6 lbs. of lean beef. The shin is a good piece for this purpose.
Have the bones well cracked, carefully extracting the marrow,
every bit of which should be put into the soup.
6 qts. of water.
The stock must be prepared the day before the soup is needed. Put the
beef, bones and all, with the water in a close vessel, and set it where
it will heat gradually. Let it boil very slowly for six hours at least,
only uncovering the pot once in a great while to see if there is danger
of the water sinking too rapidly. Should this be the case, replenish
with boiling water, taking care not to put in too much. During the
seventh hour, take off the soup and set it away in a cool place, until
next morning. About an hour before dinner, take out the meat, which
you can use for mince-meat, if you wish; remove the cake of fat from
the surface of the stock, set the soup over the fire, and throw in a
little salt to bring up the scum. When this has been skimmed carefully
off, put in your vegetables. These should be:—
2 carrots.
3 turnips.
Half a head of white cabbage.
1 pt. green corn—or dried Shaker corn, soaked over night.
1 head celery.
1 qt. tomatoes.
These should be prepared for the soup by slicing them very small, and
stewing them in barely enough water to cover them, until they break to
pieces. Cook the cabbage by itself in two waters—throwing the first
away. The only exception to the general dissolution, is in the case
of a single carrot, which should likewise be cooked alone and whole,
until thoroughly done, and set aside to cool, when the rest of the
vegetables, with the water in which they were boiled, are added to the
soup. Return the pot to the fire with the vegetables and stock, and
boil slowly for half an hour from the time ebullition actually begins.
Strain without pressing, only shaking and lightly stirring the contents
of the cullender. The vegetables having been added with all their
juices already cooked, much boiling and squeezing are not needed, and
only make the soup cloudy. Cut the reserved carrot into dice and drop
into the clear liquor after it is in the tureen,—also, if you like,
a handful of vermicelli, or macaroni which has been boiled tender in
clear water.
The seasoning of this excellent soup is a matter of taste. Some use
only salt and white pepper. Others like with this a few blades of mace,
and boil in the stock a handful of sweet herbs. And others fancy that,
in addition to these, a glass of brown sherry imparts a flavor that
renders it peculiarly acceptable to most palates. Send to table very
hot, and have the soup-plates likewise heated.