Clear Soup a la Boyale is garnished with pieces of custard.
For a party of eight mix the yolks of four eggs into a gill of
broth, adding a tiny pinch of salt. Strain the custard and pour
it into well-buttered dariole or any small moulds. Set these in
a pan with hot water one-third of the height of the moulds.
Cover the pan and steam the custards till firmly set. Let
them get cold, turn the custards out on a plate and cut them
into dice-shapes or rounds with one of the vegetable cutters.
Add them to the soup at the last moment. These custards
should never be made with milk.
Very small Quenelles are often used as a garnish for clear
game or other soups. They are, however, troublesome, and
take a long time, as to ensure lightness they need a great deal
of pounding. They must be made of the same material as the
stock — that is, poultry or veal, game or fish.
When Peas are in season an excellent custard for Clear
Soup is made by mixing one gill of Green Pea Puree with two
beaten eggs and a tablespoonful of cream. Pour it into a well-
buttered shallow mould and steam it till set. When cold cut
it into dice or other shapes for garnish.
F
66 GARNISHES FOR CONSOMMES & CLEAR SOUPS
Wyvern’s Boules de Neige garnish is excellent, pretty,
and uncommon. Cut as many tiny round balls as possible out
of a root of celeriac and a seven-ounce turnip — an equal
number of each. Simmer them in melted butter, drain and
cook them gently till tender, being careful not to overdo them.
Do the turnip balls first, as they will take longer than the
celeriac, drain, and set them aside. Add this garnish at the
last moment before serving the clear soup.
67
CHAPTER III.
FISH.
In buying Fish one important matter is to see that you get all
that yon have paid for, and that you have not unwittingly made
the fishmonger a present of half your purchase. Sir Henry
Thompson was the first to point out that the “ cuttings ” left
with the fishmonger after he has cleaned and trimmed the Fish
amount to half its weight. Thus, in buying a sole at eighteen-
pence a pound, if you let the fishmonger keep its skeleton, -with
its head, tail, fins, liver, and skin, you have really paid at the
rate of three shillings a pound for the portion which you get.
These “ cuttings ” are most useful as stock, either for fish-broth
or as the foundation of fish-sauces, and they contain some of the
most nutritive parts of the Fish. Poor people are well aware
of this, and flock to the fishmongers’ shops when the “ cuttings ”
are sold in the evening. A cook ought to be able to clean, trim
•and fillet Fish ; if she is not, the fishmonger should be desired
to send home all the “ cuttings ” with the Fish.
One word as to choosing Fish. If it is really fresh the eyes
will be quite bright, and the gills a clear red. The eyes of a
Fish show want of freshness sooner than any other symptom,
and no art can restore their brilliancy ; therefore never buy Fish
from which the Fishmonger has removed the eyes. They
should, however, always be removed at home, for cooked eyes
have a revolting appearance. Never buy a Fish with sunken
eyes. Herrings, if they have been long out of the water,
become suffused with blood about the eyes, and the whole face
F 2
6S
FISH
Page 38
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Clear Soup a la Boyale is garnished with pieces of custard. For a party of eight mix the yolks of four eggs into a gill of broth, adding a tiny pinch of salt. Strain the custard and pour it into well-buttered dariole or any small moulds. Set these in a pan with hot water one-third of the height of the moulds. Cover the pan and steam the custards till firmly set. Let them get cold, turn the custards out on a plate and cut them into dice-shapes or rounds with one of the vegetable cutters. Add them to the soup at the last moment. These custards should never be made with milk.
Very small Quenelles are often used as a garnish for clear game or other soups. They are, however, troublesome, and take a long time, as to ensure lightness they need a great deal of pounding. They must be made of the same material as the stock — that is, poultry or veal, game or fish.
When Peas are in season an excellent custard for Clear Soup is made by mixing one gill of Green Pea Puree with two beaten eggs and a tablespoonful of cream. Pour it into a wellbuttered shallow mould and steam it till set. When cold cut it into dice or other shapes for garnish.
F
66 GARNISHES FOR CONSOMMES & CLEAR SOUPS
Wyvern’s Boules de Neige garnish is excellent, pretty, and uncommon. Cut as many tiny round balls as possible out of a root of celeriac and a seven-ounce turnip — an equal number of each. Simmer them in melted butter, drain and cook them gently till tender, being careful not to overdo them. Do the turnip balls first, as they will take longer than the celeriac, drain, and set them aside. Add this garnish at the last moment before serving the clear soup.
CHAPTER III.
In buying Fish one important matter is to see that you get all that yon have paid for, and that you have not unwittingly made the fishmonger a present of half your purchase. Sir Henry Thompson was the first to point out that the “ cuttings ” left with the fishmonger after he has cleaned and trimmed the Fish amount to half its weight. Thus, in buying a sole at eighteenpence a pound, if you let the fishmonger keep its skeleton, -with its head, tail, fins, liver, and skin, you have really paid at the rate of three shillings a pound for the portion which you get. These “ cuttings ” are most useful as stock, either for fish-broth or as the foundation of fish-sauces, and they contain some of the most nutritive parts of the Fish. Poor people are well aware of this, and flock to the fishmongers’ shops when the “ cuttings ” are sold in the evening. A cook ought to be able to clean, trim •and fillet Fish ; if she is not, the fishmonger should be desired to send home all the “ cuttings ” with the Fish.
One word as to choosing Fish. If it is really fresh the eyes will be quite bright, and the gills a clear red. The eyes of a Fish show want of freshness sooner than any other symptom, and no art can restore their brilliancy ; therefore never buy Fish from which the Fishmonger has removed the eyes. They should, however, always be removed at home, for cooked eyes have a revolting appearance. Never buy a Fish with sunken eyes. Herrings, if they have been long out of the water, become suffused with blood about the eyes, and the whole face
F 2
6S