First Stock For Clear Brown Soup

3 lbs. shin of beef, or 2 lbs. „ „ and 1 lb. knuckle of veal.

3 quarts cold water. I carrot.

1 turnip.

1 teaspoonful mixed herbs.

2 small onions.

2 or 3 stalks of celery, or teaspoonful celery seed. 2 doz. peppercorns. 8 cloves, 1 blade of mace. A few parsley stalks. 1 dessertspoonful of salt.

Method

Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, and remove all marrow from the bone. Take a very sharp knife and cut the meat into small pieces, keeping back any fat, but using the skin. Put the bones and meat into a stock pot with the cold water and salt, and let them soak for half an hour; then put the pot on the fire, and bring the contents slowly to the boil. Simmer for half an hour, and then remove any scum that may be on the top. Add the vegetables, prepared and cut rather small, and the herbs, celery, seed, and peppercorns, etc., tied in a small piece of muslin. Simmer slowly from four and a half to five hours, never letting it go off the boil. Then strain through a hair sieve or cloth stretched over a colander into a basin, and stand until cold.

A darker coloured stock may be obtained by frying the meat in a little dripping or butter before pouring on the water.

Do not throw away the meat or vegetables left after straining, but put them on again with the same quantity of water as before, and boil again for second stock.

First Stock For White Soup

3 lbs. knuckle of veal, or 2 lbs. knuckle of veal and 1 lb. neck of mutton.

3 quarts cold water.

Make in the same way as first stock for brown soup, but use fewer vegetables. Rabbit or chicken may be used along with the veal. A piece of lean ham or a small ham bone will improve the flavour.

Second Stock For Purees, Gravies, And General Use

After the first stock is made, the meat and vegetables should be put on again with the same quantity of water, and boiled as before. This has not the fresh flavour of first stock, but is useful for making sauces, gravies, and many soups for which a good stock is not required. Sometimes the meat and vegetables are fried in a little dripping first. This gives the stock a darker colour and a richer flavour.