No. 27 — English-Style Red Broth with Calf's Head
An English translation of original recipe No. 27 from Elena Molokhovets’ Russian cookbook (1901), with historical quantities and Russian source.
Make red broth No. 4 from assorted meat and roots, skim off the fat and strain. Clarify with egg whites, roe or minced meat, then strain through a napkin as described in the general soup notes and No. 3.
Separately boil the calf's head in water with ½ glass of vinegar, roots and spices. Once done, remove the meat from the bones, place it on a dish, cover with another dish and weight it down. Cool, cut into neat slices and arrange in the soup tureen.
Pour over boiling broth, adding shaped roots cooked separately, sliced cooked meat quenelles and dill. On serving, pour in ½–1 glass of French wine.
The stock left from cooking the calf's head may be used to make lanspik (setting stock) or mousse for aspic or cold mayonnaise-style dishes.
To provide
2 Russian pounds of beef; 1 Russian pound of veal shank; ¾ pound of basic soup roots; 1–2 onions 1 calf's head; 2 carrots; a bunch of greens; 1–2 bay leaves; 5–10 allspice berries ½ glass vinegar | For shaped roots: 1 leek, ½ parsley root and ½ celery root For quenelles: the source's list gives ½–1 of French wine here, apparently in the wrong column; greenery Ingredients for a meat clarification mixture |