From
The Thorough Good Cook
Soups: 2. Consomme (White Stock)
The
leg is the most
useful part of
veal for this
purpose,
though, for large dinners, there are other pieces which can also be used with it. The
inside part of the leg is a fleshy
fillet without
sinews: this should be taken out when you wish to serve a fricandeau, the remainder of the leg of veal cut in pieces, with about two
pounds of lean
ham; if you have a
fowl that is too old for any other purpose, it will add to the
excellence of the
broth; put the whole into a
stew-
pan, with a
quart of not too strong
beef broth; set the stew-pan over a
charcoal fire to soak the
juice out of the
meat, which operation should take about n-n hour's time, and, of course, is to be regulated by the fire kept under it; special attention must be paid that it does not
burn ; frequently shake the stew-pan, that the contents may not
stick to any part of it; when the juice is reduced to the consistence of
glaze, of a nice
rich colour, fill up the stew-pan with clear beef broth, and let it boil slowly by the side of the fire for three hours ; remove all the
fat, and pass the consomme through a
napkin or fine
cloth into one or two basins. If the weather is warm, it is better to divide the broth, for by keeping. too great a
quantity in one vessel, it is apt to grow sour before it is cold.
Clear, light stock is a highly important preparation in cookery, any failure in which proves
fatal to the whole
dinner, therefore no care or attention should be spared in order that it may be had in
perfection.