Stock for Clear Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Alexis Soyer's recipe of 1854, for a classic veal, bacon and onion stock intended to be used as a clear base for soups. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stock for Clear Soup.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Alexis Soyer's 1854 volume A Shilling Cookery for the People, the first Victorian cookbook for the common man.
Original Recipe
1. Stock for Clear Soup. First Lesson.—Cut two pounds of knuckle or scrag of veal into small pieces, place them in the iron pot or stewpan, with two ounces of salt butter or dripping, two ounces of lean bacon cut small, three teaspoonfuls of salt, half a spoonful of pepper, a gill of water, three middle-sized, or six ounces of, onions sliced. Put on the fire; when boiling, stir round with a spoon for about ten minutes, or until it forms a whitish thick gravy at the bottom, or gets rather dry, then add five pints of hot or cold water; when boiling, let it simmer gently for three quarters of an hour, skim it well, pass it through a sieve, and it will be found clear and ready for use for the following soups. Only one third of this quantity need be made. In case bacon or ham cannot be obtained, use half a pound more meat and a little more salt.
The meat not being overstewed, will be found excellent eaten plain, or with parsley and butter, or any sauce.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients
1kg knuckle of veal or scrag of veal, chopped into small pieces
60g salted butter
60g lean bacon, finely diced
3 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
150ml water
3 medium onions, sliced
2l cold water
Method:
Combine the veal, butter, bacon, salt, black pepper and 150ml water in a pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture produces a white gravy at the bottom of the pot (or begins to dry).
At this point, add the remaining water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 45 minutes. Skim the surface thoroughly then pass the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve (you should end-up with a clear soup base).
