Alexis Soyer's Famine Soup

• 12-1⁄2 lbs leg of beef
• 100 gallons of water
• 6-1/4 lbs drippings
• 100 onions and other vegetables
• 25 lbs each of flour (seconds) and pearl barley
• 1-1/2 lbs brown sugar
• 9 lbs salt

• Beef leg Bones 1000g
• Water 2 litres or Beef stock
• Butter 100g
• Onions 1 peeled and chopped
• Other vegetables available – turnips, celery / leeks chopped 200g
• Flour 100g
• Barley 200g
• Brown sugar 50g Salt to season

• 1. Melt the butter in heavy based pan (famine pot).
• 2. Sweat onions and other vegetables, add sugar and flour, and cook until coloured.
• 3. Add pearl barley and stock.
• 4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, adjust the seasoning.
• 5. Serve from pot with oat cakes.