Tasty Tuesday – Mock Turtle Soup

From Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book

No. 2.

MOCK TURTLE.

Get a calf's head with skin on, take out the brains, wash the head several times in cold water, let it soak one hour in spring water, then lay in a stewpan, and cover with cold water, and half a gallon over. Take off the scum that rises as it warms. Let it boil for one hour, take it up and, when almost cold, cut the head into pieces one and a half inches, and the tongue into mouthfuls, or make a side dish of tongue and brains. When the head is taken out put in the stock meat, about 3 pounds of knuckle of veal, and as much beef, add all the trimmings and bones of the head, skim it well, cover close, let it boil 5 hours (save 2 quarts of this for gravy sauce), strain it off and let stand until morning; then take off the fat; set a large stewpan on the fire, with half a pound of fresh butter, 12 ounces of sliced onions, 4 ounces of green sage; chop it a little; let these fry 1 hour, then rub in one pound of flour, then add the broth by degrees until it is as thick as cream. Season with ¼ ounce of ground allspice, ½ ounce of black pepper ground fine, salt to your taste the rind of a lemon peeled thin.


Let it simmer gently for 1½ hours, strain through a hair sieve. If it does not go through easily press a wooden spoon against the sides of the sieve. Put it in a clean stewpan with the head, and season it by putting to each gallon of soup ½ pint of wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice. Let it simmer until the meat is tender (from ½ hour to 1 hour). Take care it is not overdone. Stir often to keep the meat from sticking to the pan. When the meat is quite tender the soup is ready. A head of 20 pounds and 10 pounds of stock-meat will make 10 quarts of soup, besides the 2 quarts of stock-meat set aside for side dishes. If there is more meat on the head than you wish to use make a ragout pie of some of it.