[Modern cookery, in all its branches

Wash thoroughly two sets of moderate sized pigs’ ears and feet from which the hair has been carefully removed ; add to them five quarts of cold water, and stew them very gently with a faggot of savoury herbs, and one large onion stuck with a dozen cloves, for nearly four hours, when the ears may be lifted out ; stew the feet for another hour, then take them up, strain the soup, and set it in a cool place that it may become cold enough for the fat to be quite cleared from it. Next, bone the ears and feet, cut the flesh down into dice, throw a clean folded cloth over it, and leave it so until the soup requires to be prepared for table ; then strew upon it two tablespoonsful of savoury herbs minced small, half a saltspoonful of cayenne, a little white pepper, and some salt. Put into a large saucepan half a pound of good butter, and when it begins to simmer thicken it gradually with as much flour as it will absorb ; keep these stirred over a very gentle fire for ten minutes or more, but do not allow them to take the slightest colour ; pour the soup to them by degrees, letting it boil up after each portion is added ; put in the meat, and half a pint of sherry; simmer the whole from three to five minutes; dish the soup, and slip into it two or three dozens of delicately fried forcemeatballs. (See Chapter VIII.) Pigs’ feet, 8 ; ears, 4 ; water, 5 quarts ; bunch savoury herbs ; 1 large onion; cloves, 12 : 3.^ to 4 hours, feet, 1 hour more. Butter, \ lb.; flour, G oz.f : 10 to 12 minutes. Minced herbs, 2 tablespoonsful ; cayenne and common pepper, each * saltspoonful ; salt, \ teaspoonful or more ; sherry, ‘ pint : 3 to 5 minutes. Forcemeat-balls, 2 to 3 dozens. Obs.— We have given this receipt with the slightest possible varia tion from the original, which we derived from a neighbourhood where * We were informed by Miss Bremer that Mademoiselle Lind was in the habit of taking this soup before she sang, as she found the sago and eggs soothing to the chest, and beneficial to the voice. + The safer plan for an inexperienced cook is to weigh the flour, and then to sprinkle it from a dredging-box into the butter. 18 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. i. the soup made by it was extremely popular We have better adapted it to our own taste by the following alterations. THE LORD mayor’s SOUP. (Author's Receipt ,) We prefer to have this soup made, in part, the evening before it is wanted. Add the same proportion of water to the ears and feet as in the preceding directions ; skim it thoroughly when it first boils, and throw in a tablespoonful of salt, two onions of moderate size, a small head of celery, a bunch of herbs, two whole carrots, a small teaspoonful of white peppercorns, and a blade of mace. Stew these softly until the ears and feet are perfectly tender, and, after they are lifted out, let the liquor be kept simmering only, while they are being boned, that it may not be too much reduced. Put the bones back into it, and stew them as gently as possible for an hour ; then strain the soup into a clean pan, and set it by until the morrow in a cool place. The fiesh should be cut into dice while it is still warm, and covered with the cloth before it becomes quite cold.