I CONSIDER that a portion of cooked meat makes soup more highly flavoured than when raw meat only is used. The lean shin of beef, knuckle of veal, and gristle, etc., are the best things for the foundation ; but meat trimmings, and odds and ends, give the strength and flavour. A variety of ingredients is necessary in making the best soup ; but fat should never find its way into the stock-pot. One of the essential things to remember is that the great art of soup making is to keep the flavours equal, and not allow any particular one to predominate. Salt is always best added just before taking up the soup, as it is apt to harden meat, and confine the juices and soluble substance. In soup making the stock should be always made the day before it is required, the meat and bones should be simmered for quite eight hours, and then strained through a hair sieve into a basin, so that the fat can be skimmed off next day, when it can be returned to the stock-pot, or digester, with the addition of the flavourings, which must consist of sliced vegetables, such as onions, carrots, turnips, leeks, remains of sauces, peppercorns, and different herbs tied in bunches. In making clear soup great care must be taken, as the generality of cooks are so fond of boiling fast, not under- standing, or else refusing to understand, what simmering is. And they are idle over the skimming, which is another necessity ; for unless it is simmered and constantly skimmed the soup will never be clear. After the vegetables and condiments have been put in, it must be again boiled, then simmered for about two hours, and cleared. If a delicate consomme is required, beat up the whites of a couple of eggs with a teacupful of cold water, and put them with the crushed shells of the eggs into the stock. 86 THE housewife's REFEBEE with lialf a pound of raw neck of beef chopped fine, whilst boiling fast ; then whisk for one or two minutes all together, and let all boil quickly for some minutes; the saucepan must then be drawn to one side of the stove, and allowed to remain there for about twenty minutes, after which it must be strained through an old fine dinner napkin, which has been wrung out in hot water. Many persons advise a felt jelly bag, but I prefer the napkin. There is another detail in soup making which is very important and that is the difierence between bouillon and consomme broth and double broth. Bouillon is a beef broth, the consomme is also a beef broth which has been doubled with veal and fowl, the former to give it gelatine, the latter to give it flavour. In concluding this part I must remind my readers that every particle of fat should be removed. Soup should never be greasy ; the best plan is to make the stock beforehand, and to make sufficient for a couple of days ; when the broth cools the fat will cake on the surface, and may then be easily removed. After it is removed a damp hot cloth should be passed over it so as to absorb every particle of fat, and care should be taken to cut off the piece at the bottom of the basin where any sediment is likely to be found. SOUPS "Spoon-meat, . . . bespeak a long spoon." — Comedy of Errors.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

I CONSIDER that a portion of cooked meat makes soup more highly flavoured than when raw meat only is used. The lean shin of beef, knuckle of veal, and gristle, etc., are the best things for the foundation ; but meat trimmings, and odds and ends, give the strength and flavour. A variety of ingredients is necessary in making the best soup ; but fat should never find its way into the stock-pot. One of the essential things to remember is that the great art of soup making is to keep the flavours equal, and not allow any particular one to predominate. Salt is always best added just before taking up the soup, as it is apt to harden meat, and confine the juices and soluble substance. In soup making the stock should be always made the day before it is required, the meat and bones should be simmered for quite eight hours, and then strained through a hair sieve into a basin, so that the fat can be skimmed off next day, when it can be returned to the stock-pot, or digester, with the addition of the flavourings, which must consist of sliced vegetables, such as onions, carrots, turnips, leeks, remains of sauces, peppercorns, and different herbs tied in bunches. In making clear soup great care must be taken, as the generality of cooks are so fond of boiling fast, not understanding, or else refusing to understand, what simmering is. And they are idle over the skimming, which is another necessity ; for unless it is simmered and constantly skimmed the soup will never be clear. After the vegetables and condiments have been put in, it must be again boiled, then simmered for about two hours, and cleared. If a delicate consomme is required, beat up the whites of a couple of eggs with a teacupful of cold water, and put them with the crushed shells of the eggs into the stock. THE housewife's REFEREE with lialf a pound of raw neck of beef chopped fine, whilst boiling fast ; then whisk for one or two minutes all together, and let all boil quickly for some minutes; the saucepan must then be drawn to one side of the stove, and allowed to remain there for about twenty minutes, after which it must be strained through an old fine dinner napkin, which has been wrung out in hot water. Many persons advise a felt jelly bag, but I prefer the napkin. There is another detail in soup making which is very important and that is the difierence between bouillon and consomme broth and double broth. Bouillon is a beef broth, the consomme is also a beef broth which has been doubled with veal and fowl, the former to give it gelatine, the latter to give it flavour. In concluding this part I must remind my readers that every particle of fat should be removed. Soup should never be greasy ; the best plan is to make the stock beforehand, and to make sufficient for a couple of days ; when the broth cools the fat will cake on the surface, and may then be easily removed. After it is removed a damp hot cloth should be passed over it so as to absorb every particle of fat, and care should be taken to cut off the piece at the bottom of the basin where any sediment is likely to be found. SOUPS "Spoon-meat, . . . bespeak a long spoon." — Comedy of Errors.

The housewife's referee