—Wash six fine, medium-sized potatoes, peel and cut them into small dice-shaped pieces, wash again in fresh water, take them up with a skimmer; place them in a stewpan large enough to hold three quarts. Immediately add two quarts of cold water (not placing the pan on the fire until so mentioned). Peel one medium-sized, sound onion, chop it up very fine, and place it on a plate. Take a quarter of a bunch of well-washed parsley greens (suppressing the stalks), place it with the onions; wash well two branches of soup celery, chop it up very fine, place it with the parsley and onions, and add all these in the stewpan. Place the pan on a brisk fire. Season with a light pinch of salt, adding at the same time a light tablespoonful of good butter. Let all cook until the potatoes are nearly done; eighteen minutes will be sufficient. Cut out from a piece of fresh pork, crosswise, one slice a third of an inch thick, then cut it in pieces a third of an inch square, fry, and reduce it in a pan on the hot stove for four minutes. Add it to the broth, add also three-quarters of a teaspoonful of branch dry thyme. Lightly scald four fine, medium-sized tomatoes, peel and cut them into small pieces and add them to the preparation. Open and place in a bowl twenty-four medium-sized, fine, fresh clams; pour into another bowl half of their juice. Place the clams on a wooden board, cut each one into four equal pieces, and immediately plunge them into the pan with the rest; gently mix, so as to prevent burning at the bottom while boiling, for two minutes. Range the pan on the corner of the stove to keep warm. Season with a saltspoonful of black pepper, one tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce, gently stir the whole with a wooden spoon; break in two pilot crackers in small pieces, stir a little again. Leave two minutes longer in the same position, but under no circumstances allow to boil. Pour it into a hot soup-tureen, and serve.
14. Chiffonade.
—Wash well, drain, and chop up very fine one quart of sorrel with the green leaves of a lettuce-head. Brown in a saucepan, with two ounces of butter and a sliced onion, seasoning with half a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper. Moisten with three pints of white broth ([No. 99]), add a handful of peas, the same of string beans and asparagus tops; boil for three-quarters of an hour with an ounce of butter; serve with six slices of toasted bread.
15. How to Prepare Green Turtle.
—Select a medium-sized turtle, cut off the head, and let it bleed for twelve hours. Remove the bones by opening the sides; cut the carcass in pieces, and blanch them for three minutes in boiling water. Lift off the top shell and place it in a saucepan, covering it with white broth ([No. 99]), a handful of whole pepper, one dozen cloves, half a bunch of thyme, and six bay leaves (all the above spices and herbs carefully tied in a white cloth). Add a handful of salt, and cook for about one hour. Drain, remove the bones, cut the rest in dice-sized squares. Let the broth be reduced to three-fourths its quantity, then put in the white, lean meat, letting it cook for ten minutes, and then add the green part (the shell) of the turtle. Fill some medium-sized pots with this, and when cooled off pour hot lard over the tops. A good glassful of Madeira wine can be added to the broth, according to taste.
16. Green Turtle Soup.
—Place a pint of green turtle, cut into pieces ([No. 15]) in a saucepan with two pints of broth ([No. 99]); add a bouquet ([No. 254]), a glassful of Madeira wine, a little bit of red pepper, half a tablespoonful of salt, a little grated nutmeg, a teaspoonful of English sauce, and a cupful of Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]). Boil for twenty minutes, and serve with six slices of peeled lemon, after suppressing the bouquet.
17. Mock Turtle.
—To be prepared as for green turtle ([No. 16]), substituting a pint of cooked calf’s-head for the turtle.