Another Receipt for Gravy Soup

Another Receipt for Gravy Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic clear soup base of beef, veal and ham that are slowly stewed in bouillon with onions and carrots, the stock from which can be served as a soup or a base for other dishes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Another Receipt for Gravy Soup.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

40 minutes

Total Time:

60 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Pork Recipes Beef Recipes Vegetable Recipes British Recipes

This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.

Original Recipe

ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR GRAVY SOUP.

Instead of browning the meat in its own juices, put it with the onion and carrots, into a deep stewpan, with a quarter of a pint of bouillon;
set it over a brisk fire at first, and when the broth is somewhat reduced, let it boil gently until it has taken a line colour, and forms a
glaze (or jelly) at the bottom of the stewpan; then pour to it the proper quantity of water, and finish the soup by the preceding receipt.

Obs.—A rich, old-fashioned English brown gravy-soup may be made
with beef only. It should be cut from the bones, dredged with flour, seasoned with pepper and salt, and fried a clear brown; then stewed for six hours, if the quantity be large, with a pint of water to each pound of meat, and vegetables as above, except onions, of which four moderate-sized
ones, also fried, are to be added to every three quarts of
the soup, which, after it has been strained and cleared from fat, may be thickened with six ounces of fresh butter, worked up very smoothly
with five of flour. In twenty minutes afterwards, a tablespoonful of the best soy, half a pint of sherry, and a little cayenne, may be added
to the soup, which will then be ready to serve.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

340g ham, all fat and skin trimmed and cut into thick slices
butter for greasing
1.35kg leg of veal or neck of veal, cut into thick slices
1.35kg lean beef, cut into thick slices
2 onions
2 large carrots
150ml bouillon
a few drops of chilli vinegar (or substitute Harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup)
sippets à la Reine, to accompany

Method:

Combine the meats, onions, carrots and bouillon in a stewpan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cool until the stock has reduced slightly then reduce to a gentle boil and continue cooking until reduced to a jelly at the base of the pan. Pour in 2l of water, and once it has come to a boil skim all the scum from the surface.

Continue boiling until no more scum appears then, strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin into a bowl.

Set aside to cool, and when completely cold skim and blot every piece of fat from the surface of the stock. Now carefully take the soup stock and gently pour into a clean saucepan (if there is any sediment, be careful to leave this behind). Season to taste and add a few drops of chilli vinegar (or a tablespoon of Harvey's sauce or mushroom ketchup) to flavour.

Allow the soup to heat through and serve accompanied by sippets of fried Breads. If desired, cooked rice, macaroni, vermicelli, nouilles and any spring vegetables may be added to the soup to give it body. These should be cooked first and added to the soup as it is being warmed through.

Find more Eliza Acton Recipes Here and more Traditional Victorian Recipes Here.