Potato Soup. Take two pounds of potatoes, after they are peeled, and cut them into thin slices, or shred them ; shred six ounces of onions. Take a three-quart saucepan and melt twoounces, of butter or sweet beef dripping; i put in the onions, let them cook five minutes in the butter, stir occasionally, then add the potatoes and three pints of water, or milk and water, or skim milk ; when the potatoes and onions are thoroughly soft, strain through a horsehair sieve, return the liquor to the stewpan, and pass through the vegetables; stir the puree into the soup, season with pepper and salt. The addition of a milk or cream liaison is a great improvement. Do not blacken the onions; and frequently stir before making the purCe.
Stewed Eels. Skin, and cut into pieces about two inches in length, two pounds of eels; wash in salt add water, and dry in a cloth. Take a three-pint stewpan, put into it one ounce and a half of butter, one onion shredded thinly; add a little flour, pepper and salt, an onion with two cloves, a bay-leaf or a bouquet garni, and a piece of lemon peel ; add the pieces of eel and fry to a nice color, with constant stirring. Add a half pint or three gills of good stock. Stew gently till the eels are done. Take them out, arrange on a dish, strain over the sauce, and serve with toasted bread cut into triangles and arranged round the edge of the dish. The stew requires constant attention, and must only simmer. Grate rather coarsely two young carrots, and slice three carrots, three turnips, and three onions; shred one lettuce and a bunch of parsley, altogether say a quart. Take a pint of green peas when shelled, and the sprigs of a cauli flower. Put aside half the peas in a basin. Have ready, in a clean four-quart stewpan, three pints of mutton stock or broth. Put in all the vegetables except the peas put aside in the basin. Have ready cutlets as for Irish stew, and put them in the stewpan. Let the contents come slowly to a boil, then add two ounces of pearl barley or rice, previously blanched in a little water or stock, and simmer till the meat is ready. Skim and season with white pepper and a small teaspoonful of pounded loaf sugar. Boil the remaining peas j separately, and add them just serving.
Hotch-potch should be thick. Young oung vegetables are very necessary iu preparing a good hotch potch.
Stewed Pigeons. Take three house pigeons', (they are the best), draw, pick, and singe them. Put the livers inside, and truss them with legs inside. If the pigeons are large you may divide them into halves. Take a quarter of a pound of streaky bacon, cut it into one and a half inch dice, and fry with an ounce of but ter in a stewpan till of a light brown color. Put the pigeons in
the stewpan and fry till they are of a light brown color. Then take out the bacon and pigeons and put them aside on a plate. Thicken the butter in the stewpan with flour; add a pint of stock with a few button mushrooms or ketchup. Sea son with pepper and salt, stir till it comes to the boil, and strain in a basin. Rinse out the stew pan with a little hot water, and put in the pig eons, breasts downwards, with the gravy and bacon and a bouquet garni; add ten button onions previously blanched and fried in a little butter to a nice brown color. Simmer about half an hour. Take out the pigeons, put them on a dish. Bring the sauce to a boil, skim, and strain the sauce over the •pigeons, and garnish with the onions, bacon, and mushrooms. Instead of onions and mushrooms garnish with green peas or French beans. It will be necessary occa sionally to move the pigeons in the stewpan, or they are liable to burn.
Stewed Fowls. Prepare and cut up at the joints a fowl or chicken. Take a six-pint stew pan, melt two ounces of butter, and fry in it for five minutes one ounce of sliced carrot, and one sliced onion, stirring with a wooden spoon.. But in the pieces of fowl, with a little pepper and salt; add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stirring so as to thoroughly mix with the butter. When mixed, add at intervals about a pint of good stock, and four ounces of picked tomatoes with the skins and seeds removed, and broken in pieces. Stir, and let it come slowly to the boil, then simmer. Now add six button mushrooms cut into slices and a tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Let it come to the boil, simmer for ten minutes, then skim, baste and serve. Fresh to matoes and mushrooms are essential.
Stewed Rabbits. Cut up a young rabbit into small joints, and put them aside. Take a quarter of a pound of streaky bacon, and cut it into small slices. Melt in a clean stewpan one ounce and a half of butter, or sweet dripping; add the bacon, and when lightly fried add the pieces of rabbit, and fry to a nice brown, constantly stirring the whole with a wooden spoon. Now add a table spoonful of flour, work it well, and add at short intervals a little water or stock, all the time till the pieces are just covered, season with pepper and salt, and a small piece of lemon peel. Skim, then simmer slowly, and add a dozen but ton onions and six mushrooms, both previously blanched. When the rabbit is done, take it out, and arrange it on a dish. Boil the sauce, which should just coat the wooden spoon, skim, and pour it over the rabbit. The rabbit must be young, and see that it does not burn or boil. The flavoring should be delicate, and the sauce free from fat.