Alice Demetrius Stock, Vintage Cookbooks

We preserve forgotten recipes and old-fashioned cooking techniques in my column. Among the recipes we shared with readers this year were "real" oatmeal cookies warm from the oven, strawberry shortcake "like Mother made" and one of the oldest known vegetables eaten by the ancients: cabbage, with a mellow sour cream sauce.

Of the recipes we tried, I chose a made-from-scratch barley broth. It's more authentic and flavorful with mutton (sheep older than 2), and other vegetables, such as celery, cabbage or potato, are sometimes added, but the constants of this warm, flavorful Scottish soup are barley, lamb and leek.

SCOTCH BROTH

• 1 pound stewing lamb (we used neck bones and shank) or 1 pound stewing beef trimmed of fat
  
• 2 to 3 ounces pearl barley, rinsed (or 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley)
  
• 1/4 cup split dried peas, soaked overnight (or 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas)
  
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
  
• 2 leeks, white part only, split in four pieces lengthwise and rinsed (or 2 medium yellow onions)
  
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  
• 1 turnip, peeled and diced
  
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Put the meat in a heavy pot with a lid and cover with about 6 cups cold water.

Add pearl barley and dried peas, bring to a boil and skim. (If using quick-cooking barley, follow directions on box and add during the last 10 minutes of cooking; if using fresh peas, add during the last 10 minutes of cooking; if using frozen peas, add at the end until heated through.)

Add salt and pepper and cook gently, without boiling, 1 hour.

Skim again, add leek (or onion), carrot and turnip and simmer until the meat falls off the bone.

Meat may be taken out of the soup and eaten separately or cut into small pieces and left in.

Garnish with parsley and serve hot. Makes about 4 servings.

"The Wine and Food Society's Guide to Soups" by Robin Howe, 1967

Thursday, January 01, 2004

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