with carmine or cochineal. Cook in 3 separate small timbals or dariol moulds, and use as directed above.
Time.—To prepare and cook the custard, ½ an hour. Average Cost, 3s. 4d. Seasonable at any time. Sufficient for 6 persons.
42.—CLEAR SOUP. (Fr.—Consommé.)
Ingredients.—2 quarts of brown stock, 1 lb. of neck of beef (lean) finely chopped, or passed two or three times through the mincing machine, the whites and shells of 4 eggs, 1 carrot, cut in two or three pieces, 1 onion (left whole), a strip of celery, 12 peppercorns, 6 allspice, 2 cloves, salt.
Method.—The stock should be cold and quite free from fat. Put it into a clean well-tinned stewpan, add the vegetables, flavourings, seasonings, the shells of the eggs crushed and the whites stiffly whipped, and whisk all together over a gentle fire until just on boiling point, then let it simmer about ½ an hour. Strain through a clean dry cloth, re-heat and season to taste before serving. A glass of sherry, a dessertspoonful of French vinegar or lemon-juice and a pinch of castor sugar, are frequently added when re-heating the consommé.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Seasonable at any time. Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons.
43.—CLEAR SOUP, PORTUGUESE STYLE. (Fr.—Consommé à la Portugaise.)
Ingredients.—2 quarts consommé, 1 large ripe tomato, ½ an oz. of butter, 12 French plums, 1 small leek, a pinch of cayenne.
Method.—Wash the plums, put them in cold water with a little salt, bring to the boil, strain, and rinse in cold water; return to the stewpan in which they were blanched, add sufficient clear stock to well cover, and cook slowly till tender. Wash and clean the leek, cut it into fine shreds or Julienne shaped strips about 1 inch long, wash well in cold water, drain, and cook for a few minutes with the butter, pour in some clarified stock or consommé, and cook slowly till tender. Carefully remove all the fat, pour in the consommé, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Put the plums in the soup tureen. Blanch and skin the tomato, cut it up into very small pieces or dice, free from pips, and put these also into the soup tureen. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste, pour on the consommé, and serve.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 4s. 2d. Sufficient for 8 persons.
44.—CLEAR SOUP WITH FRIED QUENELLES. (Fr.—Consommé aux Quenelles Frites.)
Ingredients.—3 pints of clear soup (see Recipe No. 42), ¼ of a lb. of leg of veal, or raw chicken, ½ an oz. of flour, ¼ of an oz. of but-
