The Making of Broths

Ladies' Mirror, Volume V, Issue 2, 2 August 1926, Page 57

The Making of Broths

In the July number of The Mirror we published an article on "Making Soup Stocks," which is an essential for success in soup-making. Another name by which unclarified stock is known is broth or bouillon. The simplest of all soups to make, and which demand little attention, are such homely and well-known broths as Pot-au-feu, Scotch Broth, and Mutton Broth. Scotch Broth requires : 1J to 21b. lean beef, either runner or topside; 2 quarts water; 1 carrot, turnip, and onion of medium size; 2 leeks; 1 dessertspoonful finely chopped parsley; lioz. pearl barley; pepper and salt. Put the meat into a pan, add the water and salt, bring to boilingpoint slowly, then simmer gently for 11 hours. Add the vegetables, pre-

viously cut into dice, and the barley. If you do not want your broth to lie cloudy it is advisable to blanch the barley before adding it to the stock. To do this put the grain into cold water and bring it to boiling-point, strain, and add to the soup. After adding the barley and vegetables, continue to simmer until both are cookedthis will take approximately half an hour. Serve the meat separately on a dish with a little of the broth. Put the chopped parsley into the soup tureenthis should not be cooked, as the attractive green colour is thereby lost —and pour in the broth. Should any fat appear on the surface of the broth it must be removed with a spoon or by gently passing a piece of clean unglazed kitchen-paper over the top. A/Tutton Broth is an economical 1V -*- dish made from: 211 b. scragend of mutton; 2 quarts cold water ; loz. rice or pearl barley; 1 turnip; 1 carrot; 1 onion; 1 leek; pepper and salt; 1 dessertspoonful finely chopped parsley. Cut the meat into

neat joints, removing all the fat. Put into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the seasoning, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for II hours. Cut the vegetables into dice, and blanch the rice or barley, then add to the soup, and continue to cook for about half to three-quar-ters of an hour. Remove any fat from the broth and the bones from the meat. Place the chopped parsley in the tureen and pour on the soup. Oot-au-feu is another economical *■ dish containing soup and meat. Its popularity with all classes in France makes it a national dish. The meat and broth can be served separately or together, whichever is preferred. The following ingredients are required: 21b. piece of beef; loz.

seed pearl tapioca or semolina; salt; 12 peppercorns; a small blade of mace; 2 cloves; a small bunch of herbs; 1 carrot; 1 turnip; 1 onion ; 1 parsnip; 2 small leeks; 2 sticks celery; 1 small cabbage; 2i quarts water. Tie the meat into shape; put into a large saucepan, add the water and one teaspoonful salt and simmer for two hours. Prepare the vegetables, cut each into quarters with the exception of the cabbage, and add to the broth with the herbs and spice. The latter should be tied in a small piece of muslin. Continue to cook for another two hours. Cut the cabbage in two, but tie together so that it does not break up whilst boiling, put into the pot, and boil until tender. Serve the meat on a dish with, some of the liquor ; garnish with the vegetables. If liked the cabbage may be served separately. To make soup, sprinkle the seed pearl tapioca or semolina into the remaining liquor, cook for fifteen minutes and serve.

Oock-a-leekie Soup, as the name J suggests, is made from chicken and leeks, and is an excellent method of making the best use of an old bird, too tough to cook by other means. Although it is not essential to use meat in addition to the chicken, knuckle of veal is frequently added. The following recipe makes a delicious dish: 1 old fowl; 21b. neck of mutton or knuckle of veal; loz. rice ; 4 leeks; pepper and salt; 2 cloves ; 2 quarts cold water. Wash the chicken carefully, and put it and the meat into a saucepan, then add the water and seasoning. When boiling, add the leeks, previously prepared and cut in-

to pieces, and simmer for 11 hours. Wash the rice, sprinkle into the soup, add additional seasoning if necessary and continue to simmer for threequarters of an hour. The chicken and meat can be served separatey with parsley sauce and a little of the broth or with the soup. These recipes serve to show that the making of unclarified broths is very easy. The preparation of consomme, however, entails more work, but the inexperienced cook only needs to master the art of clarifying stock to produce clear soups or consommes in almost endless variety. To make consomme the following A ingredients are required: 2 qts. of first, or best, quality stock; Jib. lean beef ; 1 egg-white and shell ; 1

small carrot; 1 small turnip; 1 small onion; a small bouquet of herbs; 12 peppercorns; a small blade of mace; 2 cloves. Chop or shred the meat: finely, cover with a little cold water, and allow to soak for about half an hour. Prepare the vegetables, cut each into four, put the stock, from which all trace of fat has been removed, into a wide saucepan or stewpan, add the soaked meat, vegetables, white and crushed shell of egg, herbs, and spices. Bring nearly to boilingpoint, whisking meanwhile. When the stock has risen almost to the top of the saucepan, stop whisking, and allow the soup to simmer for a few

minutes. Tic a clean, white tea-cloth to the four legs of an upturned chair, pour through some boiling water to remove any trace of starch, etc., that might be in the cloth. Gently pour through the consomme, repeat, when the soup should be clear and sparkling. If necessary the consomme may be strained a third time. These directions should be invariably followed when making plain consomme, from which a large variety of soups can be evolved, merely by adding different garnishes. Consomme Royale, for instance, is garnished with small pieces of savoury custard; Consomme Julienne with finely shredded vegetables and herbs ; and Consomme a la Celestine with fine shreds of savoury pancakes.