No. 94 — Pearl Barley Purée (Shlem)
English translation of original recipe No. 94 from Elena Molokhovets’ 1901 cookbook, with the historical preparation and exact source references.
Take half a Russian pound, about one glass, of the best pearl barley. Wash, put into a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover, with half a spoonful of butter. Cover, bring to the boil over high heat, add salt, then reduce the heat and cook as soft as possible while stirring with a spatula so that it does not burn.
Rub through a sieve while hot. Dilute the purée little by little with hot strained stock, mixing thoroughly to prevent lumps. Bring to a good boil and strain through a napkin.
Make a liaison from two egg yolks beaten with half a glass of thick cream. Stir in a glass of boiling broth little by little, mix with the remaining strained stock and optionally add another half spoonful of butter. Heat with upward spoon movements until very hot without boiling.
Serve immediately, putting a small quantity of cooked whole pearl barley into the tureen so guests can recognize the grain from which the purée was made.