Cream Of Rice

THIS b flour of rice, which you make yourself, in the following manner. Take a pound of rice, well washed in different waters and drained and wiped with a clean towel. Let it get quite dry ; then pound and shake it through a sieve. Take one or two spoonfuls of this flour, and dilute it with broth, rather cold than hot. All this time you have some broth on the fire; throw the flour of rice thus diluted into the broth, and keep stirring till you find the soup is not too thick and may boil without the rice burning. This same kind of rice flour, may serve for souffles of the second course.

La Tortue, Turtle Soup

If you wish to make turtle soup with less difficulty, cut off the head the preceding day. In the morning open the turtle.: this is done by leaning heavy with your knife on the shell of the animal's back, whilst you cut it off all round. Turn it upright on its end, that all the water, etc. may run out. Then, cut the flesh off along the spine, with your knife sloped towards the bones, for fear of touching the gall, which sometimes might escape your eye. When you have obtained all the flesh that is about the members, wash them clean, and let them drain. Have ready a large vessel full of boiling water on the fire, put in the shells, and when you perceive that they come off easily, take them out of the water, and prick all the shells of the back, belly, fins, head, etc. Boil the back and belly in water till you can take off the bones, without, however, allowing the softer parts to be done enough, as they will boil again in the sauce. When these latter come off easily, lay them on earthen dishes singly, for fear they should stick together, and put them to cool. Keep the liquor in which you have blanched the softer parts, and let the bones stew thoroughly in it,'as this liquor must be used to moisten all the sauces.

All the flesh of the interior parts, the four legs and head, must be sweated in the following manner. Lay a few slices of ham on the bottom of a very large stew-pan. Lay over the ham two or three knuckles of veal, according to the size of your turtle, and over the veal the inside flesh of the turtle, and the members over the whole. Then partly moisten it with the water in which you are boiling the shell, and sweat it thoroughly. Then moisten it again with the liquor in which the bones, etc, have been boiling, put in a large bunch of all such sweet herbs as are used in the cooking of a turtle: sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, winter savory, two or three bay-leaves , common thyme, a handful of parsley and green onion, and a large onion stuck with six cloves. Let the whole, be thoroughly done. With respect to the members, probe them; to see whether they are done, and when done, drain and send? them to the larder,. as they are to make their appearance only when the sauce is absolutely completed. When the flesh is also completely done, drain it through a silk sieve ; make a white row very thin, for. turtle soup must, not be much thickened; when the flour is sufficiently done on a slow fire; moisten it with the sweating. By this time all the softer parts are cold enough; cut them about an inch square without waste, mix the whole with the sauce, which must simmer gently. Then try them again, for if done enough, they are not to be kept on the fire. . Skim all the fat and froth. Next take a small quantity of the herbs, which are to be chopped fine. For a turtle of 120 lbs. weight, take four bottles of Madeira, which must be reduced to two. Let the sweet herbs boil in the wine with a little sugar, to take off the tartness of the wine and herbs: then rub them through a tammy, and pour that over the turtle sauce, and let the whole boil for a short time. Then make some quenelles a tortue, which being substitutes for eggs, do not require to be very delicate. They are made in the following manner: take the fleshy part of a leg of veal, about one pound, scrape off all the meat, without leaving any sinews or fat, and soak in milk about the same quantity of crumbs of bread. When the bread is well soaked, squeeze it, and put it into a mortar, with the veal, a small quantity of calves' udder, a little butter, the yolks of four eggs boiled hard, a little Cayenne pepper, salt, and spices, and pound the whole very fine. Then thicken the mixture with two whole eggs, and the yolks of another.

Next try the farce in boiling hot water; and if too thin, you add the yolk of an egg. When the farce is in perfection, take half of it and put into it some chopped parsley. Let the whole cool, in order to roll it of the size of the yolk of an egg; poach it in water, and put it into the turtle. Before you send up, squeeze the juice of two or three lemons, with a little Cayenne pepper, and pour that into the soup. The fins may be served as a plat d'entree with a little turtle sauce; if not, on the following day you may warm the turtle au bain marie, and serve the members entire, with a matelotte sauce, garnished with mushrooms, cocks' combs, quenelles, etc. When either lemon-juice or Cayenne pepper have been introduced, no boiling must take place. It is necessary to observe, that the turtle prepared a day before it is used, is generally preferable, the flavour being more uniform.

Some people require besides, fricandeaux, blanquettes, etc all of which are prepared in the same manner as veal. (See fricandeaux, blanquettes.)