In ordinary circumstances, beef alone, with some vegetables, will make
a good broth or stock, in the proportion of two and a half pints of cold
clear water to each pound of bones and meat; the bones and meat should
be of about equal weight. It makes the soup more delicate to add chicken
or veal. Chicken and veal together make a good soup, called _blond de
veau_. Good soup can be made, also, by using the trimmings of fresh
meat, bits of cold cooked beef, or the bones of any meat or fowl. In the
choice of vegetables, onions (first fried or _sautéd_, and a clove stuck
in), parsley, and carrots are oftenest used: turnips, parsnips, and
celery should be employed more sparingly. The soup bunch at market is
generally a very good distribution of vegetables. Nothing is more simple
than the process of making stock or broth. Remember not to let it boil
for the first half-hour; then it should simmer slowly and steadily,
partly covered, for four or five hours. In royal kitchens the stock is
cooked by gas. Skim frequently; as scum, if allowed to remain, gives an
unpleasant flavor to the soup. Use salt sparingly, putting in a little
at first, and seasoning at the last moment. Many a good soup is spoiled
by an injudicious use of seasoning. Some add a few drops of lemon-juice
to a broth. If wine or catsup is added, it should only be done at the
last moment. Always strain the soup through a sieve or soup-strainer.
Small scraps of meat or sediment look slovenly in a soup. Or,