How To Prepare A Large Quantity Of Good Soup For The Poor Recipe

It is customary with most large families, while living in the country,

to kill at least some portion of the meat consumed in their households;

and without supposing for a moment that any portion of this is ever

wasted, I may be allowed to suggest that certain parts, such as sheep's

heads, plucks, shanks, and scrag-ends, might very well be spared towards

making a good mess of soup for the poor. The bones left from cooked

joints, first baked in a brisk oven for a quarter of an hour, and

afterwards boiled in a large copper of water for six hours, would

readily prepare a gelatinized foundation broth for the soup; the bones,

when sufficiently boiled, to be taken out. And thus, supposing that your

copper is already part filled with the broth made from bones (all the

grease having been removed from the surface), add any meat you may have,

cut up in pieces of about four ounces weight, garnish plentifully with

carrots, celery, onions, some thyme, and ground allspice, well-soaked

split peas, barley, or rice; and, as the soup boils up, skim it well

occasionally, season moderately with salt, and after about four hours'

gentle and continuous boiling, the soup will be ready for distribution.

It was the custom in families where I have lived as cook, to allow a

pint of this soup, served out with the pieces of meat in it, to as many

as the recipients' families numbered; and the soup was made for

distribution twice every week during winter.

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