The meats used for soups are the poorer parts of the creature—the shin, the round, the neck of beef, the knuckle of veal, and the whole bird of fowls.
A bouquet of sweet herbs is used for seasoning soups; it is composed of parsley, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, thyme and marjoram.
Stock Soups
Skill, patience and good materials are necessary for the making of good soup. In order to draw out and dissolve the nutritive and flavoring qualities of meat, cut the meat into small pieces, cover with cold water, and let stand at least an hour, then heat very gradually.
For a rich stock allow one pint of water to each pound of meat and bone, having only one quarter pound bone and three quarters meat. One kind of meat may be used, or several kinds. If soup is made from remnants of cold meat, be sure to add a small amount of fresh meat to give added flavor. Remember that if the contents of the soup kettle are allowed to boil for any length of time, it will be almost impossible to secure a clear soup from the stock.
How to clear Soup Stock
Allow the white and shell of one egg for two quarts of strained stock. Beat the white, add crushed shell and the cold stock, pour into kettle, set over the fire, and stir constantly until the boiling point is reached; boil three minutes without stirring, then simmer for ten minutes, strain through sieve, then through a cheese cloth; reheat and serve. If these directions are followed, an absolutely clear soup will be the result.
To keep Soup Stock
When the stock is ready to strain, strain into several receptacles; a coating of fat will form on the top, which serves to keep out the air. This fat must be removed before clearing the stock. Stock with a coating of fat will keep a week in summer and several weeks in winter. If the weather is very warm, scald the stock, then cool quickly.