No. 101 — Bread Purée Soup with Wine
English translation of original recipe No. 101 from Elena Molokhovets’ 1901 cookbook, with the historical preparation and exact source references.
Finely crumble three-quarters of a Russian pound of stale rye-bread crumb and stew under a lid with a spoonful of butter. Thin with stock made from three Russian pounds of beef and rub through a sieve.
Shortly before serving, add a glass of Madeira or sherry. To make the soup dark, caramelize two lumps of sugar in a small pan, dilute with broth and add before the wine. A yolk-and-cream liaison may be added if desired. Heat the soup, stirring until very hot, and serve.
To provide
3 Russian pounds of beef; ⅛ Russian pound of butter ¾ Russian pound of rye bread; 1 glass of Madeira or sherry | 2 sugar lumps; optional 2 egg yolks and ½ glass of cream |