Sprinkle in the barley, stir and cook until the mixture becomes transparent (about 10 minutes). Season to taste, and serve. The croûtons (small slices of bread cut into shapes) should be either fried in hot fat or cut from thin slices of toast. They should be handed separately, unless directions are given to put them into the soup before serving.
Time.—20 to 30 minutes. Cost, 4d. to 5d. without the stock. Seasonable at all times. Sufficient for 4 persons.
Note.—Rice and tapioca, finely crushed and ground, may also be bought in packets, and will be found useful preparations for soups of this class. When not easily obtainable, ground rice, Florador, or Semolina will be found good substitutes. The well-known "Potage Crême de Riz" can be made from this recipe, using crême de riz instead of crême d'orge; and either soup can be made richer by omitting the flour, and butter, and in their place using the yolks of 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, which should be added to the soup a few minutes before serving.
59.—BARLEY SOUP. (Another Method). (Fr.—Potage Crême d'Orge.)
Ingredients.—3 pints of white second stock, 1 pint of milk, 1½ ounces of pearl-barley, 1½ oz. of butter, 1 oz. of corn-flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, croûtons of fried or toasted bread.
Method.—Wash the pearl-barley until the water is clear, drain, put it and the stock into a stewpan, boil up, and simmer gently for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Rub through a hair or fine wire sieve, return to the stewpan, add the milk and seasoning, and bring to the boil. Knead the corn-flour and butter together, put the mixture into the soup and stir until it becomes smoothly united with it. Add the nutmeg if liked, place the croûtons of fried bread in the tureen, pour in the soup, and serve.
Time.—3½ to 4 hours. Average Cost.—4d. to 5d. without the stock. Sufficient for 6 persons.
Barley (Fr.: Orge).—This well known plant, which is a genus (hordeum) of the order Graminæ, or Grasses, is probably the first cereal cultivated by man. It was grown in Egypt and Palestine in the earliest recorded times, and Homer makes reference to it. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Germans made beer from barley. The grain is principally used for making malt, from which beer, porter, and whiskey are manufactured. Scotch barley is prepared by removing the husks of the grain and pearl-barley by the further process of polishing and rounding the grain. Barley-water, a concoction of pearl-barley, owing to its emollient and diluent properties, forms a valuable medicine, for patients of weak digestion. The constituents of barley in 100 parts are:—Starch, 79; glutin, 6; sugar, 7; husk, 8.
60.—CABBAGE SOUP. (Fr.—Potage aux Choux.)
Ingredients.—2 small young cabbages (finely shredded), 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, 2 pints of boiling water, 1 pint of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of crushed tapioca (sold in packets), or fine sago, 1 teaspoonful of salt, ¼ of a teaspoonful of pepper, 1 oz. of butter.
Method.—Cover the shredded cabbage with boiling water, bring to the boil and strain. Return the cabbage to the saucepan, add to it 2 pints of boiling water, the milk, onion, parsley, butter, salt and pepper,
