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Woman\'s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3

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WOMAN'S INSTITUTE LIBRARY OF COOKERY

VOLUME THREE


SOUP

MEAT

POULTRY AND GAME

FISH AND SHELL FISH



WOMAN'S INSTITUTE OF DOMESTIC ARTS AND SCIENCES, Inc.




PREFACE

This volume, which is the third of the Woman's Institute Library of
Cookery, includes soups and the high-protein foods, meat, poultry, game,
and fish. It therefore contains information that is of interest to every
housewife, for these foods occupy an important place in the majority
of meals.

In her study of _Soup,_ she will come to a thorough appreciation of the
place that soup occupies in the meal, its chief purposes, and its
economic value. All the different kinds of soups are classified and
discussed, recipes for making them, as well as the stocks used in their
preparation, receiving the necessary attention. The correct serving of
soup is not overlooked; nor are the accompaniments and garnishes so
often required to make the soup course of the meal an attractive one.

In _Meat,_ Parts 1 and 2, are described the various cuts of the
different kinds of meat--beef, veal, lamb, mutton, and pork--and the
part of the animal from which they are obtained, the way in which to
judge a good piece of meat by its appearance, and what to do with it
from the time it is purchased until all of it is used. All the methods
applicable to the cooking of meats are emphasized in this section.
Supplementing the text are numerous illustrations showing the ways in
which meat cuts are obtained. Besides, many of them are so reproduced
that actual cuts of meat may be readily recognized. Equipped with this
knowledge, the housewife need give no concern to the selection, care,
and cooking of every variety of meat.

In _Poultry and Game,_ the selection and preparation of all kinds of
poultry receive attention. While such food is somewhat of a luxury in a
great many homes, it helps to relieve the monotony of the usual protein
foods, and it often supplies just what is desired for special occasions.
Familiarity with poultry and game is a decided asset to any housewife,
and success with their cooking and serving is assured through a study
of this text, for every step in their preparation is clearly explained
and illustrated.

In _Fish and Shell Fish,_ the other high-protein food is treated in full
as to its composition, food value, purchase, care, and preparation. Such
interesting processes as the boning, skinning, and filleting of fish are
not only carefully explained but clearly illustrated. In addition to
recipes for fresh, salt, smoked, and canned fish are given directions
for the preparation of all edible shell fish and recipes for the various
stuffings and sauces served with fish.

Too much cannot be said about the importance of the subjects covered in
this volume and the necessity for a thorough understanding of them on
the part of every housewife. Indeed, a mastery of them will mean for her
an acquaintance with the main part of the meal, and when she knows how
to prepare these foods, the other dishes will prove a simple matter.



CONTENTS

SOUP
Value of Soup
Classification of Soups
Uses and Varieties of Soup Stock
The Stock Pot
Principal Ingredients in Soup
Processes Involved in Making Stock
Serving Soup
Recipes for Soup and Soup Accompaniments
Stocks and Clear Soups
Heavy Thick Soups
Cream Soups
Purées
Chowders
Soup Accompaniments and Garnishes

MEAT
Value of Meat as Food
Structure and Composition of Meat
Purchase and Care of Meat
Purposes of Cooking Meat
Methods of Cooking Meat
Time Required for Cooking Meat
Beef--General Characteristics
Cuts of Beef
Steaks and Their Preparation
Roasts and Their Preparation
Preparation of Stews and Corned Beef
Beef Organs and Their Preparation
Making Gravy
Trying Out Suet and Other Fats
Preparation of Left-Over Beef
Veal
Cuts of Veal and Their Uses
Veal Cuts and Their Preparation
Veal Organs and Their Preparation
Preparation of Left-Over Veal
Mutton and Lamb--Comparison
Cuts of Mutton and Lamb
Preparation of Roasts, Chops, and Stews
Preparation of Left-Over Lamb and Mutton
Pork
Cuts of Pork
Fresh Pork and Its Preparation
Cured Pork and Its Preparation
Preparation of Left-Over Pork
Serving and Carving of Meat
Sausages and Meat Preparations
Principles of Deep-Fat Frying
Application of Deep-Fat Frying
Timbale Cases

POULTRY AND GAME
Poultry as a Food
Selection of Poultry
Selection of Chicken
Selection of Poultry Other Than Chicken
Composition of Poultry
Preparation of Chicken for Cooking
Preparation of Poultry Other Than Chicken for Cooking
Cooking of Poultry
Stuffing for Roast Poultry
Boned Chicken
Dishes from Left-Over Poultry
Serving and Carving of Poultry
Game
Recipes for Game

FISH AND SHELL FISH
Fish in the Diet
Composition and Food Value of Fish
Purchase and Care of Fish
Cleaning Fish
Boning Fish
Skinning Fish
Filleting Fish
Methods of Cooking Fish
Recipes for Fish Sauces and Stuffings
Recipes for Fresh Fish
Recipes for Salt and Smoked Fish
Recipes for Canned Fish
Recipes for Left-Over Fish
Shell Fish--Nature, Varieties, and Use
Oysters and Their Preparation
Clams and Their Preparation
Scallops and Their Preparation
Lobsters and Their Preparation
Crabs and Their Preparation
Shrimp and Their Preparation




SOUP

SOUP AND ITS PLACE IN THE MEAL

VALUE OF SOUP

1. SOUP is a liquid food that is prepared by boiling meat or vegetables,
or both, in water and then seasoning and sometimes thickening the liquid
that is produced. It is usually served as the first course of a dinner,
but it is often included in a light meal, such as luncheon. While some
persons regard the making of soup as difficult, nothing is easier when
one knows just what is required and how to proceed. The purpose of this
Section, therefore, is to acquaint the housewife with the details of
soup making, so that she may provide her family with appetizing and
nutritious soups that make for both economy and healthfulness.

2. It is interesting to note the advancement that has been made with
this food. The origin of soup, like that of many foods, dates back to
practically the beginning of history. However, the first soup known was
probably not made with meat. For instance, the mess of pottage for which
Esau sold his birthright was soup made of red lentils. Later on meat
came to be used as the basis for soup because of the agreeable and
appetizing flavor it provides. Then, at one time in France a scarcity of
butter and other fats that had been used to produce moistness and
richness in foods, brought about such clear soups as bouillon and
consommé. These, as well as other liquid foods, found much favor, for
about the time they were devised it came to be considered vulgar to chew
food. Thus, at various periods, and because of different emergencies,
particular kinds of soup have been introduced, until now there are many
kinds from which the housewife may choose when she desires a dish that
will start a meal in the right way and at the same time appeal to
the appetite.

3. VALUE OF SOUP IN THE MEAL.--Not all persons have the same idea
regarding the value of soup as a part of a meal. Some consider it to be
of no more value than so much water, claiming that it should be fed to
none but children or sick persons who are unable to take solid food. On
the other hand, many persons believe that soup contains the very essence
of all that is nourishing and sustaining in the foods of which it is
made. This difference of opinion is well demonstrated by the ideas that
have been advanced concerning this food. Some one has said that soup is
to a meal what a portico is to a palace or an overture to an opera,
while another person, who evidently does not appreciate this food, has
said that soup is the preface to a dinner and that any work really worth
while is sufficient in itself and needs no preface. Such opinions,
however, must be reconciled if the true value of this food is to be
appreciated.

4. Probably the best way in which to come to a definite conclusion as to
the importance of soup is to consider the purposes it serves in a meal.
When its variety and the ingredients of which it is composed are thought
of, soup serves two purposes: first, as an appetizer taken at the
beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite and aid in the flow of
digestive juices in the stomach; and, secondly, as an actual part of the
meal, when it must contain sufficient nutritive material to permit it to
be considered as a part of the meal instead of merely an addition. Even
in its first and minor purpose, the important part that soup plays in
many meals is not hard to realize, for it is just what is needed to
arouse the flagging appetite and create a desire for nourishing food.
But in its second purpose, the real value of soup is evident. Whenever
soup contains enough nutritive material for it to take the place of some
dish that would otherwise be necessary, its value cannot be
overestimated.

If soup is thought of in this way, the prejudice that exists against it
in many households will be entirely overcome. But since much of this
prejudice is due to the fact that the soup served is often unappetizing
in both flavor and appearance, sufficient attention should be given to
the making of soup to have this food attractive enough to appeal to the
appetite rather than discourage it. Soup should not be greasy nor
insipid in flavor, neither should it be served in large quantities nor
without the proper accompaniment. A small quantity of well-flavored,
attractively served soup cannot fail to meet the approval of any family
when it is served as the first course of the meal.

5. GENERAL CLASSES OF SOUP.--Soups are named in various ways, according
to material, quality, etc.; but the two purposes for which soup is used
have led to the placing of the numerous kinds into two general classes.
In the first class are grouped those which serve as appetizers, such as
bouillon, consommé, and some other broths and clear soups. In the second
class are included those eaten for their nutritive effect, such as cream
soups, purées, and bisques. From these two classes of soup, the one that
will correspond with the rest of the meal and make it balance properly
is the one to choose. For instance, a light soup that is merely an
appetizer should be served with a heavy dinner, whereas a heavy, highly
nutritious soup should be used with a luncheon or a light meal.

6. ECONOMIC VALUE OF SOUP.--Besides having an important place in the
meal of which it forms a part, soup is very often an economy, for it
affords the housewife a splendid opportunity to utilize many left-overs.
With the French people, who excel in the art of soup making chiefly
because of their clever adaptation of seasoning to foods, their
_pot-au-feu_ is a national institution and every kitchen has its stock
pot. Persons who believe in the strictest food economy use a stock pot,
since it permits left-overs to be utilized in an attractive and
palatable way. In fact, there is scarcely anything in the way of fish,
meat, fowl, vegetables, and cereals that cannot be used in soup making,
provided such ingredients are cared for in the proper way. Very often
the first glance at the large number of ingredients listed in a soup
recipe creates the impression that soup must be a very complicated
thing. Such, however, is not the case. In reality, most of the soup
ingredients are small quantities of things used for flavoring, and it is
by the proper blending of these that appetizing soups are secured.

CLASSIFICATION OF SOUPS

7. The two general classes of soup already mentioned permit of numerous
methods of classification. For instance, soups are sometimes named from
the principal ingredient or an imitation of it, as the names potato
soup, beef soup, macaroni soup, mock-turtle soup testify. Again, both
stimulating and nutritious soups may be divided into thin and thick
soups, thin soups usually being clear, and thick soups, because of their
nature, cloudy. When the quality of soups is considered, they are placed
in still different classes and are called broth, bisque, consommé,
purée, and so on. Another important classification of soups results from
the nationality of the people who use them. While soups are classified
in other ways, it will be sufficient for all practical purposes if the
housewife understands these three principal classes.

8. CLASSES DENOTING CONSISTENCY.--As has already been pointed out, soups
are of only two kinds when their consistency is thought of, namely,
_clear soups_ and _thick soups._

CLEAR SOUPS are those made from carefully cleared stock, or soup
foundation, and flavored or garnished with a material from which the
soup usually takes its name. There are not many soups of this kind,
_bouillon_ and _consommé_ being the two leading varieties, but in order
to be palatable, they require considerable care in making.

THICK SOUPS are also made from stock, but milk, cream, water, or any
mixture of these may also be used as a basis, and to it may be added for
thickening meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, or grain or some other starchy
material. Soups of this kind are often made too thick, and as such soups
are not appetizing, care must be taken to have them just right in
consistency.

9. CLASSES DENOTING QUALITY.--When attention is given to the quality of
soup, this food divides itself into several varieties, namely, _broth,
cream soup, bisque, chowder,_ and _purée._

BROTHS have for their foundation a clear stock. They are sometimes a
thin soup, but other times they are made quite thick with vegetables,
rice, barley, or other material, when they are served as a substantial
part of a meal.

CREAM SOUPS are highly nutritious and are of great variety. They have
for their foundation a thin cream sauce, but to this are always added
vegetables, meat, fish, or grains.

BISQUES are thick, rich soups made from game, fish, or shell fish,
particularly crabs, shrimp, etc. Occasionally, vegetables are used in
soup of this kind.

CHOWDERS are soups that have sea food for their basis. Vegetables and
crackers are generally added for thickening and to impart flavor.

PURÉES are soups made thick partly or entirely by the addition of some
material obtained by boiling an article of food and then straining it to
form a pulp. When vegetables containing starch, such as beans, peas,
lentils, and potatoes, are used for this purpose, it is unnecessary to
thicken the soup with any additional starch; but when meat, fish, or
watery vegetables are used, other thickening is required. To be right, a
purée should be nearly as smooth as thick cream and of the same
consistency.

10. CLASSES TYPICAL OF PARTICULAR COUNTRIES.--Certain kinds of soup have
been made so universally by the people of various countries that they
have come to be regarded as national dishes and are always thought of as
typical of the particular people by whom they are used. Among the best
known of these soups are _Borsch,_ a soup much used by the Russian
people and made from beets, leeks, and sour cream; _Daikan,_ a Japanese
soup in which radishes are the principal ingredient; _Kouskous,_ a soup
favored by the people of Abyssinia and made from vegetables; _Krishara_,
a rice soup that finds much favor in India; _Lebaba,_ an Egyptian soup
whose chief ingredients are honey, butter, and raisin water; _Minestra,_
an Italian soup in which vegetables are combined; _Mulligatawny,_ an
Indian rice soup that is flavored with curry; _Potroka,_ another kind of
Russian soup, having giblets for its foundation; _Soljinka,_ an entirely
different variety of Russian soup, being made from fish and onions; and
_Tarhonya,_ a Hungarian soup containing noodles.

* * * * *


STOCK FOR SOUP

USES AND VARIETIES OF STOCK

11. MEANING AND USE OF STOCK.--In order that soup-making processes may
be readily grasped by the housewife, she should be thoroughly familiar
with what is meant by _stock,_ which forms the foundation of many soups.
In looking into the derivation of this term, it will be found that the
word stock comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning to stick, and that
while it has many different uses, the idea of fixedness is expressed in
every one of them. As is generally known, a stock of anything means a
reserve supply of that thing stored away for future use. When applied to
soup, stock is similar in meaning, for it refers to material stored or
prepared in such a way that it may be kept for use in the making of
certain kinds of soup. In a more definite sense, soup stock may be
regarded as a liquid containing the juices and soluble parts of meat,
bone, and vegetables, which have been extracted by long, slow cooking
and which can be utilized in the making of soups, sauces, and gravies.

12. Soups in which stock is utilized include all the varieties made from
beef, veal, mutton, and poultry. If clear stock is desired for the
making of soup, only fresh meat and bones should be used and all
material that will discolor the liquid in any way carefully avoided. For
ordinary, unclarified soups, the trimmings and bones of roast, steak, or
chops and the carcass of fowl can generally be utilized. However, very
strongly flavored meat, such as mutton, or the fat from mutton should be
used sparingly, if at all, on account of the strong flavor that
it imparts.

13. VARIETIES OF STOCK.--Several kinds of stock are utilized in the
making of soup, and the kind to employ depends on the soup desired. In
determining the kind of stock required for the foundation of a soup, the
housewife may be guided by the following classification:

FIRST STOCK is made from meat and bones and then clarified and used for
well-flavored, clear soups.

SECOND STOCK is made from the meat and the bones that remain after the
first stock is strained off. More water is added to the remaining
material, and this is then cooked with vegetables, which supply the
needed flavor. Such stock serves very well for adding flavor to a
nutritious soup made from vegetables or cereal foods.

HOUSEHOLD STOCK is made by cooking meat and bones, either fresh or
cooked, with vegetables or other material that will impart flavor and
add nutritive value. Stock of this kind is used for ordinary soups.

BONE STOCK is made from meat bones to which vegetables are added for
flavor, and it is used for making any of the ordinary soups.

VEGETABLE STOCK is made from either dried or fresh vegetables or both.
Such stock is employed in making vegetable soups.

GAME STOCK is made from the bones and trimmings of game to which
vegetables are added for flavor. This kind of stock is used for making
game soups.

FISH STOCK is made from fish or fish trimmings to which vegetables are
added for flavor. Shell fish make especially good stock of this kind.
Fish stock is employed for making chowders and fish soups.

14. ADDITIONAL USES OF STOCK.--As has already been shown, stock is used
principally as a foundation for certain varieties of soup. This
material, however, may be utilized in many other ways, being especially
valuable in the use of left-over foods. Any bits of meat or fowl that
are left over can be made into an appetizing dish by adding thickened
stock to them and serving the combination over toast or rice. In fact, a
large variety of made dishes can be devised if there is stock on hand to
add for flavor. The convenience of a supply of stock will be apparent
when it is realized that gravy or sauce for almost any purpose can be
made from the contents of the stock pot.

15. SOUP EXTRACTS.--If a housewife does not have sufficient time to go
through the various processes involved in making soup, her family need
not be deprived of this article of diet, for there are a number of
concentrated meat and vegetable extracts on the market for making soups
quickly. The _meat extracts_ are made of the same flavoring material as
that which is drawn from meat in the making of stock. Almost all the
liquid is evaporated and the result is a thick, dark substance that must
be diluted greatly with water to obtain the basis for a soup or a broth.
Some of the _vegetable extracts,_ such as Japanese soy and English
marmite, are so similar in appearance and taste to the meat extracts as
to make it quite difficult to detect any difference. Both varieties of
these extracts may be used for sauces and gravies, as well as for soups,
but it should be remembered that they are not highly nutritious and are
valuable merely for flavoring.


THE STOCK POT

16. NATURE, USE, AND CARE OF STOCK POT.--Among the utensils used for
cooking there is probably none more convenient and useful than the stock
pot. It is nothing more or less than a covered crock or pot like that
shown in Fig. 1, into which materials that will make a well-flavored
stock are put from time to time. From such a supply, stock can be drawn
when it is needed for soup; then, when some is taken out, more water
and materials may be added to replenish the pot. The stock pot should be
made of either enamel or earthenware, since a metal pot of any kind is
liable to impart flavor to the food. Likewise, its lid, or cover, should
be tight-fitting, for then it will be an excellent utensil in which the
materials may be stored until they are to be heated, when they can be
poured or dipped into a saucepan or a kettle.

The stock pot, like any other utensil used for making soup, should
receive considerable care, as it must be kept scrupulously clean. No
stock pot should ever be allowed to stand from day to day without being
emptied, thoroughly washed, and then exposed to the air for a while
to dry.

[Illustration: Fig. 1]

17. FOOD SUITABLE FOR THE STOCK POT.--Some one has said that nothing
edible is out of place in the stock pot, and, to a great extent, this
statement is true. Here should be put the bones from the cooked roast,
as well as the trimmings cut from it before it went into the oven; the
tough ends and bones of beefsteak; the trimmings or bones sent home by
the butcher; the carcasses of fowls, together with any remains of
stuffing and tough or left-over bits of meat; any left-over vegetables;
the remains of the gravy or any unsweetened sauces used for meats or
vegetables; the spoonful of left-over hash, stew, or stuffing; a
left-over stuffed tomato or pepper; and the water in which rice,
macaroni, or certain vegetables have been cooked. Of course, plain water
can be used for the liquid, but the water in which such vegetables as
cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas, asparagus, celery, and potatoes have
been cooked is especially desirable, for, besides imparting flavor to
the soup, it adds valuable mineral salts. However, when such things as
left-over cereals, rice, macaroni, and green vegetables are to be
utilized in soup, they should not be put in the stock pot; rather, they
should be added to the stock after it is removed from the pot.


MAKING OF SOUP

PRINCIPAL INGREDIENTS

18. The making of the stock that is used in soup is the most important
of the soup-making processes; in fact, these two things--soup and
stock--may be regarded, in many instances, as one and the same. The
housewife will do well, therefore, to keep in mind that whenever
reference is made to the making of soup usually stock making is also
involved and meant. Before the actual soup-making processes are taken
up, however, the nature of the ingredients required should be well
understood; for this reason, suitable meats and vegetables, which are
the principal ingredients in soups, are first discussed.

19. MEAT USED FOR SOUP MAKING.--With the exception of pork, almost every
kind of meat, including beef, veal, mutton, lamb, game, and poultry, is
used for soup making. Occasionally, ham is employed, but most other
forms of pork are seldom used to any extent. When soup stock is made
from these meats, they may be cooked separately, or, as a combination is
often an improvement over a single variety, several kinds may be
combined. For instance, mutton used alone makes a very strongly flavored
soup, so that it is usually advisable to combine this kind of meat with
another meat that has a less distinctive flavor. On the other hand, veal
alone does not have sufficient flavor, so it must be combined with lamb,
game, fowl, or some other well-flavored meat.

20. Certain cuts of meats are preferred to others in the making of
soups, because of the difference in their texture. The tender cuts,
which are the expensive ones, should not be used for soups, as they do
not produce enough flavor. The tough cuts, which come from the muscles
that the animal uses constantly and that therefore grow hard and tough,
are usually cheaper, but they are more suitable, because they contain
the material that makes the best soup. The pieces best adapted to soup
making are the shins, the shanks, the lower part of the round, the neck,
the flank, the shoulder, the tail, and the brisket. The parts of the
animal from which these cuts are taken are clearly shown in Fig. 2.
Although beef is obtained from the animal shown, the same cuts come from
practically the same places in other animals. Stock made from one of
these cuts will be improved if a small amount of the fat of the meat is
cooked with it; but to avoid soup that is too greasy, any excess fat
that remains after cooking should be carefully removed. The marrow of
the shin bone is the best fat for soup making.

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