Another Way
When stock is drawn off, season with celery salt. A little vermicelli boiled in it for fifteen minutes will give it more body-or some of the fancy letters, stars, triangles, etc., that are made particularly for soups can be used, or egg-balls can be made by mixing raw egg with just enough wheat flour or corn starch to make it into round balls, then drop them into the soup and boil for ten minutes. A little milk, a tea-spoon to one egg, is an improvement; also a sprinkle of salt. These balls are sometimes called "noodles." If a richer soup is needed, take slices of raw veal and a little salt pork, and chop very fine with a slice of wheat bread. Season highly with pepper, salt, tomato catsup, and chopped lemon peel, moisten with two well-beaten eggs, and roll into balls as large as a walnut, with floured hands. Fry the balls in butter to a dark brown, and let them cool; turn into the soup and boil about ten minutes. Cut a lemon into very thin bits, slice two hard-boiled eggs, put them into the tureen; add a glass of claret or port wine to them and turn in soup; it is a very "dainty dish."
CLAM SOUP.* First catch your clams-along the ebbing edges Of saline coves you'll find the precious wedges, With backs up, lurking in the sandy bottom; Pull in your iron rake, and lo! you've got 'em!
Take thirty large ones, put a basin under, And cleave, with knife, their stony jaws asunder; Add water (three quarts) to the native liquor, Bring to a boil, (and, by the way, the quicker It boils the better, if you'd do it cutely.) Now add the clams, chopped up and minced minutely.
Allow a longer boil of just three minutes, And while it bubbles, quickly stir within its Tumultuous depths where still the mollusks mutter, Four table-spoons of flour and four of butter, A pint of milk, some pepper to your notion, And clams need salting, although born of ocean.
Remove from fire; (if much boiled they will suffer- You'll find that India-rubber is n't tougher.) After 'tis off, add three fresh eggs, well-beaten, Stir once more, and it's ready to be eaten.
Fruit of the wave! O, dainty and delicious!
Food for the gods! Ambrosia for Apicius!
Worthy to thrill the soul of sea-born Venus, Or titillate the palate of Silenus!