Crayfish Stock

Boil three dozen crayfish, put the meat from the tails together with the bodies into a mortar and pound thoroughly with one dozen blanched sweet almonds. Put four ounces each of ham and veal into a saucepan with a few parsnips, sliced onions and carrots, cook for a few minutes on the side of the fire, then add a small quantity of melted bacon fat and one teaspoonful of flour, stir the latter in thoroughly and pour in the amount of stock required. Season with mushrooms, truffles, chives, cloves, basil, salt, pepper and parsley, and add two or three small breadcrusts. Simmer slowly until the veal is done, take it out, add the mashed crayfish and rub the whole through a fine sieve. It is then ready for use. This stock may be used for moistening pies, patties, etc., or for cooking such vegetables as cauliflowers, cardoons, etc., or it may simply be served with boiled rice.

Dark Stock

Secure a piece from the shin or lower part of a round of beef, with an equal weight of bones, and place the latter in a stockpot. Wipe the meat over with a cloth dipped in cold water and cut it into nice-sized pieces. Peel the required quantity of onions and fry them in butter until they are darkly browned; then put in the pieces of meat and brown them also. Put the meat in the stockpot with the bones, add any other trimmings of meat that may be convenient, fill the pot with cold water and place it over the fire. When the liquor boils take the stockpot off the fire, remove the scum, put in the browned onions with some prepared carrots, turnips, celery, a bunch of sweet herbs and a flavoring of allspice, ground pepper, celery seed, cloves and salt; add also one tablespoonful of caramel. Keep the stock simmering slowly at the edge of the fire until the meat is in shreds, then strain it through a hair-sieve into a basin. It should never be allowed to remain in an iron kettle after it is made. Set the basin in a cool place, keeping it uncovered. Leave the fat which forms at the top of the stock in a thick cake until the stock is needed, as it excludes the air and thus assists in keeping the stock. It will be preserved at least a week longer in winter if no vegetables are used. A little fresh charcoal tied in a muslin bag and boiled in the stock is said to restore it when only slightly changed.

First Stock

Procure a piece of beef, the breast part will answer, put it into the stockpot with some trimmings of beef, pour in a sufficient quantity of cold water, allowing about two pints to the pound of beef, and set it over the fire. Keep it well skimmed, removing the scum as soon as it rises to the top, and pouring in occasionally a little cold water to force the scum to the surface. When quite clear put in a few prepared vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, onions stuck with cloves, leeks and celery; add one or two tablespoonfuls of salt, move the stockpot to the. edge of the fire and allow the contents to simmer for five or six hours. Skim off all the fat and strain the broth through a fine hair-sieve into a basin. When using the broth pour it out carefully, so as to avoid disturbing the sediment at the bottom. This broth is used for making any other kind of broth.