Comprising Turtle Soup. Do. clear. Mock-Turtle Soup. Do. clear. Mulligatawney do. Giblet Soup d I'Anglaise. Do. d V Irlandaise. Ox-tail Soup.

Calves'-feet Soup d la Windsor.

Hare Soup a l'Anglaise.

Do. d la St. George.

Leveret Soup d la Rossie.

Ox-cheek Soup.

Deer's-head do.

Grouse do. d la Montagnarde.

347. Turtle Soup

Procure a fine lively fat turtle, weighing about 120 lbs. : fish of this weight being considered the best, as their fat is not liable to be impregnated with that disagreeable strong savor objected to in fish of larger size. On the other hand, turtle of very small size seldom possess sufficient fat or substance to make them worth dressing.

When time permits, kill the turtle overnight that it may be left to bleed in a cool place till the next morning, when, at an early hour, it should be cut up for scalding - that being the first part of the operation. If, however, the turtle is required for immediate use, to save time, the fish may be scalded as soon as it is killed.

The turtle being ready for cutting up, lay it on its back, and with a large kitchen-knife separate the fat or belly-shell from the back, by making an incision all round the inner edge of the shell; when all the fleshy parts adhering to the shell have been carefully cut away, it may be set aside. Then detach the intestines by running the sharp edge of a knife closely along the spine of the fish, and remove them instantly in a pail, to be thrown away. Cut off the fins and separate the fleshy parts, which place on a dish by themselves till wanted. Take particular care of every particle of the green fat, which lies chiefly at the sockets of the fore-fins, and more or less all around the interior of the fish, if in good condition. Let this fat, which, when in a healthy state, is elastic and of a bluish color while raw, be steeped for several hours in cold spring water, in order that it may be thoroughly cleansed of all impurities.

Then, with a meat saw, divide the upper and under shells into pieces of convenient size to handle; and, having put them with the tins and head into a large vessel containing boiling water, proceed quickly to scald them; by this means they will be separated from the horny substance which covers them, which will then be easily removed. They must then be put into a larger stockpot nearly filled with fresh hot water, and left to continue boiling by the side of the stove-fire until the glutinous substance separates easily from the bones. Place the pieces of turtle carefully upon clean dishes, and put them in the larder to get cold; they should then be cut up into pieces about an inch and a half square, which pieces are to be finally put into the soup when it is nearly finished. Put the bones back into the broth to boil an hour longer, for the double purpose of extracting all their savor and to effect the reduction of the turtle broth, which is to be used for filling up the turtle stockpot hereafter.

In order to save time, while the above is in operation, the turtle stock or consomme, should be prepared as follows :

With four ounces of fresh butter, spread the bottom of an eighteen-gallou stockpot; then place in it three pounds of raw ham cut in slices, - over these put forty pounds of leg of beef and knuckles of veal, four old hens (after having removed their fillets, which are to be kept for making the quenelles for the soup) ; to these add all the fleshy pieces of the turtle (exceptiug those pieces intended for entrees), and then place on the top the head and tins of the turtle; moisten the whole with a bottle of Madeira and four quarts of good stock ; add a pottle of mushrooms, twelve cloves, four blades of mace, a handful of parsley roots; and a good sized bouquet of parsley tied up with two bay-leaves, thyme, green onions, and shalots. Set the consomme thus prepared on a brisk stove-fire to boil sharply, and when the liquid has become reduced to a glaze, fill the stockpot up instantly, and as soon as it boils, skim it thoroughly, garnish with the usual complement of vegetables, and remove it to the side of the stove to boil gently for six hours. Remember to probe the head and fins after they have been boiled two hours, and as soon as they are done drain them on a dish, cover them with a wet napkin well saturated with water to prevent it from sticking to them, and put them away in a cool place with the remainder of the glutinous parts of the turtle, already spoken of. The stockpot should now be filled up with the turtle broth reserved for that purpose, as directed above. When the turtle stock is done, strain it off into an appropriate-sized stockpot, remove every particle of fat from the surface, and then proceed to thicken it with a proportionate quantity of white roux to the consistency of thin sauce. Work this exactly in the same manner as practiced for Espagnole or brown sauce, in order to extract all the butter and scum, so as to give it a brilliant appearance.

One bottle of old Madeira must now be added, together with a puree of herbs of the following kinds, to be made as here directed:

Sweet basil must form one-third proportion of the whole quantity of herbs intended to be used; winter savory, marjoram, and lemon -thyme, in equal quantities, making up the other two-thirds : add to these a double-handful of parsley, half a bunch of green onions, a handful of green shalots, and some trimmings of mushrooms ; moisten with a quart of broth, and having stewed these herbs for about an hour, rub the whole through the tammy into a puree. This puree being added to the soup, a little crystallized soluble cayenne pepper should then be introduced. The pieces of turtle, as well as the fins, which have been also cut into small pieces, and the larger bones taken out, should now be allowed to boil in the soup for a quarter of an hour, after which carefully remove the whole of the scum as it rises to the surface. The degree of seasoning must be ascertained that it may be corrected if faulty.

To excel in dressing turtle, it is necessary to be very accurate in the proportions of the numerous iugredients used for seasoning this soup. Nothing should predominate, but the whole shold be harmoniously blended.

Put the turtle away in four-quart sized basins, dividing the fat (after it has been scalded and boiled in some of the sauce) in equal quantities into each basin; as also some small quenelles, which are to be made with the fillets of hens reserved for that purpose, and in which, in addition to the usual ingredients in ordinary cases, put six yelks of eggs boiled hard. Mould these quenelles into small round balls to imitate turtle's eggs, roll them with the hand on a marble slab or table, with the aid of a little flour, and poach them in the usual way.

When the turtle soup is wanted for use, warm it, and just before sending it to table, add a small glass of Sherry or Madeira, and the juice of one lemon to every four quarts of turtle.

The second stock of the turtle consomme should be strained off after it has boiled for two hours, and immediately boiled down into a glaze very quickly, and mixed in with the turtle soup previously to putting it away in the basins; or else it should be kept in reserve for the purpose of adding proportionate quantities in each tureen of turtle as it is served.