Ingredients Serves 6 generously
6 pints/3.4 litres/15 cups water
1 medium-sized boiling fowl or chicken
8oz/225g lean bacon or gammon trimmings
4oz/110g/half cup white rice
6 black peppercorns
2 onions, peeled and halved
2 canned anchovy fillets
2-3 sprigs each thyme, marjoram and tarragon (or other sweet herbs), tied in a cloth
4-6 stalks celery, chopped
4oz/110g/1 cup ground almonds
1 egg yolk
10fl oz/275ml/one and a quarter cups single (light) cream
whipped cream and watercress leaves to garnish (optional)
Method Pour the water into a large stew-pan. Rinse the chicken inside, then add it to the pan with any giblets (you can joint it first if you like). Add the bacon, rice, peppercorns, onions, anchovies, herbs and celery. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, and cook very gently until the chicken meat is fully cooked and the liquid is flavoursome.
Strain the stock into a bowl, cover it with a cloth and leave it in a cold place for several hours or overnight. Next day, skim off any fat and impurities and pour the stock into a clean pan. Add the ground almonds, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain it yet again, this time through cheesecloth. Whisk the egg yolk into the single cream and add to the soup, which should be slightly cooled by the straining. Reheat until very hot, but on no account let the soup boil again. You can 'improve' the soup by serving it with a teaspoon of whipped cream or a few watercress leaves on each bowlful.
From The Jane Austen Cookbook by Maggie Black &Deirdre Le Faye, published by Random House ISBN 0771014171
|
