The Myrtle Reed Cook Book Part 45

_FISH SOUPS_

CLAM BROTH

Scrub the clams in cold water. Place over the fire in an iron kettle, and heat until the sh.e.l.ls open. Strain the broth through two thicknesses of cheese-cloth, season to taste, and serve.

CLAM BOUILLON

Prepare according to directions elsewhere given for Oyster Bouillon, cooking a chopped onion and a bay-leaf with the clams.

CREAM CLAM BOUILLON

Prepare Clam Bouillon according to directions given above, and add one pint of boiling cream just before serving. Serve in cups, with whipped cream.

CLAM SOUP

Reheat one quart of clam broth, season with parsley, salt, red pepper, and grated onion. Add one cupful and a half of minced clams, and thicken with one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and two tablespoonfuls of flour, blended with a little cold broth. Stir while cooking. Add one pint of boiling cream, and serve.

CLAM AND OYSTER SOUP

Chop a pint of oysters. Heat with their liquor, add a pint can of minced clams, and one quart of milk. Thicken with two tablespoonfuls each of b.u.t.ter and flour, rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, season with salt and pepper, minced parsley, powdered mace, and grated onion.

Serve with crackers.

CRAB GUMBO

Melt one tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and lard, add a minced onion, a clove of garlic, chopped fine, half a pound of minced raw veal or beef, half a cupful of chopped ham, a bay-leaf, and a small red pepper. Dredge with flour, add a quart of water, simmer for two hours, and strain. To the strained liquor add the meat of six crabs, one cupful each of rice and okra, and another quart of water. Simmer for an hour, adding more water if necessary, and serve without straining.

FRENCH FISH SOUP

Thicken three quarts of fish stock with three tablespoonfuls each of b.u.t.ter and flour. Stir while cooking. Add a tablespoonful of minced parsley, two winegla.s.sfuls of sherry, a pinch of powdered mace, a grating of nutmeg, and white and red pepper to season. Add one pint each of cooked oysters and scallops, reheat, and serve immediately with croutons.

GERMAN FISH SOUP

Chop fine four onions, and fry brown in olive-oil. Add two cupfuls of canned tomatoes, three bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of powdered sweet herbs, a bunch of parsley, pepper and salt to season, and six cupfuls of stock. Boil for thirty minutes, rub through a sieve, and reheat.

Add six small slices of fish, and simmer until the fish is firm.

Season with curry powder, add a winegla.s.sful of white wine, and thicken with four tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold stock. Serve with croutons.

OYSTER BOUILLON

Bring to the boil in their own liquor a quart of oysters. Skim out the oysters, chop fine, and return to the liquor. Add a quart of water, a teaspoonful of celery seed, and a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter. Simmer for half an hour, strain through cheese-cloth, season with salt and pepper, and serve at once.

OYSTER SOUP

Scald one quart of oysters in their own liquor. Skim out the oysters, and set aside. Add one cupful of cream to the liquor, and three cupfuls of milk. Thicken with one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and one of flour, blended and rubbed smooth with a little cold milk. Stir while cooking. Add the oysters, season to taste, and pour, boiling hot, over the yolks of four eggs, well-beaten.

CREOLE OYSTER GUMBO

Fry a sliced Spanish onion brown in olive-oil, add a tablespoonful of flour, a chopped sweet pepper, and a pint of okra. Simmer for fifteen minutes, add one hundred oysters, with their liquor, and a tablespoonful of file powder. Cook until the oysters ruffle, and serve with boiled rice. The Gumbo file powder comes in bottles, and is sold by all first-cla.s.s grocers.

OYSTER AND VEAL SOUP

Reheat two quarts of veal stock, season with salt, pepper, and celery salt, and add one quart of oysters, with their liquor. Cook until the edges of the oysters curl, and thicken with one tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour, cooked while stirring with a cupful of milk. Season with minced parsley, and serve with crackers.

SOUTHERN OYSTER SOUP

Drain the liquor from fifty oysters, add to it two cupfuls of cold water, and bring to the boil. Season with salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter, and add two cupfuls of milk. Thicken with one tablespoonful of cornstarch, rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, stir while cooking, add the oysters, cook until the edges ruffle, and serve immediately.

SALMON SOUP

Simmer for fifteen minutes in boiling water either a pound can of salmon or a pound of the fresh fish. Rub through a sieve, and set aside. Bring to the boil two cupfuls each of milk and veal stock, thicken with one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and two of flour, stir while cooking, season with salt and pepper, add the salmon, reheat, and serve.

SPANISH SALMON SOUP

Cook together a quart of stock, a sliced onion, and half a can of salmon. Rub through a sieve, add a quart of boiling milk, season with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and celery salt, thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour, and serve with whipped cream.

SHRIMP SOUP

Chop fine two carrots and an onion. Fry brown in b.u.t.ter, with a tablespoonful of sugar, then add a quart of water, a sprig of thyme, two bay-leaves, four cloves, and two cans of shrimps. Simmer until the carrot and onions are soft. Rub through a sieve, reheat, add half a gla.s.sful of white wine, and serve with croutons.

FRENCH CREAM OF SHRIMPS

Chop fine two cans of shrimps, fry in b.u.t.ter, add a slice of stale bread, three anchovies, half a cupful of boiled rice, a sliced onion, and two quarts of veal stock. Simmer for two hours, rub through a sieve, season with salt and pepper, add a tablespoonful of sherry and serve hot.

SCALLOP STEW

Parboil one quart of scallops. Boil one quart of milk, season with b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt, add the parboiled scallops, and one-half cupful of cracker crumbs. Reheat and serve.

HOFFMAN HOUSE CLAM CHOWDER