27. Transparent Soup

Cut the meat from a leg of veal in slices as thin as possible, break the bone as small as possible, put the meat into a very large jar and the bones at the top, with a bunch of sweet herbs, a quarter of an ounce of mace, four ounces of blanched garden almonds beat fine, pour upon it a gallon of boiling water, let it simmer over a slow fire twelve hours, all night is best; turn it into a double-bottomed tin saucepan, simmer until reduced to two quarts, remove as it rises the scum, strain it and let it stand two hours, pour into a saucepan, taking care not to let any of the sediment accompany it.

Steep two ounces of vermicelli in water, boil it and put it in the soup before serving up.

28. Soup Italienne

Cut the meat from a knuckle of veal, break up the bones and make a broth of them, cut half a pound of ham in slices and lay them at the bottom of a stewpan, upon them the meat from the knuckle of veal, with the slices of four carrots, four turnips, a dozen peppercorns, two blades of mace, a large onion, and a head of celery; cover down close; stew till the gravy is drawn out and the roots are quite tender, pour over them the broth made from the bones of the knuckle until they are covered, add six spoonfuls of rice, stew four hours, work the soup through a sieve, add vermicelli before serving.

29. Italian Soup

Blanch about two ounces of Italian stew-paste (or any portion preferred) a few minutes, strain it off, and put it in a basin of cold water until wanted, it must be boiled a short time in some good con-somm6 stock; season as before, using less sugar.

30. Vermicelli Soup

Blanch as the Italian paste, but first give the vermicelli a squeeze to break it a little, or otherwise it will hang disagreeably about the ladle or spoon in eating, at the risk of spoiling a lady's dress or causing a confused blush. Season as before.

31. Espagnole

Take fourteen pounds of the leg or shoulder of veal and an old fowl, chop the Teal into pieces, and put the whole into a saucepan, two carrots, two onions, a pound of ham, a few peppercorns, a small quantity of spice and a clove of garlic, let this stew over the fire, shaking it frequently till it becomes of a brown colour, add hot water to come four inches above the meat, set it by the stove to boil gently, skimming when the meat comes from the bones, strain it through a silk sieve, and set it by for use.

32. Soup A La Reine Victoria

Take a pound and a half of lean veal, place it in a stewpan with a slice of bacon which must not be fat, an onion with one clove, a blade of mace, a head of celery, a handful of sweet herbs, four ounces of fresh butter, and some whole white pepper, set it over a clear fire, move it frequently to prevent burning, or the flavour is ruined. Have some white gravy ready, thicken it, add two quarts to the above ingredients with a few strips of mushrooms; let it boil, and when it reaches that point remove it, skim it clean of all scum or fat. Have ready some vermicelli which has been soaked five minutes in cold water and subsequently stewed in a strong broth; strain on it the soup and serve with blanched chervil leaves in it.