SOYER’S SIMPLIFIED RECEIPT TO COOK SALT MEAT FOR FIFTY MEN.
| Head-Quarters, Crimea, 12th May, 1856. | |
| 1. | Put 50 lbs. of meat in the boiler. |
| 2. | Fill with water, and let it soak all night. |
| 3. | Next morning wash the meat well. |
| 4. | Fill with fresh water, and boil gently three hours. |
P.S.—Skim off the fat, which, when cold, is an excellent substitute for butter.
SOYER’S ARMY SOUP FOR FIFTY MEN.
| 1. | Put in the boiler 30 quarts, 7½ gallons, or 5½ camp-kettles of water. |
| 2. | Add to it 50 lbs. of meat, either beef or mutton. |
| 3. | The rations of preserved or fresh vegetables. |
| 4. | Ten small table-spoonfuls of salt. |
| 5. | Simmer three hours, and serve. |
P.S.—When rice is issued, put it in when boiling. Three pounds will be sufficient. About 8 lbs. of fresh vegetables, or 4 squares from a cake of preserved ditto. A table-spoonful of pepper, if handy.
Skim off the fat, which, when cold, is an excellent substitute for butter.[23] (For other variations of receipts, see [Addenda].)
Thanks to the kindness of the colonels and of the authorities of each regiment, every man did his best, and not one found fault with either the stoves or the receipts: on the contrary, they all took pride in their task, and only regretted being compelled to return to the use of the camp-kettles, as sufficient of my stoves had not then arrived to enable me to supply them all. The cooking out of doors was also very agreeable to them, besides the saving of labour, in not having to cut, split, or saw several hundredweight of wood for each company, as they now only required a few pounds.
Having proved the utility of the stoves, the military authorities and doctors tasted the different soups and messes, with which they were also well pleased. The following letters, with those in [Addenda],[24] will fully corroborate my statement on both these points:—