Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

Lady Bruce’s Fish Soup.— Take two or three trout, clean and well wipe them, cut them in pieces, put them in a stewpan over a slow fire with half a pint of white wine, and a bunch of sweet herbs. Let them simmer for half an hour. Take off the pan and take the fish out. Add good strong fish stock, and thicken the soup a little. When done put the fish back into the soup, and serve it very hot. Pike can be done the same way. GARNISHES FOR CONSOMMES AND CLEAR SOUPS. It is most important to recollect that whatever the Garnish may be it must be cooked, and that it must on no account be cooked in the soup which it is to garnish. If this rule is neglected the garnish will either he raw, or the soup will become cloudy, however bright and clear it may have been before. The French Vegetable Cutters are indispensable, as they stamp out all sorts of little shapes for garnishes, and the English Pea Cutter, which scoops tiny balls out of vegetables, is also most useful. The names of many soups are given to them by the shape or material of the garnish used. For Julienne Soup cut carrot, turnip and celery into little strips, the thickness of a wooden match, and one inch in length. To do this, cut the carrots across, slanting, in the thickest part, and about two-thirds of an inch thick. Shape these pieces into thin even ribbons by turning the slice round and round till you reach the centre of the carrot, which is not used ; then cut these ribbons again into very fine strips. Cut the turnips and celery into squares, and divide these into smaller squares two-thirds of an inch thick ; then form the strips. In Brunoise Soup the same vegetables are used, only cut into dice or little squares less than a quarter of an inch across. For both these soups two ounces of the red part of the carrot will be wanted, the same of turnip, and half an ounce of celery. The soup is already sufficiently flavoured with onion. Toss the vegetables lightly in two ounces of butter GARNISHES FOR CONSOMMES & CLEAR SOUPS 65 over a brisk fire for five minutes. When they are just coloured cover them with a pint of broth from the stock-pot, and let them just simmer for an hour and a half. French cooks add a little finely-shredded lettuce, and either chervil or sorrel minced fine, during the last half-hour. Skim off every particle of fat, and keep the vegetables hot in the bain-marie. When wanted add the vegetables to the soup, boil up again and skim. In winter the French preserved Julienne is useful. Allow one ounce to a quart of soup, simmer it in broth for three-quarters of an hour, or until the vegetables swell. Then skim, and pour the broth through a strainer into the soup. Macaroni makes one of the simplest garnishes, and the round pipe macaroni is much better than the alphabets and fancy shapes called Italian paste. Blanch two ounces of macaroni in boiling water, cool it, drain and simmer in broth for fifteen minutes. Drain again, cut the macaroni into thin rings with a sharp knife, lay it at the bottom of a hot tureen, and pour the soup boiling hot upon it.