Very good real turtle soup can be made from dried turtle flesh; and as this flesh is now sold at 5s. a pound, and half a pound will make two quarts of soup, it is by no means expensive. Indeed, at Christmas time, when a calf's head will sometimes fetch from 10s. to £1, soup made from turtle flesh, dried, is cheaper than mock-turtle soup made from the fresh calf's head.

Take half a pound of dried flesh, soak it in warm water for half an hour, dry it with a cloth, and put it into, say, a quart of No. 1 stock (see No. 10) before it is cleared, or has any extract of meat added to it. Put it on early in the morning to boil, and let it boil all day. More stock must be added as it boils away. At night turn it out into a basin and cover it over with a clean cloth. It will probably be tender. Put it on again the next day to boil, the first thing in the morning, adding more stock. If water is added, it will require another onion, a few sticks more celery, and a handful of parsley. If stock is added, and these were in the stock with the knuckle of veal, there will be no occasion for any fresh vegetable to be added. If possible, procure a pound of conger-eel, or one pound and a half of fresh eels; boil these in the soup, take them out when tender and throw them into boiling water, and serve them for lunch, or keep them as a separate dish. Eels " Souchet." - Serve in the water with a few sprigs of parsley, and with thin brown bread and butter.

Next take a little stock, say, half a pint. Put it in a stewpan, with two tablespoonfuls of dried basil, one of marjoram, a teaspoonful of thyme, and, if possible, a teaspoonful of dried pennyroyal.

Let these herbs stew for an hour; keep the lid on.

Take off the stewpan, still keeping on the lid. Let it get cold, or nearly so; then strain off the stock through a strainer into a basin, squeezing as much goodness as possible out of the herbs.

When the flesh is as tender as calf's head, cut up the meat into pieces two inches square. Add the stock flavoured with the herbs gradually till the soup acquires the right flavour. These herbs vary so very much in quality that more explicit directions might mislead. Season the soup with cayenne, and, if necessary, clear it (see No. 18), taking out the now tender flesh first.

Then add a good brimming tablespoonful of extract of meat, and half a tumbler of Madeira or golden sherry. Good No. 1 stock must have been added to make the whole quantity two quarts. If possible, boil a good-sized piece of lean ham in the stock. This is a very great improvement. Make a couple of dozen egg-balls the size of marbles. (See Egg Balls.) Boil these separate, and add to the soup the last moment. Add also the juice of half a lemon, and serve some cut lemon and cayenne with the soup.

If care is taken with the stock, this soup will be fairly clear, and, if strained through a jelly-bag two or three times will very likely not require clearing.

If thick soup is wished, thicken with brown thickening; a good deal will be required, freshly made. Skim then very thoroughly. (See No. 12).