No. 23 — Turkey Broth
An English translation of original recipe No. 23 from Elena Molokhovets’ Russian cookbook (1901), with historical quantities and Russian source.
Take a cleaned, drawn and washed turkey weighing 3 Russian pounds. Remove the wings and legs, cut them through the joints and fry in a small pan in ⅛ Russian pound of butter.
Make stock from the rest with white soup roots and a bunch of greens, adding the fried wings and legs after draining off the butter. Once the breast fillets are properly cooked—taking care not to overcook them—remove and keep warm over steam, with a pot set into a second pot of boiling water. Serve these fillets separately as a second course with rice and sauce.
Continue simmering the bones. An hour and a half before serving, clarify with a mixture of 1 Russian pound of lean beef, 2–3 egg whites and 1½ glasses of water; cook for 1½ hours and strain as in No. 3.
To provide
1 turkey weighing 3 Russian pounds; ⅛ Russian pound of butter ¾ Russian pound of white roots; a bunch of greens | 1 Russian pound of lean beef and 2–3 egg whites for clarification The ingredient box repeats ⅛ Russian pound of butter; fresh dill |
To serve
(a) Clear with little pies, starting with No. 322. (b) With separately cooked rice, No. 240. (c) With turkey quenelles, Nos. 227–228. (d) With rice, crayfish tails, dill and parsley.
Large turkey
If the turkey is very large, the author suggests making this broth from its giblets alone and roasting the bird itself.