Soyer's standard cookery

Poach and cool the royales, then cut in fancy shapes. Put all into a soup-tureen and pour over a quart of boiling and very clear chicken consomme. Serve at once. Consomme Carmen. Prepare one quart of consomme to which add, while clarifying, one quarter pint of raw tomato puree in order to give it a faint pink tinge. Peel and press a small tomato; cut into dice and poach in a little of the consomme; put them into the soup-tureen with a tablesponful of mild capsicum, cut in julienne-fashion, and one tablespoonful of plain boiled rice. Over this garnish pour the boiling consomme, adding a small pinch of chervil pluches, then serve at once. Consomme Chartreuse. Prepare six ravioles of spinach puree. Six of foie-gras puree, and six of chopped mushrooms, two small tablespoonfuls of tomato dice. Ten minutes before serving, poach the ravioles in boiling salted water and the tomato dice in some of the consomme. Put the ravioles and the tomato dice (well-drained) into the soup-tureen, and pour over them one quart of consomme with a moderate addition of tapioca. Add a pinch of chervil pluches. Onion Soup. This soup, which is easily and cheaply prepared, is in great favor in the rural parts of France. Cut four medium-sized onions into dice, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, and cook very gently for an hour, being careful that the onions do not become discolored. Next add half a pint of white stock, or water, a pint of milk, and one or two slices of bread reduced to crumbs, and simmer the whole gently for about three-quarters of an hour. Then pass the whole through a fine sieve, return it to the stewpan, and make very hot. Season with pepper and salt to taste, and sprinkle in two tablespoonfuls of grated cheese gradually, stirring briskly meanwhile. Serve as hot as possible. Chickory Soup. Trim four heads of chickory, boil until half cooked, then drain and mince very finely. Mix well with this two ounces each of flour and butter and a sprinkling of pepper, salt and mace. Next place the mixture in a saucepan with a quart of white stock and a cupful of boiling milk. Cook carefully for an hour. Now beat the yolks of two eggs in half a cupful of milk, add to the soup as soon it has gone off the boil, and strain the whole through a fine sieve. Serve as quickly as possible. Watercress Soup. Take two or three good handfuls of tender shoots of watercress, thoroughly wash and drain from all superfluous moisture. If the sprigs are at all long break them up. Place in an enameled saucepan with a quart of good white stock and simmer until the watercress is almost dissolved. Then thicken with a little flour and add a small cupful of good cream or a little butter and serve with sippets of toast. Onion Broth. Slice six parboiled onions and fry lightly in an ounce of butter with a little parsley and pepper and salt. Add them to a quart of white stock — chicken broth or fish stock is preferable — with one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour, and then stir in a pint of hot milk. Press the whole through a cloth or sieve and serve as hot as possible. Small slices of toast should be served with the soup. Onion and Cheese Soup.