Mince up line, live medium-sized onions, throw them into boiling salted water, and let them boil for five minutes, then drain, and fry them in a quarter of a pound of butter without coloring; add four heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and let fry slowly for several minutes, then put in with them two pounds of green and tender asparagus, cut in one-inch length pieces, washed several times, and blanched for ten minutes in boiling, salted water. Moisten with two quarts of broth, and when the asparagus is done, drain it off, and mash it in a mortar diluting it with its own broth; pass all through a fine sieve, and put the puree into a saucepan, to heat; season with salt, sugar and nutmeg, and after it begins to boil, remove all the fat arising to the surface; just when ready to serve, thicken the soup with raw egg-yolks, diluted in cream, and incorporate therein some fine butter. Serve in a soup tureen with a garnishing of green peas and small quenelles, three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, laid through a cornet on a buttered pan, and poached in some boiling salted water, poured into the pan; when done, drain them, and add them to the soup.

(248). Cream Of Asparagus With Croutons Souffles Or Asparagus Tops (Creme D'Asperges Aux Croutons Souffles Ou Aux Pointes Dasperges)

Bend some small green asparagus. beginning at the root end, so as to break it off, keeping only the tender parts (two pounds); cut into one inch length pieces, wash well, changing the water several times, then drain and throw into boiling, salted water, continue the boiling for ten minutes, then drain. Put four ounces of butter into a saucepan; when very hot add the asparagus, and fry colorless on a quick fire; moisten with two quarts of broth, and when done, drain and mash; then pass through a fine sieve. Add one pint of veloute (No. 415) to the broth, color it with some spinach green or Breton vegetable coloring, season with salt, sugar and nutmeg, and just when serving thicken the soup with raw egg-yolks diluted in cream, and work in two ounces of butter (No. 175). Serve separately some croutons souffles made with pate a chou (No. 132) rolled in strings and cut in three-sixteenth of an inch lengths; these pieces to be rolled in flour, then rolled around in a sieve to make them round. Fry in hot fat; or asparagus tops may be served as a garnishing instead of the croutons.