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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.