Purée of Black Beans
¹⁄₂ pint black beaus
1 quart water
1 carrot (grated)
1 onion
¹⁄₂ head celery
1 table-spoon butter
1 ” brown roux
2 ozs. raw ham or salt pork
2 cloves
1 bouquet herbs
1 lemon
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 glass sherry
Soak the beans over night. Drain. Put them in a sauce-pan with one quart cold water, and the ham or pork, the celery, grated carrot, herbs and cloves pounded. Slice the onion. Fry it in the butter. Add it to the beans, etc. Simmer for four or five hours. As the water boils away add cold water to keep it to the same quantity. Put through a sieve. Return to the fire. Season with salt, pepper, and a little mustard. Stir in a table-spoonful of brown roux (see [p. 13]). Just before serving add the juice of half a lemon and a glass of sherry.
Slice the hard-boiled eggs and half a lemon and put in the soup tureen. Pour the soup over it. Force-meat balls ([p. 104]) also may be served with this purée.