No. 68 — Holstein-Style Crayfish Soup
English translation of the original Russian recipe No. 68 in Molokhovets’ 1901 cookbook, with historical quantities and source references.
Prepare a mild white broth with or without roots. Wash ¼ glass of pearl barley, fry lightly in ½ spoonful of butter and moisten with some strained stock. Add morels previously scalded with boiling water and cook.
Boil asparagus and cauliflower, separated into pieces, in salted water. Fill cooked crayfish shells with breadcrumb or bread-roll stuffing as in No. 63, placing one whole crayfish tail in each shell.
Put the stuffed shells into strained broth and cook. Add the broth containing pearl barley, then asparagus and cauliflower, bring to the boil once and stir in a liaison of egg yolks and cream. Heat until very hot and serve.
To provide
1½ Russian pounds of beef; ½ pound of veal shank; optional roots ¼ glass of pearl barley; ½ spoonful of butter ½ Russian pound of asparagus; 1 small cauliflower; 15 crayfish; several morels | 3 spoonfuls of breadcrumbs; fresh dill and parsley 1–2 eggs; another ½ spoonful of butter; nutmeg ½ glass of milk or cream; 2 egg yolks; ¼ glass of cream |