Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/49

 SOUPS. 35

Cut up the tails, separating them at the joints ; wash them, and put them in a stewpan with the butter. Cut the vegetables in slices and add them with the herbs. Put in one-half pint of water, and stir it over a quick fire till the juices are drawn. Pill up the stewpan with water, and, when boiling, add the salt. Skim well, and simmer very gently for four hours, or until the tails are tender. Take them out, skim and strain the soup, thicken with flour, and flavor with the catsup and port wine. Put back the tails, simmer for five minutes and serve. Another way to make an appetizing ox-tail soup. You should be- gin to make it the day before you wish to eat the soup. Take two tails, wash clean, and put in a kettle with nearly a gallon of cold water ; add a small handful of salt ; when the meat is well cooked, take out the bones. Let this stand in a cool room, covered, and next day, about an hour and a half before dinner, skim off the crust or cake of fat which has risen to the top. Add a little onion, carrot, or any veg- etables you choose, chopping them fine first ; summer savory may also be added.

CORN SOUP.

CUT the corn from the cob, and boil the cobs in water for at least an hour, then add the grains, and boil until they are thoroughly done ; put one dozen ears of corn to a gallon of water, which will be reduced to three quarts by the time the soup is done ; then pour on a pint of new milk, two well-beaten eggs, salt and pepper to your taste ; con- tinue the boiling a while longer, and stir in, to season and thicken it a little, a tablespoonf ul of good butter rubbed up with two tablespoon- f uls of flour. Corn soup may also be made nicely with water in which a pair of grown fowls have been boiled or parboiled, instead of hav- ing plain water for the foundation.

SPLIT PEA SOUP. No. 1.

WASH well a pint of split peas and cover them well with cold water, adding a third of a teaspoonf ul of soda ; let them remain in it over night to swell. In the morning put them in a kettle with a close fit- ting cover. Pour over them three quarts of cold water, adding half a pound of lean ham or bacon cut into slices or pieces; also a tea- spoonful of salt and a little pepper, and some celery chopped fine. When the soup begins to boil, skim the froth from the surface. Cook slowly from three to four hours, stirring occasionally till the peas are

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