from The Gastronomic Regenerator by Alexis Soyer

No. 134. Consomme, or clear Soup.

This may be made of all beef or all veal, but an equal quantity of each is the best. Cut up two knuckles of veal and a leg of beef with the bones, the whole being about sixteen pounds ; rub a quarter of a pound of butter over the bottom of a large stewpan, into which put the meat, with one pound of lean ham, four onions, four turnips, two middling-sized carrots, six cloves, one blade of mace, and a pint of water; set it over a brisk fire, stirring it round occasionally until the bottom is covered with a clear light glaze, then fill it up with four gallons of light broth (No. 133), or water; when boiling place it at the corner of the stove, skim it well, add a good bunch of parsley, three sprigs of thyme, and two bay-leaves, a quarter of a pound of salt, two leeks, and two heads of celery; let it simmer three hours, skim off all the fat, then pass it through a cloth into a basin, give it the colour of light brown sherry with some brown gravy (No. 135), if sufficiently clear, which it will be if properly attended to. Some soups require to be lighter and some browTier than others, which is easily regulated by adding more or less of the gravy. But by placing the stew- pan over a slow fire when the stock is drawn down to a glaze, and allowing it to remain a short time, the glaze will become brownish, (but be careful not to let it burn,) when fill it up and your consomme will be sufficiently coloured.

But should it require clarifying, put it into a stewpan and when boiling have the whites of eight eggs with their shells in another stewpan, whisk them half a minute, then add a quart of cold stock, whisk all well together, then whisk the boiling consomme and pour in the whites of eggs; still continue whisking it over a clear fire until it simmers and the eggs separate from the consomme, which will be then quite clear; then pass it through a thin but very fine cloth into a basin and it is ready for use. This is a new mode of clari-" fying and cannot fail.

For the proportions for smaller quantities of consomme, to four pounds of veal put a quarter of a pound of ham, one ounce of butter, two onions, hah0 a carrot, a turnip, half a leek, half a head of celery, a sprig of parsley, one of thyrne, a bay-leaf, three cloves, six peppercorns, an ounce and a half of salt and four quarts of water; it will require an horn1 and three quarters boiling. Or if you have to prepare it from beef, veal, and the trimmings of other meats, and require a larger quantity, take ten pounds of meat, to which add three onions, half a pound of ham, a carrot, two turnips, a leek, head of celery, two sprigs of parsley, thyme, and two bay-leaves, six cloves, six peppercorns, two ounces and a half of salt, a blade of mace, and ten quarts of water; it will require two hours and a half boiling; trimmings of rabbit, poultry, or even game, may be added, but not too much game, especially if at all high. You will here perceive that by increasing the quantity of stock there is a diminution in the quantity of seasonings and vegetables, for the larger quantity requiring a longer ebullition, extracts more flavour from the spices and vegetables; a stock for consomme by gently simmering will lose a pint and a half to every four quarts; I must here also observe that by again filling up a stock with cold water and boiling it the same time over again, you will have an excellent second stock, a little of which may be added to the first, if it should have suffered from over reduction, for vegetable soups are not so palatable when made too strong; the second stock is also very useful to fill up a first stock, whereby some of the meat otherwise required can be saved, and if not required for that it may be converted into glaze by mixing it with other stock and proceeding as directed (No. 132).

from The Illustrated London Cookery Book by Frederick Bishop

Saddle of Mutton

This joint like the haunch, gains much of its flavour from hanging for some period, the skin should be taken off, but skewered on again until within rather more than a quarter of an hour of its being done, then let it be taken off, dredge the saddle with flour, baste well. The kidneys may be removed or remain at pleasure, but the fat which is found within the saddle should be removed previous to cooking.

from The Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton

1369. Baked Semolina Pudding

Ingredients.--3 oz of semolina, 1 ½ pint of milk, ¼ lb of sugar, 12 bitter almonds, 3 oz of butter, 4 eggs.

Mode—Flavour the milk with the bitter almonds by infusing them in it by the side of the fire for about ½ hour; then strain it, and mix with it the semolina, sugar, and butter. Stir these ingredients over the fire for a few minutes; then take them off, and gradually mix in the eggs, which should be well beaten. Butter a pie-dish, line the edges with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake in a rather slow oven from 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with custard sauce or stewed fruit, a little of which may be poured over the pudding.

Time—40 to 50 minutes. Average cost, 1s, 2d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.

SEMOLINA.--After vermicelli, semolina is the most useful ingredient that can be used for thickening soups, meat or vegetable, of rich or simple quality. Semolina is softening, light, wholesome, easy of digestion, and adapted to the infant, the aged, and the invalid. That of a clear yellow colour, well dried and newly made, is the fittest for use.