Thickenings for Soup.
I have before recommended the making of soup the day before it is served, as this is the best means of having it entirely free from fat and settlings. Just before it is served, it may be thickened with corn starch, sago, tapioca, pearl barley, rice, etc. If a thickening of flour is used, let it be a roux, mixed according to directions, page 51. However, a rich stock jelly needs no thickening.
Additions To Beef Stock, to form Other Kinds of Soup.
It is well, just before the beef soup is sent to table, to drop into the tureen poached eggs, which have been cooked in salted water, and neatly trimmed. There may be an egg for each person at table. This is a favorite soup in Havana. Or, Put into the tureen, just before the soup is sent to table, slices of lemon—one slice for each plate. Or,
Yolks of hard-boiled eggs, one for each person. Or,
Put into the tureen croûtons or dice of bread, say three-quarters of an inch square, fried in a little butter. When frying, or rather sautéing, turn them, that all sides may be browned. They may be prepared several hours, if more convenient, before dinner; then left near the fire, to become crisp and dry. This makes a very good soup, and is also an excellent means of using dry bread. It is a favorite French soup, called potage aux croûtons. Or,
Drop into the tureen force-meat balls.
Receipt for Force-meat Balls.
Take any kind of meat or chicken, or both (that used for making the soup will answer); chop it very fine; season it with pepper, salt, a little chopped parsley and thyme, or a little parsley and fried onion, or with thyme, or parsley alone, a little lemon-juice, and grated peel. Break in a raw egg, and sprinkle over some flour; roll them in balls the size of a pigeon’s egg. Fry or sauté them in a little butter, or they may be cooked in boiling water; or they may be egged and bread-crumbed, and fried in boiling lard. This is the most simple receipt. The French take much trouble in making quenelles, etc., for soup. Or,
A simple and delicious addition is that of four or five table-spoonfuls of stewed tomatoes.