Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Pea Soup. — To every quart of unshelled pease allow two quarts of water, in which boil the empty pods half an hour ; remove, strain, add one pint of cold water, place over the fire, and put in 2 lbs. of beef cut into small pieces ; boil slowly one hour, and, if not enough water, add some boiling hot ; put in the pease, and if the meat is not desired in the soup, remove it ; add two table-spoonfuls of rice flour stirred smoothly in half a teacupful of new milk ; stir frequently, to prevent the flour from scorching. Another way : — Pea soup may be made from dried pease either whole or split ; the latter are to be preferred. Soak a quart of pease overnight. The next day wash and drain them, and put them into a large saucepan, with 6 ozs. of lean ham, or, if it is at hand, the knuckle-bone of a ham, three sliced carrots, two onions, and three or four sticks of celery cut into small pieces. Pour over these three quarts of the liquor in which pork, beef, or mutton has been boiled. Simmer gently until the pease are reduced to pulp, stirring frequently ; then rub the whole through a hair sieve, and put the soup back into the stewpan. Let it boil, and skim it carefully. Add pepper and salt if necessary, stir in i oz. of butter, and serve as hot as possible. Send powdered mint or powdered sage to table on a separate dish. A table-spoonful of curry powder will greatly improve the soup. Time, four hours. Peanut Soup. — Shell 3 lbs. of roasted nuts, rub off the dry, brown skin, pound the nuts to a smooth paste in a mortar, gradually adding a table-spoonful of brandy; put this paste into a saucepan, and gradually stir into it two quarts of boiling water ; season it with salt and cayenne pepper ; let it simmer gently until it thickens, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning, and then serve it hot. Potage a la Crecy (an excellent carrot soup.) — Slice off the red parts of a dozen carrots and put them into a stewpan, with 2 ozs. of butter, a large lump of sugar, three goodsized onions, two turnips, a dozen peppercorns, Y\ lb. of undressed lean ham, the outer sticks of two heads of celery, and four leeks. Cover, then sweat the vegetables over a gentle fire for ten minutes. Shake the saucepan to keep the contents from burning. Pour over them a quart of cold stock or water, and let them simmer gently for two hours, or until the vegetables are quite tender. Strain off the soup, and press the vegetables with a wooden spoon through a sieve. Mix the pulp again with the stock, season with pepper and salt, put it back into the stewpan, and let it boil. Draw it to the side of the fire for a few minutes, and skim off the fat as it rises to the surface. Add pepper and salt, and serve. Send toasted sippets to table in a. Potage a la Reine Potage Velours separate dish. If there is no stock at hand and water has to be used for the soup, a teaspoonful of Liebig's or any other extract of meat should be added to it. Time, three hours and a half.