No. 85 — Black Grouse Purée Soup

Proportions for twelve people. Prepare and strain white stock from four to six Russian pounds of beef.

Cook separately fifteen champignons, half a Russian pound of sweetbreads and twelve combs; cut them into pieces. Roast one black grouse with butter, remove its meat and return the bones to the stock. Finely chop and pound the meat with the crumb of one Russian pound of bread softened in a glass of hot stock and ⅛ pound of butter. Thin with strained broth and rub through a fine sieve.

For quenelles use a second raw black grouse. Remove the meat, roast its bones (except the backs) and add those bones to the stock. Chop and pound the meat with the crumb of half a French roll, two eggs, ⅛ pound of butter, salt, a little nutmeg and two or three spoonfuls of thick cream.

Moisten two teaspoons in cold water. Take a small portion of the forcemeat on one spoon, shape it level using the edge of the other, and drop it into salted boiling water or stock. Repeat; when the quenelles float and are ready, lift them with a perforated spoon into the tureen.

Immediately before serving combine champignons, combs and sweetbreads with the sieved meat purée and dilute with the entire stock. Heat while stirring until very hot but do not boil. Pour carefully over the quenelles without crushing them. Optionally add a glass of Málaga and some spinach leaves first scalded with boiling water.

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