Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

boil gently about one hour. Then add about four ounces of rice, washed in cold water, continue boiling until the chicken is overdone and tender. Take the pieces of chicken from the pan, scrape the flesh off the bones; cut the white flesh (the flesh that is on both sides of the breast-bone) in dice, and put it in the soup-dish; chop fine all the other flesh, and then mash it through a sieve or strainer, together with the rice. If it be rather too thick to mash through, moisten it with broth. A large iron spoon is the best utensil to mash through with. Then set the rice and flesh back on the fire in a saucepan with broth to taste, stir and add immediately from two to four ounces of butter, a gill of cream, or, if not handy, a gill of milk. Keep stirring on a slow fire for five or six minutes; salt to taste, turn into the soup-dish, and serve. There is no danger of curdling if kept on a slow fire and not allowed to boil. _The same with Broth._--To make the potage richer, cook the chicken and rice in broth instead of water, and proceed as above for the rest. _The same with consommé._--The chicken and rice may also be cooked in _consommé_, and when mashed through the sieve, add _consommé_ also instead of broth, and you have an exceedingly rich soup. This is excellent for persons having throat diseases; it is easily swallowed, and very nutritious. _The same à la Française._--The potage _purée à la française_ is the same as that à la reine, with the addition of _quenelles_ of chicken. _The same à la Princesse._--Add to that _à la reine_, the white flesh of a roasted chicken, cut in dice, and put in the soup-dish. Purée of Game.--Proceed as for potage _purée à la reine_, with the exception that you use prairie-hen, instead of chicken. SOUPS. _Maigre, or Vegetable Soup._--Proceed as for _julienne_ in every particular, except that water is used instead of broth. Four ounces of butter may be used