Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Potage Velours. — Draw and singe a fowl, wash it in warm water, rinse it in cold water, dry it, tie it all around with a string, put it in the soupkettle with a whole shin of beef and five quarts of cold water, and place on a good fire. Watch for the boiling-point, as it is very important to have a clear broth. After the first scum has been removed add a quarter of a glass of cold water ; two minutes Potato Soup Purees after skim again, and add another quarter of a glassful of cold water ; repeat a third time, then season with half a table- spoonful of salt, one salt-spoonful of pepper, four carrots, four turnips cut in slices, four leeks, six sprigs of parsley, two branches of white celery, three cloves, two bay -leaves. Cover the kettle, but leave a small place open. Boil slowly for four hours, remove the meat, strain the broth, and keep in a bowl until ready to finish the soup. While the broth is cooking have two quarts of sliced red carrots prepared by scraping them and washing them and putting them in a saucepan with two table - spoonfuls of butter and one table - spoonful of granulated sugar ; cover the saucepan, and cook on a moderate fire for fifteen minutes, tossing them meanwhile; then add one quart of warm water, one teaspoonful of salt, half a salt-spoonful of pepper; cook slowly for two hours. Pass them through a colander, then through a strainer. Skim off the fat from the broth, put it back on the fire, and when boiling add the puree of carrots with four table-spoonfuls of tapioca; let it cook slowly for thirty minutes, remove from the fire, add half a pint of good cream, and serve very hot. The breast of the fowl cold makes a nice salad for the next day. Potato Soup. — Take six goodsized potatoes, add Y\ lb. of salt pork, two small onions, and a few sprigs of parsley. Put all these together in a pot with water enough to liberally cover them. Let them boil until the pork is tender and thoroughly done; by that time the potatoes will have fallen to pieces. Rub through a colander, taking out the pork. Then add to the mixture a pint of milk and a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and salt to taste. Let it boil up once to become thoroughly hot, pass it quickly through a sieve, and serve in a tureen. This soup can be made in an hour. Another way: — Peel a quart of nice white potatoes, and boil them in a gallon of water. When they are well done, take them out and mash fine. Season with pepper, salt, and butter to taste, and add two onions chopped fine, or a bunch of celery chopped fine, if preferred. Return the mixture to the boiling water, and let it boil fifteen minutes. Beat very light two eggs, into which stir a cupful of sweet cream, and add it to the soup. Many persons also like to have two or three slices of toast put in with the cream. Let the whole boil up once, And serve. This is tempting both to the eye and the palate.