Ladies' Column, The Art of Soup-Making.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1976, 7 March 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

Ladies' Column, The Art of Soup-Making.

As author has truly said that "Cookery, though a science, is not, and cannot be, an exact science; while the professors of cookery propound their reoipes as if it were exact. They give a recipe with so much particularity, that they hate to give another and another to cover a different Bet of particulars not included in the first." There ia a constant controversy going on as to the economy, digestibility, and necessity of soup at the commencement of a dinner; some maintaining that a dinner without it cannot literally ba called a dinner; others, prejudiced against " slops," discarding it from their tables altogether ; while a few who would gladly, perhaps, take advantage of an opportunity to reduce the meat bills, have only the will, being ignorant of the way- The average middle-class wife and mother may have sighed over the items of ribs and sirloins of beef, and legs and shoulders of mutton, and said to herself, "Ah I we must take to having a little soup." With praiseworthy promptitude and zeal, she has perchance opened her cookery-book, of the old extravagant style, and closed it sorrowfully, a sadder, if not & wiser woman, with brain all dizzy from the strings of ingredients, and the long line of kuuckles of real, shins of bsef, " old fowls," und slices of ham, which she is commanded to " throw into the stock pot " if she would insure success. Now with soup-making, aa with all elae, once master the theory and the practice is comparatively easy ; while, on the other hand, yean of practice without a perfect knowledge of the w l iy and ihe wherefore will prove of no avail. Let me illustrate my meaning dearly: the would-be soup-maker, in scanning a recipe, discards it as impracticable bec^ise she lucks one or more of the ingredients mentioned, while she who grasps the modus operandi, owing to her theoretical knowledge, at once substitutes others, or pei haps dispenses with them altogether. No doubt, in many families, the prejudice against soup hau arisen from the fact that it is usually prepared and served in large quantities, instead of, as at the tables of the rich, in small portions, though many of the kinds which I hope to enumerate would furnish in themselves a substantial meal for a growing child. At any rate, the advantages of commencing dinner with soup are manifest in the saving of the meat bills, and economy practised in utilising scraps of all kinds for the making of the Boups, and the comfortable sensation experienced after a little has been taken ; for let any person who feels, as the saying goes, " too hungry to eat," swallow a few spoonfuls of soup, and the feeling of exhaustion will quickly pass away. Indeed, a well-known authority has said that nothing tends more to restore the tone of the stomach, and make easier of digestion that whioh is to follow, than a little soup. There aro three kinds whioh may be termed everyday soups, viz., clear soups, thick soups, and purees : the first especially suitable for hot weather, and to commence a good dinner; the second and third for colder iveather, or when soup constitutes the greater part of the meal. Cleanlinesa in every detail is the first thing necessary, and, after that, the gradual bringing to the boil of the stock ; manj people know very well that it is absolutely necesaary that meat for soups, stews, tea for invalids, and the like, should cook as slowly as posBible after the hquid simmerfl ; but they are unaware of the great importance of letting the process of ebullition be a slow one. The reason is simple ; the more slowly the meat cooks, the more it expands and yields its juices ; indeed, it is well to add a spoonful of cold water from time to time, to cheok the heat and assist in throwing up the scum ; for, in the case of clear soups especially, the liquidjmust be skimmed thoroughly bejor/t it boils ; then, after the simmering has commenced, it must be continuous until the end. As to the stock itself, in spite of the usual recommendation to keep the Btock-pot always Bimmering, and throw in from day to day whatever in the way of bones and trimmings will yield any nourishment, it is a very great mistake ; for, in the first place, the contents will be unequally cooked, and longstewing will spoil the flavor ; the stock, that is to say, will have a stale taste if cooked over and over again. It is far better to empty the pot every night, set the stock in a cool place until morning, and skim carefully. Wash out the pot, and if any of the previous day's bones do not seem as dry as they should be, stew them a few hours longer, with any other fresh or cooked bones that may be handy, scraps of meat, ham, be oon, game, or poultry, in fact anything but fish ; vegetables may be added, but the stock will not keep so long. It is best not to put in seasonings of any kind until it is determined for what sort of soups or gravieß thoy may bo required. Thopo who d<» not possess a Btock-pot may substitute a stew-pan if the lid be a wellfitting one. Keep the steam in and the smoke out ; never take off the lid of a saucepan on »

smoky fire, but fortunately in those days of close ranges and gas stoves, the opfn firegrates of our ancestors arc almost obsolete for cooking purponoe. To commence, then, with purees and thick soups ; and for the first it is essential that the whole of the ingredients be rubbsd through a coarse wire sieve (fh<w who do not posinsa one may uso a colander), but they may now be bought Terr cheaply, with a wiro bottom inpide the usual holes. Miny people will not take the trouble to rub anjthmg through a sieve, but only those who have npver proved the advantage will shirk the little extra labor, for the difference in the flavor of soups, ourrien, ifca, thus treated can only be proved afl»r oxperience. The first lesson I learned in this way was some years ago, on seeing a Frenchman make n delicious " vegetable soup," by throwing all kinds of vegetables and herbs into cold water, the only additions beini; Bait, pepper, and a small piece of dripping. The whole — when the vegetables wf»rc quite tender — was rubbed through % rieve. A friend thought the last part of the business quite unnecessary, and served the same kind of soup with the vegetables just cut up, and floating in it, and needless to say the result was wit satisfactory. Besides, it should be borne in mind that the thorough amalgamation of the ingredients tsnds to increase the digestive properties of the dish, and this certainly is a point worthy of consideration. In the case of vegetable soup a3 above, stock is, of course, superior to water, and then no dripping will be required. A mixfure of carrots, turnips, and parsnips in small proportion, onions or shalots, a good supply of freah parsley, with any other herbs thnt are liked, and the outer sticks of celery will furnish an excellent soup at a merely nomiral cost. The water in which a piece of mtat has been boiled will form a good groundwork. The ohangea may be limp ad hbt him by adding at one time a kidney out finely. n,t another a piece of milt, a cow-heel or calf's foot ; and the thickening, too, may be varied almost indefinitely. Pea, flour, lentil flour, arrowroot, or wheaten flour, will all answer the purpose, and sago, rice, and tapioca are admisßablf, while if a few potatoes are used with the other vegetables, the soup will be found thick enough for most poople. Carrots should never be peeled, only brushed or scraped, their best flavor and color are n«ar the surface ; indeed, in France the outer part only is used for the be-»t dishe3. Turnips, on the contrary, should be thickly pared, as they are pithy and indigestible unle3S so treated. Curry powder or pasta may be used with advantage in thickening this soup. The hot compounds of a few years back are out of date, and there is now no lack ot delicious curry powders in the market at a low price. This is a first rate thin;; in cold weather, giving zest to the dish and great support — especially if rice be served in or with the dish — to those who partake of it. A pinch of sugar is at all times an improvement to brown soups generally; and whenever Spanish onions are out of eeaean, if English-grown ones are parboiled with some sugar, and the first water thrown awny, their strong flavor will be considerably reduced. Leeks when obtainable are valuable for soup, so are shalots, the flavor being so mild. With regard to seasoning, be careful at first. Some people put in sufficipnt salt to season the whole, forgetting that although two quarts of liquid can be boiled down to half the quantity, the salt dors not evaporate, therefore it is bpst to defer, at any rate, part of the seasoning until nearly the end. Celery seed may always take the place of fresh celery, but it must be very cautiously used— a salt-spoonful is quite enough for a gallon of soup ; a bottle Bullicient for a year's use in ordinary families may be bought for a shilling. Mixed herbs, too, must not be forgotten by those who would excel in soup-making, as thpy not only impart flavour, but develop more fully that of the vegetables, meat, Ac , of which the soup is compounded. In the case of white soups, when milk is added, it should be brought separately just to the boil, and then put in at the last moment of serving, just as cream is in the richest white soups. Egi's should be stirred in off the fire — never boiled in the soup, or it will curdle— then returned for a moment to the range and well stirred. Nothing, perhaps, makes a moro nutritious puree than haricot beana or lentils ; thorough washing of the latter especially is the first ) thing, then several hours' soaking and very slow boiling, followed by a vigorous rub through the sieve. Tomatoes, too — those sold in tins will bp quite good enough — furnish a tasty dish at a smull cost. When the soup is required to bo brown, a little sauce or ketchup and some browning should be added, and the meat and vegetables fi-st fried a little. For white soups the vegetables only, not the meat, may be cooked in a little fat without taking any colour. This is a process known as " sweating," or, better still, " Rteaming ;" a few minutes will suffice, then the cold water or Btock should be poured over ; soup thus made has a very superior flavour. A puiee of green peas (than which thero is no better) ia rendered still more delicious if the shells are cooked in tho stock, which must be strained off before the peas are added. I have by no means exhau°ted my list of purges, but sufficient has been eaid, I trust, to give the amateur a fair idea of how to commence ; other kinds may have attention (space permitting) in a future paper, together with recipes for olpar soups, but it ia best to try one's prentice hand on the thick kinds. —L. Heritage, in Camel's Magazine.