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Cream of Lettuce, Demidoff

Prepare a chicken broth, using four quarts water in place of three quarts, strain into a vessel and keep until required. Remove leaves from two head lettuce, as green as possible, thoroughly wash in plenty cold water, drain, place in a saucepan with an ounce butter, a tablespoon sugar, cook on fire for ten minutes, stirring once in a while, then pour in chicken broth. Add a white onion with two cloves stuck in it, two branches parsley, a branch chervil, two bay leaves and season with a heavy teaspoon salt. Lightly mix and let gently boil for an hour and a half, then pour in a gill demi-glace, two tablespoons sherry, a saltspoon cayenne, mix well and boil for ten minutes. Place two ounces rice flour in a bowl, dilute it with half gill cream, half ounce good butter, pour into soup and sharply whisk while cooking for five minutes. Strain soup through sieve into a basin, then through cheesecloth into tureen, and serve with a plate of bread croutons separately.