Lamb Broth
2 lbs of lamb or beef or pork bones
1 middle size white onion
3 Carrots
3-4 sprigs of Parsley
1/2 of the Leek- the best is only the white part of the leek
2 -3 stalks of celery
2 tablespoons of oatmeal
1 pinch of salt or to taste
1 pinch of ground black pepper- if preferred only
Take the lamb bones, which were removed from a shoulder of lamb. We usually keep the bones in the freezer for the broth- the best broth is always made with the bones, but not pure chunk of meat. Put the bones into your kettle and boil them together with 1 white onion( for the broth you do not need to dice the onion- just peel it and put it as the whole into your broth, together with the meat). When the bones start boiling, take off the foam with the spoon and when you hear the nice smell of the onion, add to the broth 2 nicely diced carrots- as well- we love to dice them into the palatable chunks, however our American relatives love to cut the carrots along and to dice them into the chunks of 2 inches. When the carrots are getting soft, add to them the same the same amount of celery as of carrots and half of the a leek- nicely chopped white part of the leek. Add about two quarts of cold water, and let your broth to simmer down to the amount needed by family. Season to taste with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
For the luncheon soup. the vegetables may be cut fine and cooked in salted water to just cover and added to the boiling broth. Then the soup in which the lamb bones have been cooked may be strained into dish, containing the vegetables. I some times add 2 tablespoons of oatmeal with the bones, as the thickener. This makes a thicker soup and a very nourishing one .You may use a steak bone the same way for delicious for the thick vegetable soup.
Our European twist to such a basic broth- two cloves of garlic, 8 grains of allspice and two bay leaves. The bay leaf and all spice we add at the end of cooking- 8 minutes before we turn off the fire. The garlic we do add together with the onion. This type of broth is more loved in the Californian side of the family- the triad- onion, carrot and celery is always going as the base vegetables into the broth. The British families prefer their broth without any spices, except the black pepper and salt, however, the 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley is allowed into the serving of the broth- we sprinkle the broth with finely chopped parsley and sometimes add the croutons of the white stale bread into the broth directly- if the oatmeal was not used as the thickener to our broth.
SOUTHERN STATES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PREFER THE BROTH WITH BAY LEAVES AND WITH BLACK PEPPER OR ALLSPICE,- THIS IS THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAN CUISINE- AND THE BASICS OF THE CAJUN AND CREOLE COOKING. THE NORTHERN STATES, HOWEVER DO NOT LIKE MUCH SPICE IN THE BROTH- PREFER THE NATURAL TASTE OF THE BROTH AS OUR GREAT GRAND PARENTS- THE PURITANS.
IF YOU WANT A FESTIVE BROTH- BE PREPARED FOR SOME QUITE EXPENSIVE ADDITION- THE CROWN OF THE TABLE- THE PARSNIP ROOT. OF COURSE, THE PARSNIP IS A SEASONAL ROOT- AVAILABLE IN EARLY AUTUMN TILL THANKSGIVING SEASON.
IF YOU ADD THE PARSNIP TO YOUR BROTH TOGETHER WITH THE CARROTS- YOU WILL HAVE THE ELEVATED TRADITIONAL PURITAN BROTH, THE BROTH IS ALWAYS CLEAR AND SERVED IN THE NICE FAMILY TERRINE. IN THIS CASE YOU DO NOT NEED ANY PEPPER- THE BROTH IS SO SUBTLE, THAT YOU WANT TO ADD ONLY FRESH FINELY CHOPPED DILL OR FRESH FINELY CHOPPED PARSLEY- A TEASPOON OF FRESH GREENS INTO EACH PLATE OR DIRECTLY INTO THE TERRINE- JUST BEFORE SERVING.
THE TASTE OF THE BROTH WILL BE EVEN MORE ELEVATED IF YOU ADD THE TWO SCANT TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER AT THE END OF COOKING- FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU TURN OFF THE FIRE, THIS TYPE OF BROTH DOES NOT NEED ANY PEPPER OR GARLIC, JUST THE FRESH DILL OR FRESH PARSLEY.
OF COURSE, IN THIS CASE- YOU FRY YOUR CROUTONS IN ALMOST DRY SKILLET- TO HAVE THEM NICE AND CRUNCHY AND SERVE THE CROUTONS IN A SPECIAL WHITE PORZELAIN BOWL- THE CROUTONS ARE ADDED INTO EACH PLATE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FRENCH WAY AS IN 1700DS- YOU AVOID ANY GARLIC, THE ONION SHOULD BE CHOSEN THE MILDEST POSSIBLE- THE ESCHALOTTE- WORKS THE BEST. NO BAY LEAF AND NO PEPPER IS NEEDED- PARSNIP ELEVATES THIS BROTH TO THE LEVEL OF THE THANKGIVING OR CHRISTMAS DINNER. THIS WILL BE THE REAL BRITISH STYLE BROTH AS MY HUSBAND USED TO LOVE. FRENCH SIDE OF THE FAMILIES LOVED THE LITTLE BLINTZY - ROLLED PANCAKES WITH THE MINCED MEAT.
FOR THEM YOU BOIL ONE HEART OF THE PORK, SIMILAR SIZE CHUNK OF LUNGS AND SOME BEEF- MINCE ALL TOGETHER, ADD A NICELY CHOPPED HARD BOILED EGG AND THE FINELY CHOPPED ONION, FRIED IN THE DEEP SKILLET WITH BUTTER. THEN, OF COURSE, YOU DO NOT NEED THE CROUTONS. THE BLINTZY- TWO SMALL ROLLED PANCAKES FARCI WITH THE MENTIONED ABOVE MINCED MEAT- SERVED WITH THE BROTH. YOU WILL NEVER NEED ANY SPICES IN THIS CASE IN YOUR BROTH- YOUR FESTIVE DINNER WILL BE AS YOUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS LOVED IN FRANCE AND THE GREAT BRITAIN IN 1700DS. IMAGINE- THE CELEBRATION OF THE THANKSGIVING DAY- WITH THE BROTH WHICH WAS MADE LIKE YOUR GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHERS DID?
WHAT WORKS THE BEST AS THE ONION- IF YOUR WHITE ONION IS TOO FRESH- HAPPENS SO- PEEL YOUR ONION AND PUT IT INTO THE SHELF OF YOUR FRIDGE THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU START PREPARING YOUR CELEBRATION BROTH- THE HARSHNESS OF THE ONION GOES AWAY IN COLD FRIDGE- NOT THE FREEZER-- PUT IN ON THE SHELF FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE TASTE OF THE ONION STILL THERE, BUT THE HARSNESS OF THIS ONION DISAPPEARS- WORKS FINE FOR MANY YEARS.
THIS IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY MY FAMILY PREPARES THE TRADITIONAL BROTH- WHICH IS TRADITIONAL TREAT OF EVERY DAY. WE NEVER IMAGINED THE FAMILY DINNER WITHOUT A GOOD PLATE OF THE HEARTY BROTH- THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA LOVES THE FRENCH STYLE OF COOKING, ESPECIALLY AROUND LOS ANGELES. OUR GERMAN, NORWEGIAN AND LUTHERAN GRANDPARENTS PREFERRED TO HAVE THE BROTH MORE SPICY AND NEVER IMAGINED THE GOOD BROTH WITHOUT THE GRAINS OF PEPPER AND THE BAY LEAVES.
THIS IS TRADITIONAL RECIPE OF THE GRAND AMERICAN CUISINE.-HISTORICAL RECIPE WHICH DATES 1800DS. THE NORWEGIAN MUTTON AND CABBAGE STEW WAS CONSIDERED AS THE SAFE AND SCROMPTUOUS ALL YEAR ROUND DISH, SUITABLE AND ALLOWED FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN AND TODDLERS, IF THE HEAVY SPICE WAS AVOIDED.