No. 158. Potage à purée d’Asperges.
Cut two fresh bundles of sprue grass, boil very quickly in salt and water until tender; put four ounces of fresh butter into a stewpan with half a spoonful of chopped onions; when it is melted mix the sprue with it, then add three spoonfuls of flour, and four quarts of veal stock with one pint of boiled milk, let it boil five minutes, stirring it all the time; season with a teaspoonful of salt, two ditto of sugar, and a little white pepper; pass it through a tammie, boil it again in a clean stewpan ten minutes, and skim it well; serve half a pint of sprue grass nicely boiled in it.
No. 159. Potage à la Crécy.
Scrape, wash, and cut in thin slices, some carrots; take three pounds and a half of the red part only, lay them on a sieve to drain, put into a stewpan half a pound of lean ham, two onions, and one head of celery sliced, add half a pound of butter, three cloves, one blade of mace, pass it over a moderate fire twenty minutes, then add the carrots with one pint of white broth (No. 133), when quite tender add three tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well, put four quarts of white veal stock; let it simmer nearly an hour, skim it well, rub it through a tammie, boil it again, if too thick add a little more broth, put fried bread into the tureen, season with a tablespoonful of sugar, and a little salt and pepper if required.
No. 160. Potage à la purée de Choufleur.
Boil three large white cauliflowers in salt and water until quite tender, chop them very fine, put a quarter of a pound of butter into a stewpan, one leek, one head of celery (in slices) a quarter of a pound of ham, and two bay-leaves, pass them ten minutes over a quick fire; add the cauliflower, and three tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well, add three quarts of white stock, and one ditto of boiled milk; stir it until boiling, rub it through a tammie, boil and skim well; season with a teaspoonful of sugar, half ditto of salt; finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream; pour the soup into the tureen, have a cauliflower boiled, and cut into twenty small sprigs, put them into the soup, but be sure not to break them.
No. 161. Potage à la purée de Concombres.
Put half a pound of butter into a stewpan, slice two eschalots, six Jerusalem artichokes, (if early in the spring, but they may be omitted,) half a pound of lean ham, and six cucumbers peeled very carefully, as the least green would give a bad flavour; stir it over a slow fire twenty minutes, then add the meat of half a braised fowl (No. 523), well pounded, and three spoonfuls of flour, mix well; add three quarts of veal stock, and a quart of boiled milk, let it boil, keeping it stirred, rub it through a tammie, put it into a clean stewpan, skim it well; season with one teaspoonful of salt, two ditto of sugar, have ready about twenty pieces of cucumber, stewed as (No. 103), put them into the tureen, add half a pint of good cream to the soup, and serve. It must not be too thick.
No. 162. Potage à la purée de Pois verts.
Cut a quarter of a pound of lean bacon in dice; put it into a stewpan with a good bunch of green onions, ditto of parsley, a small piece of mint, a quarter of a pound of butter, and three quarts of very fresh peas, pour some cold water over, wash the peas well—in mixing the butter with them pour off all the water; place them over a brisk fire until they are quite tender, then pound them in a mortar, put back into the stewpan, add three tablespoonfuls of flour; (mix it well), and about four quarts of good broth; stir it until boiling, skim well; season with a teaspoonful of salt, three ditto of sugar, and a little white pepper, pass it through a tammie and boil again; when you serve it have ready some croutons (small dice of fried bread), put them in the tureen. Do not serve it too thick.