The Virginia Housewife

page 14

lay it in a pot, sprinkle over it one small table-spoonful of pounded black
pepper, and two of salt; three onions the size of a hen's egg, cut small, six
small carrots scraped and cut up, two small turnips pared and cut into dice;
pour on three quarts of water, cover the pot close, and keep it gently and
steadily boiling five hours, which will leave about three pints of clear soup;
do not let the pot boil over, but take off the scum carefully, as it rises. When
it has boiled four hours, put in a small bundle of thyme and parsley, and a pint
of celery cut small, or a tea-spoonful of celery seed pounded. These latter
ingredients would lose their delicate flavour if boiled too much. Just before
you take it up, brown it in the following manner: put a small table-spoonful of
nice brown sugar into an iron skillet, set it on the fire and stir it till it
melts and looks very dark, pour into it a ladle full of the soup, a little at a
time; stirring it all the while. Strain this browning and mix it well with the
soup; take out the bundle of thyme and parsley, put the nicest pieces of meat in
your tureen, and pour on the soup and vegetables; put in some toasted bread cut
in dice, and serve it up.

GRAVY SOUP.
GET eight pounds of coarse lean beef- wash it clean and lay it in your pot, put
in the same ingredients as for the shin soup, with the same quantity of water,
and follow the process directed for that. Strain the soup through a sieve, and
serve it up clear, with nothing more than toasted bread in it; two
table-spoonsful of mushroom catsup will add a fine flavour to the soup.

< last page | next page >

Classic
Cook Books