SOUPS WITHOUT MEAT. 47
Celery salt most persons like extremely ; others would prefer a little marjoram and thyme; others, again, mace and a bit of onion. Use your own discretion- in this regard.
CLAM SOUP. (French Style.)
MINCE two dozen hard shell clams very fine. Fry half a minced onion in an ounce of butter ; add to it a pint of hot water, a pinch of mace, four cloves, one allspice and six whole pepper corns. Boil fif- teen minutes and strain into a saucepan ; add the chopped clams and a pint .of clam- juice or hot water ; simmer slowly two hours ; strain and rub the pulp through a sieve into the liquid. Return it to the saucepan and keep it lukewarm. Boil three half -pints of milk in a saucepan (previously wet with cold water, which prevents burning) and whisk it into the soup. Dissolve a teaspoonful of flour in cold milk, add it to the soup, taste for seasoning; heat it gently to near the boiling point; pour it into a tureen previously heated with hot water, and serve with or without pieces of fried bread called crou- tons in kitchen French.
CLAM SOUP.
TWENTY-FIVE clams chopped fine. Put over the fire the liquor that was drained from them, and a cup of water ; add the chopped clams and boil half an hour; then season to taste with pepper and salt and a piece of butter as large as an egg ; boil up again and add one quart of milk boiling hot, stir in a tablespoon of flour made to a cream with a little cold milk, or two crackers rolled fine. Some like a Little mace and lemon juice in the seasoning.
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