The Century Cook Book Part 15

[Sidenote: Julienne.]

Julienne does not differ from the vegetable soup except in the form given the vegetables. For julienne, the outside or deep yellow of the carrot, turnip, and celery are cut, with a knife which comes for the purpose, into thin, thread-like pieces about two inches long. The shredded vegetables must be boiled before being added to the soup, and care used to prevent their breaking or becoming too soft to hold their form, or they may be fried in b.u.t.ter until tender. Green peas, asparagus tips, and flowerets of cauliflower may also be added. (See ill.u.s.tration facing page 92.)

[Sidenote: Printaniere.]

Any vegetables may be used for vegetable soup, but judgment should be shown in the combination. They may be made ornamental by being cut into fancy shapes with cutters, or into b.a.l.l.s with a small potato scoop, or they may be cut into dice.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PRINTANIeRE AND JULIENNE SOUP VEGETABLES. (SEE PAGE 89.)

1, 2, 3. Cutters used for cutting vegetables for Printaniere Soup.

4. Vegetables prepared for Printaniere Soup.

5. Knife for cutting vegetables into Julienne.

6. Julienne.]

[Sidenote: Tapioca.]

Pearl tapioca boiled to clearness makes a very pretty thickening to clear soup.

[Sidenote: Croute au Pot.]

Small pieces of toast or thin shavings of stale bread are added to the tureen just before serving to make the _croute-au-pot_.

The soup should be served before the bread dissolves or gets very soft.

For julienne, tapioca, and _croute-au-pot_, the soup should be perfectly clear and a deep amber color.

[Sidenote: Garnishes for Soups.]

Other garnishes which may be added to soups are: Force-meat b.a.l.l.s (see page 92); yolks of hard-boiled eggs; egg b.a.l.l.s (see page 92); royal custard (see page 92); fried croutons (see page 81); noodles (see page 93); dumplings (see page 170); thin cross-cuts of celery; thin slices of lemon, one for each plate; grated Parmesan cheese (pa.s.sed); macaroni cut into pieces one eighth of an inch thick, making rings; sweet potato b.a.l.l.s (see page 94); marrow b.a.l.l.s (see page 94); green pea timbale (see page 94); harlequin slices (see page 94); with consomme, a poached egg for each portion.

THICKENING FOR SOUPS

Roux (see page 79) makes the best thickening for soups which are not clear, using brown or white roux according to the color of the soup. Thin the roux with a little soup, so it will be smooth before adding it to the soup kettle. Roux added to pea, bean, and potato soups prevents their separating.

A thickening of eggs is made as follows: Beat two or three yolks and dilute them with a half a cupful of cream or milk or cold soup. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the hot soup to warm it. Remove the soup from the fire and stir in slowly the egg mixture, return it to the fire to cook the egg, but do not let it boil, or it may curdle.

Clear soups are sometimes thickened by using one teaspoonful of arrowroot to a quart of soup. Mix the arrowroot with a little of the cold soup, turn it into the hot soup, and cook until it becomes clear. A clear soup so thickened may be flavored with sherry.

FOOTNOTES:

[84-*] It is not meant to imply that the stock-pot should never be removed from the range and that articles should be added at any time.

When the nutriment is extracted from one collection of materials, the stock should be strained off, the pot thoroughly cleaned, and a new stock started as soon as enough materials have again acc.u.mulated.--M. R.

[87-*] It will be difficult if not impossible to make a perfectly clear and brilliant soup from stock where bones have been used, if the stock has been subjected to boiling heat. Boiling dissolves the lime in the bones, and this gives a cloudiness which clarifying will not entirely remove.--M. R.

GARNISHES FOR SOUPS

=ROYALE=

A CUSTARD TO SERVE WITH CONSOMMe

2 yolks.

1 entire egg.

1/3 teaspoonful of salt.

Dash of cayenne.

1/2 cupful of beef stock.

Beat the eggs well, but not to a froth. Add one third of a teaspoonful of salt and one half cupful of clear beef stock. Pour the mixture into a small pan or flat dish, so it will be about one half inch deep. Set the pan into another one containing hot water and place them in a very moderate oven, so that the custard will set without bubbles and without browning on top. Let the custard become perfectly cold. Without removing it from the pan, cut it into cubes one half inch square, or into fancy forms, with vegetable cutters.

These pieces should be placed carefully in the consomme after it is in the tureen, allowing three or four pieces to each portion of soup.

=FORCE-MEAT b.a.l.l.s=

Chop any cooked meat very fine, season highly with salt, pepper, thyme, onion juice, lemon juice, and herbs if desired; add enough yolk of egg to moisten and bind the meat. Mold into b.a.l.l.s one half inch in diameter, roll the b.a.l.l.s in flour, and poach them in boiling water, or they may be fried in b.u.t.ter.

Force-meat b.a.l.l.s may also be made of raw meat prepared as for timbale paste (see page 297).

[Ill.u.s.tration: RADISHES CUT TO IMITATE ROSES.]

=EGG b.a.l.l.s=

Rub to a paste, with a wooden spoon, the yolks of hard-boiled eggs; season with salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter; add enough raw yolk to bind the paste; form it into b.a.l.l.s one half the size of a natural yolk; roll them in white of egg and then in flour, and poach the b.a.l.l.s in boiling water for a few minutes.

Three yolks will make five b.a.l.l.s. One ball is enough to allow to each portion of soup.

=NOODLES=

Several dishes may be made from noodles.

To three eggs (slightly beaten) mixed with two tablespoonfuls of water and a little salt, add enough flour to make a stiff dough; work it well for fifteen or twenty minutes, adding flour when necessary. When it is smooth and elastic, cut off a small piece at a time and roll it as thin as a wafer. It can be rolled very thin by placing a cloth under it.

Sprinkle the thin sheet with flour, and roll it into a rather tight roll. With a sharp knife cut it, from the end,--into threads, if for soup; if to use as a vegetable, into ribbons one quarter inch wide. Let them dry an hour or more. They will keep the same as macaroni.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NOODLES. (SEE PAGE 93.)

1. Sheet of Noodle Paste.

2. Noodles for Soup.

3. Noodles to serve as vegetable.

4. Noodle b.a.l.l.s.

5. Sheet of Noodle Paste Rolled.

6. Paste cut from Roll.

7. Noodle Paste cut for b.a.l.l.s before being fried.]