ECONOMICAL TURKEY SOUP.
The remains of a roast turkey, even after they have supplied the usual mince and broil, will furnish a tureen of cheap and excellent soup with the addition of a little fresh meat. Cut up rather small two pounds of the neck or other lean joint of beef, and pour to it five pints of cold water. Heat these very slowly; skim the liquor when it begins to boil, and add to it an ounce of salt, a small, mild onion (the proportion of all the vegetables may be much increased when they are liked), a little celery, and the flesh and bones of the turkey, with any gravy or forcemeat that may have been left with them. Let these boil gently for about three hours; then strain off the soup through a coarse sieve or cullender, and let it remain until the fat can be entirely removed from it. It may then be served merely well thickened with rice[[34]] which has previously been boiled very dry as for currie, and stewed in it for about ten minutes; and seasoned with one large heaped tablespoonful or more of minced parsley, and as much salt and pepper or cayenne as it may require. This, as the reader will perceive, is a somewhat frugal preparation, by which the residue of a roast turkey may be turned to economical account; but it is a favourite soup at some good English tables, where its very simplicity is a recommendation. It can always be rendered more expensive, and of richer quality, by the addition of lean ham or smoked beef,[[35]] a larger weight of fresh meat, and catsup or other store-sauces.
[34]. It will be desirable to prepare six ounces of rice, and to use as much of it as may be required, the reduction of the stock not being always equal, and the same weight of rice therefore not being in all cases sufficient. Rice-flour can be substituted for the whole grain and used as directed for Rice Flour Soup, page [15].
[35]. As we have stated in our chapter of [Foreign Cookery], the Jewish smoked beef, of which we have given particulars there, imparts a superior flavour to soups and gravies; and it is an economical addition to them, as a small portion of it will much heighten their savour.
Turkey soup à la reine is made precisely like the Potage à la Reine of fowls or pullets, of which the receipt will be found in another part of this chapter.
PHEASANT SOUP.
Half roast a brace of well-kept pheasants, and flour them rather thickly when they are first laid to the fire. As soon as they are nearly cold take all the flesh from the breasts, put it aside, and keep it covered from the air; carve down the remainder of the birds into joints, bruise the bodies thoroughly, and stew the whole gently from two to three hours in five pints of strong beef broth; then strain off the soup, and press as much of it as possible from the pheasants. Let it cool; and in the mean time strip the skins from the breasts, mince them small, and pound them to the finest paste, with half as much fresh butter, and half of dry crumbs of bread; season these well with cayenne, sufficiently with salt, and moderately with pounded mace and grated nutmeg, and add, when their flavour is liked, three or four eschalots previously boiled tender in a little of the soup, left till cold, and minced before they are put into the mortar. Moisten the mixture with the yolks of two or three eggs, roll it into small balls of equal size, dust a little flour upon them, skim all the fat from the soup, heat it in a clean stewpan, and when it boils throw them in and poach them from ten to twelve minutes, but first ascertain that the soup is properly seasoned with salt and cayenne. We have recommended that the birds should be partially roasted before they are put into the soup-pot, because their flavour is much finer when this is done than when they are simply stewed; they should be placed rather near to a brisk fire that they may be quickly browned on the surface without losing any of their juices, and the basting should be constant. A slight thickening of rice-flour and arrow-root can be added to the soup at pleasure, and the forcemeat-balls may be fried and dropped into the tureen when they are preferred so. Half a dozen eschalots lightly browned in butter, and a small head of celery, may also be thrown in after the birds begin to stew, but nothing should be allowed to prevail ever the natural flavour of the game itself; and this should be observed equally with other kinds, as partridges, grouse, and venison.
Pheasants, 2. roasted 20 to 25 minutes. Strong beef broth, or stock, 5 pints: 2 to 3 hours. Forcemeat-balls: breasts of pheasants, half as much dry bread-crumbs and of butter, salt, mace, cayenne; yolks of 2 or 3 eggs (and at choice 3 or 4 boiled eschalots).
Obs.—The stock may be made of six pounds of shin of beef, and four quarts of water reduced to within a pint of half. An onion, a large carrot, a bunch of savoury herbs, and some salt and spice should be added to it: one pound of neck of veal or of beef will improve it.