Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/35

Rh not keep so long, or impart such a fine colour to the soups, etc. A bottle of claret that has been open will do; any wine, in fact, so long as it is dark. Let it boil for ten or twelve minutes, add a teaspoonful of salt, and remove from the fire when cold; bottle, and lay by for use. A very small quantity will be sufficient for colouring purposes. Many people bake flour in the oven for the double purpose of thickening and browning, but I think it always gives a peculiar taste to the dishes in which it is used.

Cheap Stock.—The liquor a leg of mutton, piece of the loin, or pair of fowls has been boiled in. Take about three quarts of it into a clean saucepan add to it any trimmings from poultry, beef or bacon you may have. Wash and scrape two carrots and cut up small, one medium onion (with cloves or not, as liked), one bunch of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste. Let it simmer for several hours, keeping well covered, then strain for use.

Ingredients: 1 or 2 lbs. of any meat preferred.

Mode: Beef makes the strongest stock. Cut it up into small pieces and put it into a saucepan with about half a cup of water, and stand over a slow fire. As the gravy begins to come out add more warm water a little at a time till you have as much stock as you require. Many people, when making stock or beef tea, spoil it through putting it over a hot fire, and letting it boil into the meat instead of out of it. The outside of the meat becomes hard, and so the goodness or gravy cannot escape from it, but remains in the centre.

Ingredients: 2 lbs. of knuckle of veal, one fowl (an old hen will answer very well), but let it be cut up into joints or pieces, one onion, one head of celery, one carrot, one turnip, a bunch of parsley.

Mode: Cut up the veal into pieces removing all fat, and chop the bone. Put this into your soup pot with the fowl, the onion, in which may be stuck a few cloves, and all the other vegetables. Cover with cold water, about two quarts, add a spoonful of salt. Now remove every particle of fat, also any sediment there may be at the bottom. This is clear stock and is the foundation of all clear soups.

Macaroni Soup is merely macaroni washed, boiled tender, and added to the above.

Vermicelli Soup the same. Also Sago and Vegetable Soups.

N.B.—In the bush where bandicoots are numerous, they can be used to advantage in this way.

Time: To make the stock, six hours. Average cost: 2s. 4d. (if you buy the fowl).

Ingredients: Soup meat or bones, one onion, ¼ lb. vegetables (carrots, turnips, celery, etc.), herbs, half cup rice, half cup oatmeal, pepper, salt, four or five quarts of water.

Mode: Pieces of the neck or shank of mutton are best for this broth. Break up the bones into small pieces and put them into a large saucepan with the water. Let them boil gently by the side of the fire for four hours, then strain off the soup, let it stand a few minutes, and skim off the fat—take every particle, and what you cannot get with a spoon, use brown paper. Slice the onion and about ¼ lb. of any kind of vegetable you have (not potatoes). Add these to the broth with the pepper, salt and a small bunch of herbs. Let these simmer till tender, then wash the rice and add it, also the oatmeal, mixed and stirred in as a thickening. When the rice is cooked, send to table.