Read Ebook: Woman's Institute Library of Cookery. Volume 3: Soup; Meat; Poultry and Game; Fish and Shell Fish by Woman S Institute Of Domestic Arts And Sciences
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SOUP Value of Soup Classification of Soups Uses and Varieties of Soup Stock The Stock Pot Principal Ingredients in Soup Processes Involved in Making Stock Serving Soup Recipes for Soup and Soup Accompaniments Stocks and Clear Soups Heavy Thick Soups Cream Soups Pur?es Chowders Soup Accompaniments and Garnishes
MEAT Value of Meat as Food Structure and Composition of Meat Purchase and Care of Meat Purposes of Cooking Meat Methods of Cooking Meat Time Required for Cooking Meat Beef--General Characteristics Cuts of Beef Steaks and Their Preparation Roasts and Their Preparation Preparation of Stews and Corned Beef Beef Organs and Their Preparation Making Gravy Trying Out Suet and Other Fats Preparation of Left-Over Beef Veal Cuts of Veal and Their Uses Veal Cuts and Their Preparation Veal Organs and Their Preparation Preparation of Left-Over Veal Mutton and Lamb--Comparison Cuts of Mutton and Lamb Preparation of Roasts, Chops, and Stews Preparation of Left-Over Lamb and Mutton Pork Cuts of Pork Fresh Pork and Its Preparation Cured Pork and Its Preparation Preparation of Left-Over Pork Serving and Carving of Meat Sausages and Meat Preparations Principles of Deep-Fat Frying Application of Deep-Fat Frying Timbale Cases
POULTRY AND GAME Poultry as a Food Selection of Poultry Selection of Chicken Selection of Poultry Other Than Chicken Composition of Poultry Preparation of Chicken for Cooking Preparation of Poultry Other Than Chicken for Cooking Cooking of Poultry Stuffing for Roast Poultry Boned Chicken Dishes from Left-Over Poultry Serving and Carving of Poultry Game Recipes for Game
FISH AND SHELL FISH Fish in the Diet Composition and Food Value of Fish Purchase and Care of Fish Cleaning Fish Boning Fish Skinning Fish Filleting Fish Methods of Cooking Fish Recipes for Fish Sauces and Stuffings Recipes for Fresh Fish Recipes for Salt and Smoked Fish Recipes for Canned Fish Recipes for Left-Over Fish Shell Fish--Nature, Varieties, and Use Oysters and Their Preparation Clams and Their Preparation Scallops and Their Preparation Lobsters and Their Preparation Crabs and Their Preparation Shrimp and Their Preparation
SOUP
SOUP AND ITS PLACE IN THE MEAL
VALUE OF SOUP
If soup is thought of in this way, the prejudice that exists against it in many households will be entirely overcome. But since much of this prejudice is due to the fact that the soup served is often unappetizing in both flavor and appearance, sufficient attention should be given to the making of soup to have this food attractive enough to appeal to the appetite rather than discourage it. Soup should not be greasy nor insipid in flavor, neither should it be served in large quantities nor without the proper accompaniment. A small quantity of well-flavored, attractively served soup cannot fail to meet the approval of any family when it is served as the first course of the meal.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOUPS
THICK SOUPS are also made from stock, but milk, cream, water, or any mixture of these may also be used as a basis, and to it may be added for thickening meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, or grain or some other starchy material. Soups of this kind are often made too thick, and as such soups are not appetizing, care must be taken to have them just right in consistency.
BROTHS have for their foundation a clear stock. They are sometimes a thin soup, but other times they are made quite thick with vegetables, rice, barley, or other material, when they are served as a substantial part of a meal.
CREAM SOUPS are highly nutritious and are of great variety. They have for their foundation a thin cream sauce, but to this are always added vegetables, meat, fish, or grains.
BISQUES are thick, rich soups made from game, fish, or shell fish, particularly crabs, shrimp, etc. Occasionally, vegetables are used in soup of this kind.
CHOWDERS are soups that have sea food for their basis. Vegetables and crackers are generally added for thickening and to impart flavor.
PUR?ES are soups made thick partly or entirely by the addition of some material obtained by boiling an article of food and then straining it to form a pulp. When vegetables containing starch, such as beans, peas, lentils, and potatoes, are used for this purpose, it is unnecessary to thicken the soup with any additional starch; but when meat, fish, or watery vegetables are used, other thickening is required. To be right, a pur?e should be nearly as smooth as thick cream and of the same consistency.
STOCK FOR SOUP
USES AND VARIETIES OF STOCK
FIRST STOCK is made from meat and bones and then clarified and used for well-flavored, clear soups.
SECOND STOCK is made from the meat and the bones that remain after the first stock is strained off. More water is added to the remaining material, and this is then cooked with vegetables, which supply the needed flavor. Such stock serves very well for adding flavor to a nutritious soup made from vegetables or cereal foods.
HOUSEHOLD STOCK is made by cooking meat and bones, either fresh or cooked, with vegetables or other material that will impart flavor and add nutritive value. Stock of this kind is used for ordinary soups.
BONE STOCK is made from meat bones to which vegetables are added for flavor, and it is used for making any of the ordinary soups.
VEGETABLE STOCK is made from either dried or fresh vegetables or both. Such stock is employed in making vegetable soups.
GAME STOCK is made from the bones and trimmings of game to which vegetables are added for flavor. This kind of stock is used for making game soups.
FISH STOCK is made from fish or fish trimmings to which vegetables are added for flavor. Shell fish make especially good stock of this kind. Fish stock is employed for making chowders and fish soups.
THE STOCK POT
The stock pot, like any other utensil used for making soup, should receive considerable care, as it must be kept scrupulously clean. No stock pot should ever be allowed to stand from day to day without being emptied, thoroughly washed, and then exposed to the air for a while to dry.
MAKING OF SOUP
PRINCIPAL INGREDIENTS
If soup is to be made from fish, a white variety should be selected. The head and trimmings may be utilized, but these alone are not sufficient, because soup requires some solid pieces of meat. The same is true of meat bones; they are valuable only when they are used with meat, an equal proportion of bone and meat being required for the best stock.
Attention, too, must be given to the condition of the vegetables that are used in soup. The fresh vegetables that are used should be in perfect condition. They should have no decayed places that might taint or discolor the soups, and they should be as crisp and solid as possible. If they are somewhat withered or faded, they can be freshened by allowing them to stand in cold water for a short time. When dried vegetables are to be used for soup making, they should first be soaked well in cold water and then, before being added to the stock, either partly cooked or entirely cooked and made into a pur?e.
PROCESSES INVOLVED IN MAKING STOCK
The meat should be allowed to cook for at least 4 hours, but longer if possible. If, during this long cooking, too much water evaporates, more should be added to dilute the stock. The salt that is required for seasoning may be added just a few minutes before the stock is removed from the kettle. However, it is better to add the salt, together with the other seasonings, after the stock has been drawn off, for salt, like heat, has a tendency to harden the tissues of meat and to prevent the flavor from being readily extracted.
A very satisfactory way in which to clear stock is to use egg whites and crushed egg shell. To each quart of cold stock should be added the crushed shell and a slightly beaten egg white. These should be mixed well, placed on the fire, and the mixture stirred constantly until it boils. As the egg coagulates, some of the floating particles in the stock are caught and carried to the top, while others are carried to the bottom by the particles of shell as they settle. After the mixture has boiled for 5 or 10 minutes, the top should be skimmed carefully and the stock then strained through a fine cloth. When it has been reheated, the cleared stock will be ready to serve.
The starchy foods that are used for thickening include rice, barley, oatmeal, noodles, tapioca, sago, and macaroni. Many unusual and fancy forms of macaroni can be secured, or the plain varieties of Italian pastes may be broken into small pieces and cooked with the soup. When any of these foods are used, they should be added long enough before the soup is removed to be cooked thoroughly.
Pur?es of beans, peas, lentils, potatoes, and other vegetables are especially desirable for the thickening of soups, for they not only give consistency, but add nutritive value and flavor as well. Another excellent thickening may be obtained by beating raw eggs and then adding them carefully to the soup just before it is to be served. After eggs have been added for thickening, the soup should not be allowed to boil, as it is liable to curdle.
SERVING SOUP
The spoon to be served with soup also depends on the kind of soup, but a larger spoon than a teaspoon is always necessary. When soup is served in a soup plate, a dessert spoon is used, as will be observed in Fig. 4. A bouillon spoon is the best kind to use with any thin soup served in bouillon cups. Such a spoon, as shown in Fig. 3, is about the length of a teaspoon, but has a round bowl.
RECIPES FOR SOUP AND SOUP ACCOMPANIMENTS
NECESSITY FOR CAREFUL WORK
Strict attention should also be given to the preparation of other ingredients and the accompaniments. The meat used must be cut very carefully rather than in ragged, uneven pieces. Noodles, which are often used in soup, may be of various widths; but all those used at one time should be uniform in width--that is, all wide or all narrow. If different widths are used, an impression of careless cutting will be given. Croutons and bread sticks, to be most satisfactory, should be cut straight and even, and, in order to toast uniformly, all those made at one time should be of the same size.
STOCKS AND CLEAR SOUPS
STOCK FOR CLEAR SOUP OR BOUILLON
Cut the meat into small pieces. Pour the cold water over it, place on a slow fire, and let it come to a boil. Skim off all scum that rises to the top. Cover tightly and keep at the simmering point for 6 to 8 hours. Then strain and remove the fat. Add the onion and celery cut into pieces, the parsley, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a cloth.
HOUSEHOLD STOCK
Pour the cold water over the meat and bones and put them on the fire to cook. When they come to a boil skim well. Then cover and simmer 4 to 6 hours. Add the onion, cloves, peppercorns, and herbs and cook for another hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain and set aside to cool. Remove the fat.
WHITE STOCK
Cut the veal and fowl into pieces and add the cold water. Place on a slow fire, and let come gradually to the boiling point. Skim carefully and place where it will simmer gently for 6 hours. Slice the onions, brown slightly in the butter, and add to the stock with the celery and mace. Salt and pepper to suit taste. Cook 1 hour longer and then strain and cool. Remove the fat before using.
CONSOMM?
Cut the beef and veal into small pieces. Put the butter and meat into the stock kettle, and stir over the fire until the meat begins to brown. Add the cold water, and let come to the boiling point. Skim carefully and let simmer for 6 hours. Cut the vegetables into small pieces and add to the stock with the spices and herbs. Cook for 1 hour, adding salt and pepper to suit taste. Strain and cool. Remove the fat and clear according to directions previously given.
TOMATO BOUILLON
Heat the stock, and to it add the salt, sugar, and pepper. Rub the tomatoes through a fine sieve, and add them to the stock. Cook together for a few minutes and serve.
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