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chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the last cup of cream. Pour into bowls and season with finely chopped chives.
Times Gone By
    While only two soups were served per meal at a fancy dinner party by the 1900s, in 1789 Princess Royal Charlotte hosted a ball that featured twenty tureens of different soups as the hot part of the supper. While it is doubtful that anyone had a full bowl of each soup, it would have been considered the height of good manners to try a little of each one.

 

Regal Brown Windsor Soup

    This hearty soup was both nourishing and popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. In fact, Queen Victoria was especially fond of this soup, and it was often served at royal banquets. Mrs. Patmore would offer this soup with crusty bread to both staff and aristocrats alike.
YIELDS 4–6 SERVINGS
    1 ⁄ 4 cup unsalted butter
    2 cups yellow onions, chopped
    1 large leek, chopped
    2 large carrots, chopped
    1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1 ⁄ 2 -inch cubes
    1 tablespoon paprika
    2 teaspoons kosher salt
    2 teaspoons garlic powder
    1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
    1 teaspoon onion powder
    1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1 teaspoon oregano
    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    4 cups good beef stock
    1 bay leaf
    1 teaspoon light brown sugar
    1 tablespoon sweet vermouth
    2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    1 ⁄ 4 cup Madeira wine
    4 rosemary sprigs
Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 3–5 minutes. Add the leek and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the steak, and then add the paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Cook until steak is browned, about 5 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour with 2 tablespoons of the beef stock. Add to the pot and stir well. Add remaining beef stock, bay leaf, brown sugar, sweet vermouth, Italian seasoning, and Madeira wine. Stir well and bring mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer, partially uncovered, until meat is tender, about 1 1 ⁄ 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
Discard bay leaf. Garnish soup with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately.
Etiquette Lessons
    From the very start, it is a steadfast rule of politeness that no single person at a dinner party be shown favoritism. Though Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley often ignore this, there should be no whispering in dark corners and no showing a preference for the company of one particular individual. This is why at dinner a husband and wife are often separated, so they can include and make new friends.

 

Lady Mary’s Spicy Mulligatawny Soup

    Considering that a fair amount of British history deals with its colonization of India, it’s no surprise that mulligatawny soup, with its Indian roots, became a part of the British culinary scene. Mulligatawny, or “Milagu Thanni,” literally means “pepper water,” and is a spicier option for one of the two soups served and enjoyed at a dinner, fancy or not. Considering Lady Mary’s spicy personality, there’s no doubt she’d enjoy this soup while in the midst of a fiery debate with Matthew!
YIELDS 6–8 SERVINGS
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon cumin seeds, minced
    4 whole cloves, finely crushed
    1 tablespoon curry powder
    1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 pinch cayenne pepper
    1 ⁄ 2 cup unsalted butter
    1 (4-pound) roasting chicken, cut into pieces
    1 cup chicken giblets, coarsely chopped
    4 stalks celery, chopped
    2 large onions, chopped
    2 carrots, diced
    1 leek, thinly sliced
    11 cups chicken stock
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    1 cup long-grain rice
    2 cups tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced
    1 cup plain yogurt
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1 cup whipping cream, slightly warmed
    Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
    Lightly toasted sliced almonds to garnish
In a medium-sized bowl, combine garlic and spices.
In a large deep skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add roasting chicken