Fry a quarter of a pound of onions a light brown; mince a turnip and carrot and a little piece of celery; boil these until tender in three pints of the liquor in which a rabbit has been boiled, taking care to remove all scum as it rises; strain them out, and then pass the soup through a napkin. The soup should be clear, or nearly so, but if it is not, put it in a stewpan, boil and skim until bright; then throw in the contents of a tin of Nelson's Extract of Meat, soaked for a few minutes; stir until dissolved; add pepper and salt to taste.
HARE SOUP.
Half roast a hare, and, having cut away the meat in long slices from the backbone, put it aside to make an entrée. Fry four onions; take a carrot, turnip, celery, a small quantity of thyme and parsley, half-a-dozen peppercorns, a small blade of mace, some bacon-bones or a slice of lean ham, with the body of the hare cut up into small pieces; put all in two quarts of water with a little salt. When you have skimmed the pot, cover close and allow it to boil gently for three hours, then strain it; take off every particle of fat, and having allowed the soup to boil up, add the contents of a tin of Nelson's Extract of Meat, and thicken it with a dessertspoonful of potato-flour; stir in two lumps of sugar, a glass of port wine, and season if necessary.
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP.
English cooks generally err in making both mulligatawny and curries too hot. It is impossible to give the exact quantity of the powder, because it varies so much in strength, and the cook must therefore be guided by the quality of her material. Mulligatawny may be made cheaply, and be delicious. The liquor in which meat or fowl has been boiled will make a superior soup, and fish-liquor will answer well. Slice and fry brown four onions, quarter, but do not peel, four sharp apples; boil them in three pints of stock until tender, then rub through a sieve to a pulp. Boil this up in the soup, skimming well; add the contents of a tin of Nelson's Extract of Meat, and stir in two ounces of flour and the curry-powder, mixed smooth in half-a-pint of milk. Any little pieces of meat, fowl, game, or fish may be added as an improvement to the soup. Just before serving taste that the soup is well-flavoured; add a little lemon-juice or vinegar.
THIN MULLIGATAWNY SOUP.
To a quart of the liquor in which a fresh haddock has been boiled, add half-a-pint of water in which onions have been boiled. Stir into this, after it has been skimmed, and whilst boiling, the contents of a tin of Nelson's Extract of Meat, and a teaspoonful of curry-powder; let it boil up; add the juice of half a lemon and serve.
BROWN ARTICHOKE SOUP.
Wash, peel, and cut into slices about half-an-inch thick two pounds of Jerusalem artichokes. Fry them in a little butter until brown; fry also brown half-a-pound of sliced onions. Put these to boil in two quarts of water with two turnips, a carrot sliced, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and one of pepper. When the vegetables are tender drain the liquor, set it aside to cool, and remove all fat. Pass the vegetables through a fine sieve to a nice smooth purée. Those who possess a Kent's "triturating strainer" will be able to do this much more satisfactorily, both as regards time and results, than by the old way of rubbing through a sieve. Put the liquor on to boil, dissolve in it—according to the strength the soup is required to be—the contents of one or two tins of Nelson's Extract of Meat, then add the vegetable purée, a lump or two of sugar, and if required, salt and pepper. Let it boil up and serve.