The soup was a rather pale bouillon; for, even on an occasion like this, the cook had been enjoined to make a great deal of bouillon out of the beef supplied. Then, as the said beef was to feed the family on the next day and the day after that, the less juice it expended in the bouillon, the more substantial were the subsequent dinners. The beef, little cooked, was always taken away at the following speech from Brigitte, uttered as soon as Thuillier put his knife into it: "I think it is rather tough; send it away, Thuillier, nobody will eat it; we have other things."

The soup was, in fact, flanked by four viands mounted on old hot-water chafing-dishes, with the plating worn off. At this particular dinner (afterwards called that of the candidacy) the first course consisted of a pair of ducks with olives, opposite to which was a large pie with forcemeat balls, while a dish of eels "a la tartare" corresponded in like manner with a fricandeau on chicory. The second course had for its central dish a most dignified goose stuffed with chestnuts, a salad of vegetables garnished with rounds of beetroot opposite to custards in cups, while lower down a dish of turnips "au sucre" faced a timbale of macaroni. This gala dinner of the concierge type cost, at the utmost, twenty francs, and the remains of the feast provided the household for a couple of days; nevertheless, Brigitte would say: "Pest! when one has to have company how the money goes! It is fearful!"

The table was lighted by two hideous candlesticks of plated silver with four branches each, in which shone eight of those thrifty wax-candles that go by the name of Aurora. The linen was dazzling in whiteness, and the silver, with beaded edges, was the fruit, evidently, of some purchase made during the Revolution by Thuillier's father. Thus the fare and the service were in keeping with the house, the dining-room, and the Thuilliers themselves, who could never, under any circumstances, get themselves above this style of living. The Minards, Collevilles, and la Peyrade exchanged now and then a smile which betrayed their mutually satirical but repressed thoughts.

Honoré de Balzac, "The Lesser Bourgeoisie"

Total Time:  2 hours
Prep:           15 min (+ overnight)
Cook:          2 hours
Yield:          6 servings
Level:          Easy

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound  beetroots (4-5 beetroots), peeled, rinsed and slightly sliced
  • 6 cups (1 1/2 liter)  cold water
  • 1 medium peeled onion
  • 1-2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1 cup strained liquid from soaking a dried mushroom
  • 1-2 medium size potatoes
  • 1 tbs all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 8 pepper grains
  • 8 fruits of allspice
  • Salt 
  • Juice from 1 small lemon
Directions:

Day before:
  1. Rinse well mushrooms.
  2. In a medium size bowl cover mushroom with boiled water. Cover the bowl and let it for a night. 

Next day:
  1. Rinse, peel and slightly slice beetroots.
  2. Peel and cut the onion into into two equal parts. 
  3. In a medium stockpot place sliced beetroot onion, bay leaves, pepper grains and allspice. 
  4. Add 6 cups cold water. 
  5. Bring to boil
  6. Reduce heat and simmer until beetroots are tender. 
  7. Add mushrooms and mushroom soaking liquid. 
  8. Bring to boil. 
  9. Reduce heat and simmer. 
  10. Rinse, peel potatoes. 
  11. Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
  12. Add potatoes to the soup and simmer until they are cooked. 
  13. Add salt and lemon juice. 
  14. To prepare the roux, heat a skillet. 
  15. Pour flour into heated skillet. 
  16. Stir flour constantly until it will reach light brown color. The aroma of cooked flour will be significant and pretty sharp. If necessary reduce heat. 
  17. Add oil into flour. 
  18. Using a whisk stir the mixture constantly to break up any lumps in the flour. 
  19. Pour 1 cup of the soup into mixture flour. Once again using a whisk stir the mixture constantly to break up any lumps in the flour.
  20. Pour the mixture into the soup and stir the soup. 
  21. Add salt to taste.
  22. Bring the soup to boil. 

Tips:
If necessary, use a mesh strainer to avoid any lumps in the soup. You can cut some large pieces of mushrooms.