Potage de Nombre 4
This is named after the fort at #4 where I first served it to la troupe de Vigilant. This is the crew of the French ship "Vigilant", the F&I equivalent of Herrick's Regiment. This is an adaptation of the recipe for "Gascony Bisque" found in From The Hearth . The croutons were the happy result of a mistake. I was doing several things at once, including baking Herb Rolls, and lost track of where I was. I put the rolls in the oven after the first rising and didn't realize it in time. I ended up with rolls that were not quite the soft things that I had in mind. After they had cooled, I cut them in pieces and then heated the pieces in a little oil in a spider at the event. The result was excellent croutons. The recipe below is for the more usual method of preparing croutons.
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces.
- 6 chicken thighs, boned and cut into 1" pieces. (turkey, goose or duck may be used).
- 1 LB. lean beef, cut in 1/2" cubes.
- 1 1/2 LB. ham, cut into 1/2" cubes.
- 1 med.. cabbage, cut into 8-10 pieces.
- 6 carrots, cut into 1/2" slices.
- 1 med. turnip, cut into pieces similar to the carrots.
- 2 - 3 qt. beef stock.
For the Mignonette (a sachet of flavorings):
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.
- 2 whole cloves.
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger.
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
- 1/8 teaspoon coriander.
For the Croutons:
- Your favorite bread recipe to which is added (per loaf):
- 4 cloves garlic, minced very fine.
- 1/4 cup onion, minced very fine.
- 1 teaspoon basil.
- 1 Tablespoon parsley.
These can be placed in a small cloth bag which is retrieved before serving, washed, and reused.
Bake the bread ahead of time, slice, and let dry out somewhat.
Fry up the bacon in a heavy pot and then sear the meats in the bacon fat. Add the beef stock and let simmer for 1 hour. Add the mignonette and vegetables, simmer until vegetables are serving tender.
The bread (doesn't have to be completely dry) is cut into cubes and heated in a skillet with a little oil in it.
To serve: place several croutons in each person's bowl and ladle the potage over it.
This can be altered to make a thinner soup or even a stew consistency. Simply alter the amount of stock.