No. 28 — Pigeon Soup with Fresh Shelled Peas
An English translation of original recipe No. 28 from Elena Molokhovets’ Russian cookbook (1901), with historical quantities and Russian source.
Bring the beef and water to the boil three times, removing scum. Add two cleaned pigeons, basic soup roots, a bunch of parsley, celery and leek greens, and a little marjoram. Salt, simmer and strain.
Shell fresh peas, put them into salted boiling water and bring once to the boil. Drain, rinse with cold water and then cook in strained broth until tender without letting the peas collapse.
Put thin fried croutons of white bread, the peas and cut-up pigeons into a soup tureen. Add ⅛ of a nutmeg, or mace, or marjoram, or dill. Pour over the boiling stock and serve.
To provide
1½–2 Russian pounds of beef; 2 pigeons ¾ Russian pound of basic soup roots; a bunch of herbs | 1 Polish-style bread roll and a spoonful of melted butter Optional marjoram, dill, nutmeg or mace |