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Turnip and Rice Soup

Peel and wash some turnips, and put them in a saucepan with some washed rice, using more turnip than rice. Put in a lump of butter and sufficient water to cook them and allow them to simmer gently until tender. Pass the mixture through a fine hair sieve, return it to the saucepan, mix in some milk, and season it with salt and pepper; stir the mixture over the fire with a wooden spoon, and let it simmer for fifteen or twenty minutes; then stir in a lump of butter and one-half pint of cream. Turn the soup into a soup tureen, and serve with a plateful of croutons of fried bread or sippets of toast. Turtle Soup from Dried Turtle Cut into small pieces two pounds of shin of beef, two ounces of lean raw ham, and two pounds of knuckle of veal, and put them into a saucepan or stockpot. Put four ounces of dried turtle into a bowl of cold water, and allow it to soak for forty-eight hours, changing the water three or four times; then put it into a saucepan of water and simmer very gently for about twenty-four hours. Place the turtle in the saucepan with the other meat, pour in the liquor in which it simmered; this should be sufficient to make the soup; bring it gently to the boil, skim as required, add two or three onions, one carrot, half a head of celery, one turnip, all cut up into pieces, a sprig each of thyme and marjoram, one teacupful each of basil and peppercorns, a blade of mace, six or eight cloves, and cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Boil or simmer gently for eight hours, take out the pieces of turtle, pass the liquor through a fine sieve into another saucepan, allow it to get cold, skim off all the fat, add the whites and shells of three eggs beaten slightly, to clarify, boil up once more, remove the pan to the side of the fire and allow it to stand there for thirty minutes, by which time it should be quite clear. Skim well, strain the liquor through a napkin or very fine sieve into another saucepan, add the turtle, which should have been pressed and cut into convenient-sized pieces, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, salt to taste, boil up once more, turn the whole into a soup tureen and serve. A little caramel may be added should the soup not be dark enough. A wineglassful of Madeira is considered a great improvement.

Mock Turtle, French Style Select a fine fresh calf's head with the skin on, wash it well in warm water, and when well cleared of blood boil it for two hours; then take it up and allow it to get cold. Then cut off in one inch square pieces the fat parts of the head which adhere to the skin, and wash them well in several waters. Pour two quarts of good beef stock slightly seasoned with salt, cayenne and truffles and mushrooms, into the soup pot, add five of six onions, five carrots and five turnips, all cut into slices, a head of celery cut small, two or three shallots, a bunch of sweet herbs, a bunch of parsley, three bay leaves, half a dozen cloves, half a dozen allspice, three blades of mace, two slices of lean ham chopped small, three or four tablespoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, and one tablespoonful of Worchestershire sauce; let the whole simmer for two hours and then strain through a fine sieve. Put in it the pieces of calf's head, boil it up, and pour it into the tureen together with a little strained lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of white wine, and one tablespoonful of brandy. Serve cayenne and thin slices of lemon with it.