599—THE POT-AU-FEUPrepare this exactly like the Petite Marmite.600—POULE AU POT, or Poule au Pot Henri IVThis is a variation of the Petite Marmite, in which a tender and very fleshy hen is substituted for the giblets of fowl.Strictly observethe 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.[216]601—CONSOMMÉ PRINTANIERHave 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 chervilpluches.602—CONSOMMÉ PRINTANIER AUX QUENELLESPrepare theprintanierexactly 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 groovedmeringues, 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 PROFITEROLLESPrepare forty very dryprofiterolles(No.218), and add an excellent chicken consommé to them at the last moment.Theprofiterollesmay 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 RACHELPrepare 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 ajulienneof cooked artichoke bottoms into the soup-tureen, pour thereon the thickened consommé, and add the roundels of bread garnished with marrow.[217]605—CONSOMMÉ REJANEPrepare one quart of excellent white consommé, set it to boil, and add ajulienneof 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 ajulienne, complete the cooking, and serve immediately.606—CONSOMMÉ RENAISSANCEPrepare one quart of clear chicken consommé.For the garnish make twodariole-mouldsof 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 chervilpluches.607—CONSOMMÉ RICHELIEUHave 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 asfollows:—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 intopaupiettes, and poach in some of the consommé.3. Prepare two tablespoonfuls of a coarsejulienneof carrots and turnips, stew them in butter, and complete their cooking in the consommé, which should be thoroughly cleared of grease.Put thejulienne, thepaupiettes, and the stuffed quenelles[218]into the soup-tureen; pour therein the boiling beef consommé, and add a pinch of chervilpluches.608—CONSOMMÉ ROSSINIPrepare one quart of chicken consommé, slightly thickened with two tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.Make eighteenprofiterolles, frompâte à chouxwithout 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 theprofiterollesseparately, after having placed them in good time in the front of the oven, so that they may reach the table very hot.609—CONSOMMÉ ROTHSCHILDHave ready one quart of game consommé, prepared with pheasantfumet. Add thereto, when about to serve, one-quarter pint of reduced Sauterne. Make twodariole-mouldsof royale from a preparation consisting of one-third of the whole of purée of pheasant, one-third of chestnut purée, and one-third of pheasantsalmissauce. Poach the royale; cut it into grooved roundels, and place these in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of ajulienneof fillets of pheasant.When about to serve, pour the boiling consommé over the garnish.610—CONSOMMÉ SAINT HUBERTTake one quart of game consommé, prepared with venisonfumet. Finish the consommé, at the time of serving, with one-quarter pint of Marsala.Make threedariole-mouldsof 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 ajulienneconsisting of fillets of hare, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.611—POTAGE SARAH BERNHARDTSprinkle three tablespoonfuls of tapioca into one quart of boiling chicken consommé, and leave to poach gently for fifteen or eighteen minutes.[219]Make twenty small quenelles from chicken forcemeat, finished by means of crayfish butter, and mould them to the shape of small, groovedmeringues. Poach these quenelles. Cut twelve roundels, the size of a penny, from a piece of beef-marrow, and poach them in the consommé.Put the drained quenelles and the poached roundels of marrow into the soup-tureen; add one tablespoonful of ajulienneof very black truffles, and the same quantity of asparagus-heads. Pour the boiling consommé, with tapioca, over this garnish.612—CONSOMMÉ SÉVIGNÉKeep 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 chervilpluches.613—CONSOMMÉ SOUVERAINEHave ready one quart of chicken consommé.Make ten large quenelles from chicken forcemeat, and stuff them with a very finebrunoise, proceeding asfollows:—Line a dessertspoon with a thin coat of forcemeat, and garnish the centre with thebrunoise, previously cooked in consommé, and cold. Cover thebrunoisewith 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 chervilpluches.614—TURTLE SOUPWith 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[220]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 OperationThe 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 thedismemberment:—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, toblanch. Withdraw the flippers as soon as they are sufficiently stiff for their skin to be removed, and leave the pieces of carapace and plastron toblanchfor 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[221]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.[222]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.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 recipebeing:—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 lemonzests. 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 TOSCAHave ready one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.Also prepare two tablespoonfuls of ajulienneof 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 crispprofiterolles, stuffed with a purée of chicken with pistachio kernels.Put the quenelles and thejulienneinto the soup-tureen, pour therein the boiling consommé, and send theprofiterollesto the table separately, and very hot.616—CONSOMMÉ VERT PRÉSprinkle 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 chervilpluches.[223]617—CONSOMMÉ VILLENEUVEHave ready one quart of chicken consommé.Prepare the followinggarnish:—Two smallblanchedlettuces, stuffed with chicken forcemeat combined with braised and chopped salted tongue; twodariole-mouldsof 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 SuppersRemarks 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 paramountimportance:—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—CONSOMMÉA L’ESSENCEDE CAILLESUse roast quails in the proportion of two for each pint of consommé; the fillets may be reserved for a cold entrée.619—CONSOMMÉA L’ESSENCEDE CÉLERIIt 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—CONSOMMÉA L’ESSENCEDE MORILLESAllow 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.[224]621—CONSOMMÉA L’ESSENCEDE TRUFFLEUse 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 PERDREAUProceed as in No.618; allow one partridge for each quart of the consommé.623—CONSOMMÉ AUX PAILLETTES D’ORTake 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 DOUXAdd 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—CONSOMMÉA LA MADRILÈNEAdd 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—CONSOMMÉA LA PORTUGAISEAdd 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 VINSBy adding a port wine glass full of the chosen wine to one pint of excellent cold chicken consommé, the following series of consommés may bemade:—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.[225]628—GELEE AUX POMMES D’AMOURProceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” and use that variety of small tomatoes which, in Provence, are called “Pommes d’amour.”629—GELEE DE VOLAILLEA LA NAPOLITAINEProceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” but finish it with one port wine-glassful of port or old Marsala per quart.THICK SOUPSIn 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 CRÉCYCut 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.[226]This soup may also be prepared as a cream or a velouté à la Nivernaise (see No.674).631—PURÉE DE CAROTTES AU TAPIOCA,otherwise VELOURSMake 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-RAVEFinely mince one lb. of celeriac;blanchit; 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 FLAMANDEParboil 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 DUBARRYParboil 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 JAPONAISEParboil and drain one lb. of well-cleaned stachys. Stew them in one oz. of butter; moisten with one pint of boiled[227]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 MUSARDCook 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 chervilpluches.637—PURÉE DE HARICOTS BLANCS,otherwise SOISSONNAISECook 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 CORMEILLESParboil 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.[228]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.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 CONDÉPut 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 CONTISoak 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 chervilpluches.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 FRENEUSEFinely 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[229]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 VERMICELLEA LA CRÈMESprinkle 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 SAGOUA LA CRÈMEProceed 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 SEMOULEA LA CRÈMEThe same as the above, but use three oz. of semolina. All other particulars remain the same.645—PURÉE D’OSEILLE ET DE TAPIOCAA LA CRÈMEProcedure 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 RECIPESA large variety of this kind of soups may be prepared by using the quantity prescribed of salep, buckwheat, oatmeal, barley-meal, &c.[230]These soups derive a particular and agreeable flavour from their cohering element.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; smallprintaniers,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 CROÛTONSWash 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. ofmirepoix, 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-GERMAINThe 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 lettucechiffonade, 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.[231]Treated thus, the purée will be of a fainter shade than the preceding one, but its flavour will be more delicate.Garnish, in both cases, with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of very green, fine peas, and some chervilpluches. This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.649—PURÉE DE POIS FRAISA LA MENTHEMake 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 chervilpluches.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 AMBASSADEURSPurée of fresh peas, quite ready for soup; finish with a small tablespoonful of sorrel and lettucechiffonade, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice per quart of purée.651—POTAGE CAMELIAPrepare this after the recipe of potage Lamballe; finish with one tablespoonful of ajulienneof the white of a leek and one tablespoonful of white chicken meat, cutjulienne-fashion, per quart of the soup.652—POTAGE FONTANGESPurée of fresh peas ready for soup; add two tablespoonfuls of achiffonadeof sorrel and a pinch of chervilpluchesper quart of the purée, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice.653—POTAGE LAMBALLEHalf 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 LONGCHAMPSThis 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 chervilpluchesper quart of the soup.[232]655—POTAGE MARIGNYProceed 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 MARCILLYHalf 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-MARCEAUThis is an ordinary purée of peas with butter, combined with two tablespoonfuls of ajulienneconsisting of the white of a leek and some chervilpluchesper 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 PARMENTIERFinely 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 tablespoonfulsof small bread dice fried in butter and some chervilpluches.This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.659—PURÉE DE TOMATES, otherwise PORTUGAISEFry in one oz. of butter a somewhat finely-cutmirepoixconsisting 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 friedmirepoixeight 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.[233]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 tablespoonfulsof 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 WALDÈZEPrepare 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 PALESTINEFinely 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 thismirepoixwith butter, in a sautépan; throw in fifteen crayfish for “Bisque” (their average weight being about one and one-third oz.), and toss them in themirepoixuntil 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.[234]Also cook three oz. of rice in one and one-half pints of white consommé.(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 themirepoix. 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 abain-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 HOMARDAfter 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 CREVETTESThe mode of procedure for this bisque, themirepoix, 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 CHASSEURPrepare 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[235]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 tablespoonfulsof small, very fresh mushrooms; these to be finely minced and tossed in butter.666—COULIS DE GRIVES AU PAIN NOIR,otherwise A L’ARDENNAISEFry 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 ajulienne.667—COULIS DE GROUSE OU DE GELINOTTEA L’ANCIENNEProceed as in No.666in so far as the preparatory details and the quantities are concerned, but take note of the following changes in otherdirections:—(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.
Prepare this exactly like the Petite Marmite.
This is a variation of the Petite Marmite, in which a tender and very fleshy hen is substituted for the giblets of fowl.
Strictly observethe 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.
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 chervilpluches.
Prepare theprintanierexactly 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 groovedmeringues, 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.
Prepare forty very dryprofiterolles(No.218), and add an excellent chicken consommé to them at the last moment.
Theprofiterollesmay also be made to the size of walnuts, in which case they may be stuffed with a purée of chicken, foie gras, &c.
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 ajulienneof cooked artichoke bottoms into the soup-tureen, pour thereon the thickened consommé, and add the roundels of bread garnished with marrow.
Prepare one quart of excellent white consommé, set it to boil, and add ajulienneof 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 ajulienne, complete the cooking, and serve immediately.
Prepare one quart of clear chicken consommé.
For the garnish make twodariole-mouldsof 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 chervilpluches.
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 asfollows:—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 intopaupiettes, and poach in some of the consommé.
3. Prepare two tablespoonfuls of a coarsejulienneof carrots and turnips, stew them in butter, and complete their cooking in the consommé, which should be thoroughly cleared of grease.
Put thejulienne, thepaupiettes, and the stuffed quenelles[218]into the soup-tureen; pour therein the boiling beef consommé, and add a pinch of chervilpluches.
Prepare one quart of chicken consommé, slightly thickened with two tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.
Make eighteenprofiterolles, frompâte à chouxwithout 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 theprofiterollesseparately, after having placed them in good time in the front of the oven, so that they may reach the table very hot.
Have ready one quart of game consommé, prepared with pheasantfumet. Add thereto, when about to serve, one-quarter pint of reduced Sauterne. Make twodariole-mouldsof royale from a preparation consisting of one-third of the whole of purée of pheasant, one-third of chestnut purée, and one-third of pheasantsalmissauce. Poach the royale; cut it into grooved roundels, and place these in the soup-tureen with one tablespoonful of ajulienneof fillets of pheasant.
When about to serve, pour the boiling consommé over the garnish.
Take one quart of game consommé, prepared with venisonfumet. Finish the consommé, at the time of serving, with one-quarter pint of Marsala.
Make threedariole-mouldsof 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 ajulienneconsisting of fillets of hare, and pour thereon the boiling consommé.
Sprinkle three tablespoonfuls of tapioca into one quart of boiling chicken consommé, and leave to poach gently for fifteen or eighteen minutes.
[219]Make twenty small quenelles from chicken forcemeat, finished by means of crayfish butter, and mould them to the shape of small, groovedmeringues. Poach these quenelles. Cut twelve roundels, the size of a penny, from a piece of beef-marrow, and poach them in the consommé.
Put the drained quenelles and the poached roundels of marrow into the soup-tureen; add one tablespoonful of ajulienneof very black truffles, and the same quantity of asparagus-heads. Pour the boiling consommé, with tapioca, over this garnish.
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 chervilpluches.
Have ready one quart of chicken consommé.
Make ten large quenelles from chicken forcemeat, and stuff them with a very finebrunoise, proceeding asfollows:—Line a dessertspoon with a thin coat of forcemeat, and garnish the centre with thebrunoise, previously cooked in consommé, and cold. Cover thebrunoisewith 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 chervilpluches.
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[220]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.
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 thedismemberment:—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, toblanch. Withdraw the flippers as soon as they are sufficiently stiff for their skin to be removed, and leave the pieces of carapace and plastron toblanchfor 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[221]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.
[222]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.
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 recipebeing:—
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 lemonzests. 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.
Have ready one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen.
Also prepare two tablespoonfuls of ajulienneof 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 crispprofiterolles, stuffed with a purée of chicken with pistachio kernels.
Put the quenelles and thejulienneinto the soup-tureen, pour therein the boiling consommé, and send theprofiterollesto the table separately, and very hot.
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 chervilpluches.
Have ready one quart of chicken consommé.
Prepare the followinggarnish:—Two smallblanchedlettuces, stuffed with chicken forcemeat combined with braised and chopped salted tongue; twodariole-mouldsof 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.
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 paramountimportance:—
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.
Use roast quails in the proportion of two for each pint of consommé; the fillets may be reserved for a cold entrée.
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.
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.
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.
Proceed as in No.618; allow one partridge for each quart of the consommé.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 bemade:—
Proceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” and use that variety of small tomatoes which, in Provence, are called “Pommes d’amour.”
Proceed as for the “Consommé Portugaise,” but finish it with one port wine-glassful of port or old Marsala per quart.
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.
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.
[226]This soup may also be prepared as a cream or a velouté à la Nivernaise (see No.674).
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.
Finely mince one lb. of celeriac;blanchit; 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.
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.
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.
Parboil and drain one lb. of well-cleaned stachys. Stew them in one oz. of butter; moisten with one pint of boiled[227]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.
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 chervilpluches.
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.
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.
[228]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.
Garnish with two tablespoonfuls of cooked French beans cut into narrow lozenges.
This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.
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.
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 chervilpluches.
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.
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[229]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.
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.
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.
The same as the above, but use three oz. of semolina. All other particulars remain the same.
Procedure like that of No.642, using instead of the vermicelli three oz. of tapioca.
A large variety of this kind of soups may be prepared by using the quantity prescribed of salep, buckwheat, oatmeal, barley-meal, &c.
[230]These soups derive a particular and agreeable flavour from their cohering element.
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; smallprintaniers,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.
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. ofmirepoix, 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.
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 lettucechiffonade, 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.
[231]Treated thus, the purée will be of a fainter shade than the preceding one, but its flavour will be more delicate.
Garnish, in both cases, with one and one-half tablespoonfuls of very green, fine peas, and some chervilpluches. This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.
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 chervilpluches.
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.:—
Purée of fresh peas, quite ready for soup; finish with a small tablespoonful of sorrel and lettucechiffonade, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice per quart of purée.
Prepare this after the recipe of potage Lamballe; finish with one tablespoonful of ajulienneof the white of a leek and one tablespoonful of white chicken meat, cutjulienne-fashion, per quart of the soup.
Purée of fresh peas ready for soup; add two tablespoonfuls of achiffonadeof sorrel and a pinch of chervilpluchesper quart of the purée, and two tablespoonfuls of poached rice.
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.”
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 chervilpluchesper quart of the soup.
Proceed as for “potage Fontange,” and add a garnish of one tablespoonful of peas and one tablespoonful of fine French beans cut into lozenges.
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.
This is an ordinary purée of peas with butter, combined with two tablespoonfuls of ajulienneconsisting of the white of a leek and some chervilpluchesper 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.
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 tablespoonfulsof small bread dice fried in butter and some chervilpluches.
This soup may also be prepared as a velouté or a cream.
Fry in one oz. of butter a somewhat finely-cutmirepoixconsisting 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 friedmirepoixeight 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.[233]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 tablespoonfulsof 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.
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.
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.
(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 thismirepoixwith butter, in a sautépan; throw in fifteen crayfish for “Bisque” (their average weight being about one and one-third oz.), and toss them in themirepoixuntil 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.
[234]Also cook three oz. of rice in one and one-half pints of white consommé.
(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 themirepoix. 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 abain-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.
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.
The mode of procedure for this bisque, themirepoix, 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.
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[235]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 tablespoonfulsof small, very fresh mushrooms; these to be finely minced and tossed in butter.
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 ajulienne.
Proceed as in No.666in so far as the preparatory details and the quantities are concerned, but take note of the following changes in otherdirections:—
(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.