Lean, juicy beef, mutton and veal, form the basis of all good soups;
therefore it is advisable to obtain pieces that pay aqueous richest, and as fresh-kill. Stale flesh makes them bad, and fat is not so well adapted to make them. The main art in composing good rich soup, so the proportion of some materials that will not dominate the taste of one over the other, and that all the articles which it is composed, shall form an overall enjoyable. To achieve this, care must be taken that the roots and herbs cleaned properly, and that the water is proportional to the quantity of meat and other ingredients. Generally, one liter of water may be allowed for a pound of meat for soups, and half the quantity for gravies. In making soups or gravies, gentle upset or simmering is incomparably the best. It may be remarked, however, that really good soup can not be made but in a closed vessel, though, perhaps, a greater virtue obtained with occasional exposure to air. Food will, in general, take from three to six hours doing, and are much better prepared the day before they want. When the soup is cold, the fat may be much more easily and completely removed; and when it is poured off, care must be taken not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the vessel, which was so good that they will escape through a sieve. A Tamis is the best strainer, and if the strained soup while it is hot, let the Tamis or cloth previously soaked in cold water. Clear soups must be perfectly transparent, and thickened soups about the consistency of cream. Thicken and give body to soups and gravies, potato-mucilage, arrow-root, bread-raspings, isinglass, flour and butter, barley, rice, or oatmeal, in a little water rubbed well together, are used. A piece of boiled beef pounded to a pulp, with a little butter and flour, and rub through a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the soup, will be found an excellent addition. When the soup seems too thin or too weak, boiler cover should be taken off, and the contents allowed to boil up some watery parts have evaporated; or some thickening, mentioned above, should be added. When soups and gravies saved the day in hot weather, they should be warmed up every day, and put in a pot of fresh scalded or tureens, and placed in a cool cellar. In temperate weather, every day is probably sufficient.
Various herbs and vegetables needed for the purpose of making soups and gravies. Of these the principal are, Scotch barley, pearl barley, wheat flour, oatmeal, bread-raspings, peas, beans, rice, noodles, macaroni, isinglass, potato-mucilage, mushroom or mushroom ketchup, champignons, radishes, carrots, beets , radishes, garlic, and onion shalots. onion slices, fried with butter and flour until lightly browned, and then rubbed through a sieve, very good for improving the color and flavor of brown soups and sauces, and forms the basis of many well relishes furnished by the cook. Getting old and dried onions, strong taste. Leek, cucumber, or burnet vinegar; celery or celery-seed pounded. The latter, though equally strong, do not embed subtle sweetness of fresh vegetables; and when used as a substitute, the taste should be improved with the addition of a little sugar. Cress-seed, parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, tied marjoram, sage, mint, winter savory, and basil. Fresh green basil rarely be purchased, and the delicate flavor soon disappear, the best way of preserving the extract is by pouring wine on the fresh leaves.
For seasoning soups, bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, celery, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, nutmeg, black and white pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon-peel and juice, and Seville orange juice , all taken. The latter instill a sense more subtle than lemon, and the acid is much lighter. These materials, with wine, mushroom ketchup, Harvey sauce, tomato sauce, combined in various proportions, which, with other ingredients, manipulated into an almost endless variety of excellent soups and gravies. The food, which is intended to form the main part of the meal, certainly should not be flavored like sauces, which are only designed to provide enjoyed for some particular dish.
