STOCKS AND CONSOMMÉS.
can be used, and naturally add greatly to the flavour
of the stock thus obtained.
“Unflavoured” stock is that obtained from the
boiling down of meat and bones without any
vegetables, whereas when vegetables are cooked with
the meat it is called “flavoured,” from the additional
taste given by the vegetables used. The advantage
of the unflavoured stock is that it keeps well, and
is most suited for sickroom use, where the vege
table flavouring might be objected to; while
the flavoured kind must be looked to and boiled
up almost daily, as the vegetables in it increase its
tendency to sour.
When preparing stock, more especially for con
sommés and clear soups, there are a few points
that must be carefully borne in mind. One is that
for high class consommé the meat should be care
fully proportioned, allowing one part of veal to
two parts of beef; the beef gives the substance,
but undoubtedly the veal gives the requisite delicacy
of flavour. French cooks for le grand bouillon, as
they call this first stock, always add a little poultry
meat, such as the carcase of an old hen, or other
old fowl. It must be borne in mind that the meat
used for making this stock is almost invariably used
afterwards as a dinner dish, and is in consequence
not allowed to boil to rags, as is only too often the
case in English cookery. For this first stock take
two pounds of beef from the shoulder or hough,
free from fat and bone; if you intend to use this
beef later on, be careful to tie it neatly into shape
with a broad tape, otherwise cut it into medium
sized pieces, like the veal, a pound of which may
be either taken from the knuckle, or any equivalent
amount of trimmings left over (raw) from any
entrée, etc.; add to this the carcase of a fowl, from
which the fillets, etc. have been removed, together
with the giblets, legs, neck, etc., well scalded.
Place this meat into a pan large enough to hold
it comfortably, together with three quarts of cold
water and about a small dessertspoonful of salt (be
careful about this as it is always easy to add,
but impossible to subtract salt), in such a way
that the water shall be about 1 in. to 1½ ins.
from the top of the pan, as this permits of its
boiling up and also being easily skimmed. Now
bring this all very slowly to the boil, watching
it carefully and removing every bit of scum as it
rises; just as it is about to boil up throw in a
good tablespoonful of cold water, which checks the
boil and causes the scum to rise more freely; repeat
this once or twice each time it seems coming to the
boil, till no more scum rises. This must be most
carefully attended to, as the clearness and delicacy
of the subsequent consommé depends on it; if any
of the scum is allowed to stay in the soup it will
give it a most disagreeable greenish tinge, quite
spoiling its proper colour which should be exactly
like very pale light sherry.
Having thus removed all the scum, put in the
vegetables, etc., these must be heedfully propor
tioned to prevent any special flavour preponderating.
For the quantities given, allow: one middle
sized carrot, one middle-sized onion, one good
leek, one small turnip (all halved), a slice or two
of parsnip, if handy, and half a small stick of
celery (or, failing this, half a teaspoonful of celery
seed, tied up in a piece of muslin), and a bouquet
garni, made by tying together a small bunch of
parsley, one or two green onions, a spray of thyme,
and one bayleaf. A clove or two may be stuck into
one half of the onion, if the flavour is liked. The
tidiest way of putting these vegetables into the soup
is by placing them all into a small net, which can
be lifted out as a whole, for the vegetables should
not be left in the soup when thoroughly cooked; for
after this point is reached, they will weaken the soup
by absorbing the flavour of the meat, (N.B.—These
vegetables should on no account be thrown away, or
for they will be found far more delicately flavoured than
plain boiled ones, and make a delicious macédoine, or
can be used for a homely but very palatable form of
purée.) Now cover the pan after the stock has
come back to the boil (putting in the cold vegetables
is sure to put it off the boil for a little), draw it to
the side of the stove and let it simmer as gently as
may be for four to five hours (remembering about
lifting out the vegetables), after which you pour it
into a basin through a strainer. Let it stand till
next day, or at any rate till perfectly cold, when all
the fat must be very thoroughly removed. This fat
must be carefully saved, as it is amongst the best
materials for frying purposes. In many cases soup
thus made is so clear that it will need no clarifying,
but should it do so, proceed thus: Pass half a pound
of lean beef (a piece from the neck, called the
“sticking piece,” answers admirably for this pur
pose) two or three times through the mincer, and
put this into a delicately-clean pan, with a slice or
two each of carrot, turnip, celery, and leek (do not
add onion now, as it is apt to make the soup cloudy),
a tiny bouquet, and the whites and shells of two or
three eggs. The shells should have been washed if
at all dirty, and crushed, and the whites lightly
beaten till just frothy. Pour on to this the cold
stock, and whisk it with a very clean whisk for a
few moments, till it is all thoroughly mixed and just
on the boil; as soon as you see that the head of
froth, which will have formed on the top of the
stock, begins to heave slowly, stop whisking, and
let it boil gently, undisturbed for five minutes; then
draw it to the side of the range, and let it simmer
quietly for about an hour; let it stand for a few
minutes to settle, then strain it off very carefully
through a scalded soup cloth or a very clean old
table napkin. The great points in clarifying the
stock are to mix the latter very thoroughly with the
fresh meat, egg, etc., before the whole becomes so
hot as to curdle the albumen of the egg, etc., and
then be careful after the rising of the white froth
referred to above, to leave the pan quite undisturbed,
so as to allow the head of froth (which will form
more and more strongly) to boil without being
broken up. It may be mentioned that some cooks
use white of egg and egg shells only, for clearing,
but though these undoubtedly do clear the soup,
they equally certainly detract from the flavour; it is
for this reason that the raw meat is added.
A contrivance of this sort has the advantage that
the cook can see how the stock is running, and can
return it at once if it does not seem to be running
clear. Remember the stock must not be turned
carelessly into the napkin, but should be poured
slowly and gently in, to avoid breaking the head
of froth, etc. on the top. Perhaps, on the whole,
the best plan is to use a cup or a ladle, and so
lift it out carefully. This process, though apparently
somewhat more trouble, is in reality a saving of time
and trouble, as, treated thus, the soup will strain
clear at once, whereas by the rougher process it may
have to be put through the strainer two or three
times.
The above is the real consommé, the pure infusion
of the meat; but a very fair and certainly less
expensive consommé may be made in precisely the
same way, only using beef and veal bones instead of
the actual meat. Of course the same remark applies
to these as to the meat, viz., all fat must be carefully
removed, the marrow taken from the bones, and the
bones themselves broken up. If a darker stock is
desired, put an ounce or so of well clarified dripping
into the pan, before laying in the meat and the
vegetables, and when this is hot lay in the bones,
vegetables, herbs, etc.; cover down the pan and let it
all fry together till the contents are nicely browned at
the bottom of the pan, then put in the water and
finish off as before. If a teaspoonful of brown
sugar be fried with the rest of the ingredients, it
enhances the colour and the flavour to all, save the
more delicate palate of the gourmet.