Carrot Soup a la Cressy

Shave off the red part of twelve large carrots, and put it in a stewpan with four onions, two heads of celery, four ounces of raw ham, and two ounces of butter, a few peppercorns, and a quart of water; put the lid on close, and set this to simmer gently for two hours over a slow fire.

At the end of this time the carrots will be done quite soft; the stock must be drained from them, and kept in reserve, while the carrots, &c, are first bruised in a mortar, and being added to their liquor and a quart of stock, must be rubbed through a tammy, poured into a soup-pot, stirred over the fire to boil, and placed by the side to clear itself of all grease, &c., which must be removed with a spoon as it rises to the surface; and when the puree has gently boiled in this way for a quarter of an hour, add a bit of glaze, a dessert-spoonful of sugar, and a little pepper and salt, if necessary, and serve with fried crusts, in a plate.

Note.—In nearly all cases where glaze is recommended to be added when finishing a soup or a sauce, its use may be dispensed with when extreme economy is the order of the day; yet it must be admitted, that this omission will not tend to improve the soup, &c, unless indeed the stock is very good.