2 chickens (or 2 rabbits)
2 quarts veal stock
2 carrots
4 onions
1 head of celery and
2 pieces of celery
A bouquet of herbs and parsley
2 table-spoons flour
1 table-spoon curry powder
1 ” ” paste
¹⁄₂ lb. Patna rice
¹⁄₄ lb. butter
Cut up the chickens or rabbits into small pieces. Put them in a sauce-pan with a quart of good veal stock and a carrot, turnip, apple, parsley, and a bouquet of herbs. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the meat is tender, stirring from time to time. Strain off the stock. Cut the meat from the bones, and set aside to cool.
Fry three onions, a carrot, and a head of celery (all finely sliced) very slowly in a quarter of a pound of butter until they are a rich golden brown. Add two table-spoons of flour. Stir in till smooth. Add a table-spoon of curry powder, and the same quantity of curry paste. Season with cayenne and salt. Add the vegetables to the stock, and add more veal stock if required. Let it boil up. Skim. Simmer half-an-hour very gently. Put through a tammy. Pour over the meat of the chickens or rabbits (which should be cut into neat pieces). Heat gently, and simmer for another ten minutes. If desired half a pint of scalded cream can be added just before serving. Serve with plain boiled Patna rice (see [p. 106]).
Ox-tail Soup
1 ox tail
2 quarts water or stock
1 onion
2 carrots
2 ozs. butter
1 head of celery
2 cloves
2 pepper-corns
Blade of mace
A lump of sugar
¹⁄₂ a pint of mixed parboiled vegetables
Wash the ox tail and cut it up into joints. Lay these in cold water for two hours. Slice finely a large onion and two carrots. Melt two ounces of butter in a sauce-pan and fry the onion and carrots in it. When they are slightly browned add the ox tail. Brown it a little. Put the vegetables and ox tail in a stock-pot. Add the celery finely cut up. Cover with two quarts of water or beef stock. Add the spice and seasoning. Bring to the boil. Skim thoroughly. Simmer until the meat separates from the bone and the gristle is quite soft. Strain through a napkin.
Cut the best of the meat into pieces. Put them into a stew-pan. Add the strained stock, half a pint of mixed parboiled vegetables cut in small rounds, or olive-shaped, a lump of sugar and more pepper if required. Heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
The vegetables should be shaped with a vegetable cutter, and are best parboiled in a little stock.
Ox-tail soup may be thickened by a purée of carrots, turnips, peas or lentils. The purée is made by boiling whichever vegetable is required until very tender, and pressing it through a sieve or tammy. Add it to the strained stock and mix well.