Soyer's standard cookery

Pot-au-feu. A soup which finds favor with all classes of society in France, rich and poor alike, as a tribute to its excellence and worth. It is to the French what roast beef and plum-pudding are to the English. No dinner in France is served without soup, and no good soup is supposed to be made without the pot-au-feu. The following is the recipe: Put in the pot-au-feu six pounds of beef, four quarts of water, set near the fire, skim; when nearly boiling, add a spoonful and a half of salt, half a pound of liver, two carrots, four turnips, eight young or two old leeks, one head of celery, two onions and one burnt, with a clove in each, and a piece of parsnip, skim again, and let simmer four or five hours, adding a little cold water now and then ; take off part of the fat, put slices of bread into the tureen, lay half the vegetables over, and half the broth, and serve the meat separately with the vegetables around. Hodge-Podge. Cut two pounds of fresh scrag of mutton into small pieces, which put into a stewpan, with three quarts of cold water and a tablespoonful of salt, set it upon the fire, and when boiling, place it at the corner to simmer, keeping it well skimmed; let it simmer an hour, then add a good-sized carrot, two turnips, two large onions cut into small dice, and six cabbage-lettuces, if in season (the whole well washed), and let simmer until quite tender; skim off all the fat, and serve either with the meat in the soup or separately. If in season, a pint of green peas boiled in the soup is a great improvement. Ox-Tail Soup. Cut up two ox-tails, separating them at the joints, put a small piece of butter at the bottom of a stewpan, then put in the ox-tails, with a carrot, a turnip, three onions, a head of celery, a leek, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; add half a pint of water, and twelve grains of whole pepper, set over a sharp fire, stirring occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a thickish brown glaze, then add a quarter of a pound of flour, stir it in well, and fill up the stewpan with three quarts of water, add a tablespoonful of salt, and stir occasionally until boiling; then set it upon the corner of the stove, skim well, add a gill of good brown gravy, or a few drops of browning, and let simmer until the tails are stewed very tender, the flesh coming easily from the bones, then take them out immediately, and put them into your tureen ; pass the soup through a hair sieve over them, add a head of celery, previously cut small and boiled in a little stock, and serve. Ox-Cheek Soup.