I prefer a young fowl; but, should an old one be most handy, stew it a short time in the stock before passing it. This soup will keep good several days, and would improve by warming a second time.
194. 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; and 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 well in, and fill up the stewpan with three quarts of water, add a tablespoonful of salt, and stir occasionally until boiling, when 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-tail soup may also be made clear by omitting the flour, and serving with vegetables, as directed for the clear vegetable soup (No. 181).
195. Ox-cheek Soup.—Blanch in boiling water two ox-cheeks, cut off the beard, take away all the bone, which chop up, and cut the flesh into middling-sized pieces, leaving the cheek-part whole; put all together into a stewpan, with four quarts of water, a little salt, ten peppercorns, two carrots, two turnips, one leek, one head of celery, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; let it stew at the corner of the fire six hours, keeping it well skimmed, then take out the fleshy part of the cheeks, and pass the broth through a hair-sieve into another stewpan; mix a quarter of a pound of flour with a pint of cold broth, which pour into it, and stir over the fire until boiling, when place it at the corner (adding two heads of celery, cut very fine, and a glass of sherry); when the celery is tender, cut the meat into small square pieces, keep them warm in the tureen, and when the soup is ready, pour over, and serve; give it a nice color with browning.
Sheeps’ or lambs’ heads also make very good soup by following the above receipt, and adding two pounds of veal, mutton, or beef to the stock: two heads would be sufficient, and they would not require so long to stew.
196. White Mock-turtle Soup.—Procure half a calf’s head (scalded, not skinned), bone it, then cut up a knuckle of veal, which put into a stewpan, well buttered at the bottom, with half a pound of lean ham, an ounce of salt, a carrot, a turnip, three onions, a head of celery, a leek, a bunch of parsley, and a bay-leaf, add half a pint of water; set it upon the fire, moving it round occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white glaze; then add six quarts of water, and put in the half head, let simmer upon the corner of the fire for two hours and a half, or until the head is tender, then take it out, and press it between two dishes, and pass the stock through a hair sieve into a basin; then in another stewpan have a quarter of a pound of butter, with a sprig of thyme, basil, marjoram, and bay-leaf, let the butter get quite hot, then add six ounces of flour to form a roux, stir over a sharp fire a few minutes, keeping it quite white; stand it off the fire to cool, then add the stock, stir over the fire until boiling, then stand it at the corner, skim off all the fat, and pass it through a hair sieve into another stewpan; cut the head into pieces an inch square, but not too thick, and put them into the soup, which season with a little cayenne pepper; when the pieces are hot, add a gill of cream, and pour it into your tureen.
The above quantity would make two tureens of soup, and will keep good several days, but of course half the quantity could be made.