* 3 lbs. Leg of Beef—6d. * * 2 quarts Water * * 1 fagot of Herbs * * Salt and Pepper * * 2 Onions * * 2 Carrots * * 2 Turnips * * 1 doz. Peppercorns—1 1/2d. * * Total Cost—7 1/2 d. * * Time—Five Hours * Pot-au-feu is the national dish of France; it is cheap, nourishing and palatable, and very simple to make. The slower it is cooked the better it is; in fact, in this lies the whole secret of success, for if it boils instead of simmering it is spoilt. Tie the meat up into a nice shape with a piece of tape, put it into cold water, bring slowly to the boil, and very carefully remove the scum; peel and slice up the vegetables, and put them in with the fagot of herbs and the peppercorns tied in a piece of muslin; bring to simmering point, and keep it so for five hours. The liquor can then be served as a soup with part of the vegetables and some sippets of toast. Take the tapes off the meat, and serve with the rest of the vegetables round the dish as a border or garnish. The remains of the beef can be pressed between heavy weights till cold, or put into a brawn tin and served cold with a salad.
VERMICELLI SOUP
* 1 oz. Vermicelli—1d. * * Vegetables and Saffron * * 2 quarts Bone Stock—1d. * * Total Cost—2 d. * * Time—One Hour * The stock for this soup should be good and in a strong jelly when cold. Put it into a saucepan with three or four threads of saffron, an onion or leek stuck with six cloves, 1 dozen white peppercorns and some salt, and boil all together for half an hour; then strain out the vegetables and put it back into the saucepan. It should be of a bright straw colour; if it is not, a thread more saffron may be added before straining. Put in the vermicelli broken small, and simmer for twenty minutes; it is then ready to serve.
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
* 2 quarts Stock * * 1 Apple * * 1 Onion * * 1 Carrot—1d. * * 1/2 oz. Curry Powder * * 1 oz. Flour—1d. * * 1 oz. Butter—1d. * * Total Cost—3d. * * Time—One Hour * The liquor in which poultry or a rabbit has been boiled is the best for this soup. Slice up the apple, onion, and carrot, and fry them in the butter; sprinkle over the curry powder and flour and brown that too; pour over the boiling stock and stir until it boils up, simmer gently for one hour, then rub through a sieve and return to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, flavour with salt and lemon juice. Pour into a warm tureen and serve. Send well-boiled rice to the table with this soup.
FRENCH SOUP
* 3 Potatoes * * 3 Carrots * * 2 Turnips—1 1/2d. * * 2 quarts Bone Stock * * Pepper * * 2 Onions * * 1/2 stalk Celery—1d. * * 1 oz. Butter—1d. * * 1 teaspoonful Sugar * * Salt—1/2d. * * Total Cost—4d. * * Time—One Hour. * Peel and slice up the vegetables and sprinkle them with the sugar and salt, and put them into a saucepan with the butter, and sweat for five minutes. Pour over the boiling stock and stir until it boils; boil slowly for an hour, then rub through a sieve. If it is too thick, reduce it with a little more stock or milk, return to a saucepan, and bring to the boil. When tomatoes are in season slice up two with the other vegetables; these will make the soup a good colour and improve the flavour.
SAGO SOUP
* 3 oz. Sago—1d. * * 1 pint Milk—2 1/2d. * * 2 quarts Bone Stock * * 1 Leek * * Salt and Pepper—1/2d. * * Total Cost—4d. * * Time—Half an Hour. * Wash the sago in cold water, boil the leek in the stock for ten minutes, take it out and stir in the sago; continue stirring until the sago is transparent and the stock quite thick, then pour in the milk and bring up to the boil. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.