian._--Tie together two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, and a bay-leaf; put them in a stewpan with two or three mushrooms cut fine, one shallot, a small onion with a clove stuck in it, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and half a pint of white wine; set on a gentle fire, and reduce it half; then add about one tablespoonful of olive-oil and half a pint of broth, simmer forty minutes, strain, and use.

_Lobster._--Chop very fine or pound some of the flesh of a boiled lobster. Take a white or blonde sauce, and instead of taking it from the fire when done, turn the chopped flesh into it with a little piece of butter; stir, give one boil, and it is ready for use.

_Craw-fish, prawn, shrimp,_ and _crab_ sauces are made the same as _lobster_ sauce.

_Madeira._--Mix cold in a saucepan two ounces of butter with a tablespoonful of flour, set on the fire and stir till it turns rather brown; when add nearly a pint of gravy, stir till it is becoming thick; then add half a pint of Madeira wine, little by little, stirring the while, give one boil only, salt to taste, and then strain and use.

_Champagne_ sauce is made in the same way, except that it must be poured in faster and used immediately.

All wine sauces may be made in the same way. We mean wine sauces for meat or fish.

_Maitre d'Hotel._--This sauce is sometimes called _butter_ _maitre d'hotel_. Mix and knead well together in a bowl, two ounces of butter, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and the juice of a half lemon; salt to taste and use.

Pepper, grated nutmeg, and chopped chives, may be added if liked. Using vinegar instead of lemon-juice makes an inferior sauce.

_Mayonnaise._--In warm weather it is necessary to put the bowl on ice while making it. Put one or two yolks of fresh eggs in a bowl with a small pinch of salt; commence stirring with a box-wood spoon, or, what is still better, a stone or marble pestle. Stir without interruption, always in the same way and describing a circle. It is more easily done if the bowl is held steady. After having stirred about half a minute, commence pouring the oil in, drop by drop, and as soon as you see that it is thickening pretty well, add also a few drops of vinegar and same of lemon-juice; then continue with the oil in the same way. Every time that it becomes too thick, add a little vinegar, but continue stirring. You put as much oil as you please; two bottles of oil might be used and it would still be thick. Spread it on chicken salad, etc.

_Tartar._--Chop some capers and shallots very fine, mix them well with a _mayonnaise_ when made, and you have a Tartar sauce.

_Mushroom._--Proceed exactly as for caper-sauce, using chopped mushrooms instead of capers.

_Piquante._--Take a small saucepan and set it on the fire with two ounces of butter in it, and when melted add a small onion chopped; stir, and when nearly fried add a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning rather brown, add half a pint of broth, salt, pepper, a pickled cucumber chopped, four stalks of parsley, also chopped, and mustard; boil gently about ten minutes, add a teaspoonful of vinegar; give one boil, and serve.

_Another way._--Set the chopped onion on the fire with one gill of vinegar, and boil gently till the vinegar is entirely absorbed, or boiled away. Make the same sauce as above in another pan, omitting the onion and vinegar, and when done mix the two together, and it is ready for use.

_Another._--Add three shallots, chopped fine, to the chopped onion, and proceed as above for the rest.

_Parisienne._--Make a bunch of seasonings with six sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and two cloves; put it in a saucepan with half a pint of chopped truffles, and about a pint of white wine; set on the fire and boil gently till about half reduced, strain, put back on the fire, turn into it, little by little, stirring the while, nearly a pint of gravy or _consomme_; continue stirring now and then till it begins to turn rather thick, add pepper to taste, strain, and use with fish and game.

_Poivrade._--Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stewpan, and set it on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in it, little by little, about a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; when of a proper thickness, and of a brownish color, take from the fire, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, a wine-glass of claret wine, a glass of broth, a shallot cut in two, a middling-sized onion, also cut in two, with a clove stuck in each piece, a sprig of thyme, one of parsley, a bay-leaf, a clove of garlic, a little salt, and two pepper-corns; boil about twenty minutes, strain and use.

The vinegar, shallot, and onion may be boiled separately as for a _piquante_ sauce.

_Polonaise._--Put four ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and when melted add two or three tablespoonfuls of the soft part of bread, bruised in a coarse towel; stir for about one minute, salt to taste, and use.

Like the _Parisienne_, it is used with game.

_Poulette._--Set a stewpan on the fire with a piece of butter the size of an egg in it; when melted, sprinkle in it a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; pour gently in it also, and little by little, a glass of warm water, and a wine-glass of white wine, or broth instead of both, salt, pepper, a sprig of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, a chopped shallot, a little nutmeg, four small white onions, and two or three mushrooms (the latter cut fine and fried in butter before using them); simmer till the whole is well cooked, strain and use.

In case it should be found too light, add when done, and before taking from the fire, two or three yolks of eggs, and the juice of a lemon.

_Princesse._--Make a cream-sauce with one pint of cream and set it on a moderate fire; immediately turn into it, stirring the while, about half a pint of reduced, good meat gravy; when thoroughly mixed, add two or three ounces of butter, stir for a couple of minutes longer, strain and use immediately.

It is a very rich sauce, used with boiled fish and roasted or baked meat.

_Provencale._--Chop fine two or three mushrooms, and two shallots; put the whole in a stewpan with a clove of garlic, and two tablespoonfuls of olive-oil; set on a moderate fire, and leave till half fried; then sprinkle in it half a teaspoonful of flour, stirring the while; add also half a pint of white wine, and as much broth, and two small onions, two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, half a bay-leaf, salt, and pepper; simmer about half an hour, take from the fire, and a few minutes after skim off the fat; take out the garlic, onions, parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, and it is then ready for immediate use.

_Ravigote._--Chop fine, and in equal proportion, two tablespoonfuls of chervil, tarragon, and pepper-grass, also, in equal proportion, one teaspoonful of burnet and table celery; place the whole in a stewpan with salt and pepper, cover with broth, set on the fire, and boil twenty minutes; after which take from the fire, and strain. Mix two ounces of butter with flour enough to make a paste, put it with the sauce on the fire, add a tablespoonful of cider vinegar; simmer till of a proper thickness, and use.

_Robert._--Put about four ounces of butter in a stewpan, set it on a moderate fire; when melted, sprinkle in it about a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; when of a brownish color, add three small onions chopped fine, salt, and pepper; stir, and leave on the fire till the whole is turning brown, then add a glass of broth, boil about thirty minutes, and strain; mix well in a cup one teaspoonful of vinegar, one of sugar, and one of mustard, which mix again with the sauce, and it is ready to be used.

_Remolade._--Chop very fine a small handful of chervil, tarragon, and burnet, in equal proportion, and put them in a saucer or boat; add salt, pepper, nutmeg grated, and mustard, to taste; also one or two hard-boiled eggs cut in dice; mix the whole gently and well; then add the vinegar, and lastly the oil. The two latter ones are put in little by little, stirring gently the while. Serve as it is.

_Another._--Proceed as for the above, except that you chop fine with the chervil, etc., some parsley, shallot, and garlic; the five spices in equal proportion.

When finished, add also a pinch of sugar.

_Roux._--Set a small saucepan on a moderate fire, with two ounces of butter in it; sprinkle into it, when melted, a tablespoonful of flour; stir, and when turning brown, use.

_Shallot._--Chop the shallots, and proceed as for caper-sauce, using them instead of capers.

_Soubise._--Put about half a pint of good meat gravy in a saucepan; set it on the fire, and when boiling add half a gill of Madeira wine; when well mixed, add also two or three tablespoonfuls of _puree_ of white onions, salt, and pepper; boil five minutes, stirring now and then, and it is made.

A _soubise_ is an excellent sauce for baked or boiled fish, also for roasted meat.

_Supreme._--This sauce is made in several ways. We will give here the three principal ones:

1. Make an _Allemande_ sauce; and when done, add to it two ounces of butter and half a gill of _consomme_; stir and mix, and place on a brisk fire to start it boiling at once; take it from the fire as soon as it becomes thick; then add a few drops of lemon-juice, and use.

2. Make a _roux_; add to it about half a pint of chicken gravy; stir or boil five or six minutes; then add two ounces of butter, the juice of a lemon, a pinch of parsley chopped fine; give one boil, and use.

3. This is made like No. 2, except that you use an _Allemande_ sauce instead of a _roux_, and besides the pint of chicken gravy, etc., you add also half a gill of white wine.

It is used especially with roasted chicken and game.

_Tomato._--If you use fresh tomatoes, blanch them first; if preserved, use them as they are in the can. Put one pint of tomatoes in a saucepan with a small onion and a clove of garlic sliced; also two stalks of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, one clove, six pepper-corns, and salt; boil gently till reduced about one-third, when mash gently through a strainer or sieve; all the tomato-seed and seasonings must remain in the strainer; put back on the fire, with a little piece of butter; give one boil, and it is done.

_Truffle._--This sauce is made like a caper-sauce, using chopped or sliced truffles instead of capers.

_Veloute._--This and gravy is nearly the same thing. It is gravy made as directed for gravy, with the addition of a dozen mushrooms chopped fine; and is used for sauces, like gravy, to make sauces richer than with broth.

_Vinaigrette._--Put salt and pepper in a saucer (and mustard, if it is to be used with butcher's meat; but with fish, chicken, or birds, it is really too strong; it neutralizes the delicate flavor of the object), and pour vinegar over, little by little, beating with a fork at the same time; then pour the oil, also little by little, and while beating; a little chopped parsley is also added; and serve with cold meat, fish, or vegetables.

It is quickly made, is good, and makes an excellent dish for breakfast, served as we said above.

_White._--Put two ounces of butter in a small saucepan and set it on the fire, stir a little, and as soon as melted, remove on a rather slow fire; add a tablespoonful of flour, stir continually till thoroughly mixed (two or three minutes); then add again about a pint of boiling water, pouring gently, and stirring the while, take off when it begins to turn thick; add a yolk of egg beaten with a teaspoonful of cold water, mix it well with the rest, and it is ready for use; after having mixed, also salt and white pepper to taste.

_Oyster._--Add to a white sauce some oysters blanched; then stir and mix with the whole the juice of half a lemon.

_Muscle._--Boil the muscles about one minute and make as oyster-sauce.