No. 79 — Creamed Chicken Purée Soup
English translation of original recipe No. 79 from Elena Molokhovets’ 1901 cookbook, with the historical preparation and exact source references.
Bring stock from 1¼ Russian pounds of beef from the shank and one-fifth of a pound of veal shank to the boil three times, removing the scum. Add a cleaned chicken weighing three pounds, a bunch of parsley, celery and leek greens and two level teaspoons of salt.
When the chicken is completely tender, remove it and separate the flesh from the skin and bones. Return the skin and bones to the broth. Chop the flesh finely and pound it with a piece of butter, then rub it through a sieve.
Mix the chicken purée with separately cooked pearl barley that has also been rubbed through a sieve. Add two egg yolks beaten with a quarter to half a glass of thick cream. Mix and thin with strained broth; heat until very hot, stirring constantly. If service is delayed, keep over a bain-marie, still stirring.
If desired, put another piece of butter into the soup immediately before serving. Serve with small pies.
To provide
1¼ Russian pounds of beef; 1–2 chickens, each weighing about 3 pounds A bunch of greens; ¼ Russian pound of butter | 1–2 egg yolks and ¼ glass of thick cream ½ glass of pearl barley; salt |