Fast-Day Cookery; or, Meals without Meat

by Grace Johnson

FAST-DAY COOKERY.

SOUPS.

1. Oyster Soup.

Open one dozen oysters, preserve the liquor.

Put into a pan two ounces of butter, with an onion and one bead of garlic chopped very fine; let these cook till they are a golden colour, then add one and a half pints of milk, and one and a half pints of water, and the liquor of the oysters, twelve cloves, twelve peppercorns, three bay-leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a bowl three ounces of fine florador to the consistence of cream, and when the soup comes to a boil, stir it in, and then let it boil for about ten minutes. Let it simmer after this very gently for half an hour, strain through a wire sieve, then add the oysters, a grate of nutmeg, the peel of a lemon grated; let it simmer for twenty minutes. Serve hot.

2. Lobster Soup.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry these a golden brown in two ounces of butter, with twenty-four cloves, twelve peppercorns, and three bay-leaves. Add one and a half pints of water, let it simmer gently for half an hour, then add two packets of Edwards' Desiccated White Soup; let it simmer half an hour longer, and strain. Then add either one pint of milk, or sixpence worth of cream, the rind of a lemon grated, quarter of a nutmeg grated, salt and pepper to taste; put it on the fire to warm through. Well pound the flesh of a fresh lobster, or the very best brand of tinned lobster, and pass it through a wire sieve into the soup, stir well, and thoroughly heat it. Serve with fried bread cut into small dice shape.

3. Scallop Soup.

Cut up an onion into rings, two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a golden colour. Add one and a half pints of water, the same of milk, twenty-four cloves, twelve peppercorns, a sprig of tarragon, three bay-leaves, a stick of celery, two-penny packet of Edwards' White Soup; let them simmer for one hour.

Chop up about half a dozen scallops, strain the soup through a wire sieve, add the scallops, pepper and salt to taste, and a grate of lemon peel. Serve very hot with fried bread cut into little dice.