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Clear Turtle Soup (potage à la tortue clair)

Clear turtle soup from calf's head and veal shank: the head is soaked for 24 hours, parboiled, cooked 3–4 hours with root vegetables and spices, the stock defatted and clarified with beef and egg white, seasoned with Madeira and lemon and served with head meat in strips plus meat, fish and egg dumplings.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 56 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

A classic festive soup from Erken's soup chapter. "Turtle soup" was made in Norwegian bourgeois kitchens from calf's head, which with long cooking and spices gave a jelly-like stock that recalled real turtle soup. Erken presents both a clear and a thickened version, as well as "mock" and "real".

How to make it

  1. 1

    Soaking

    Place the calf's head in salted water for 24 hours. Change the water a few times.

  2. 2

    Cut up the head

    Cut the meat off the head as completely as possible. Set the brain and tongue aside for other use. Crack the bones into suitable pieces.

  3. 3

    Parboiling

    Put the meat and bones in cold, lightly salted water so it just covers. Bring to a boil, skim well and pour off the water. Wash the meat and bones in cold water.

  4. 4

    Cook the stock

    Return the meat and bones to the pot together with the veal shank and the raw ham. Pour over 4 liters of water. Bring to a boil and skim well.

  5. 5

    Vegetables and spices

    Add the cleaned carrots, leek, celery, onion, cloves and bouquet garni. Let the soup simmer covered for 3–4 hours, depending on the size of the head. Skim along the way.

  6. 6

    Strain and press

    Strain the stock through a cloth. Set the head meat aside under light pressure so it becomes firm and easy to slice.

  7. 7

    Defatting and clarifying

    Cool the stock and skim off all the fat. Stir the coarsely scraped beef together with egg white and crushed eggshell, thin with a little cold stock and stir it into the cold stock. Warm slowly while stirring until it almost boils, let it stand and steep without stirring, and carefully strain off the clear soup.

  8. 8

    Assembly

    Bring the clear soup to a boil, add Madeira, lemon juice and salt to taste. Cut the head meat into small squares or fine strips and put it in the soup together with meatballs, fish dumplings and egg dumplings.

  9. 9

    Serving

    Serve the soup piping hot. Milk punch may be served alongside the soup.

Changes from the original

Measurements are modernized (liters/deciliters, grams, tablespoon/teaspoon), "wine glass" reckoned as about 1 dl. Leek, celery and soup herbs are specified as modern vegetables/bouquet garni. Soaking and clarifying are described step by step; the reference to page 32 has been replaced with the clarifying method itself.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 56) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 67)~53% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
½ gjødkalvhode gjødkalvhode, 2 gulerotter gulerøtter, 200 gr. raa skinke rå skinke, 2 kg. kalveskank kalveskank, 1 purre purre, 1 selleri selleri, 1 løk løk, 2 nelliker nelliker, 1 suppevisk 2 vinglas madeira suppevisk, ½ del. vin, 1 teske teskje frisk citronsaft sitronsaft, 4 l. vand 250 gr. magert oksekjøt eggehvite vann, små kjøttboller, små fiskeboller, eggboller, eggekvite og skal skall av 2 egg smaa kjøtboller smaa fiskeboller eggeboller egg, 250 gr. magert oksekjøtt. Kalvehodet utvandes utvannes i 24 timer i salt og vand. vann. Hodekjøttet skjæres fra saa så helt som mulig (hjerne og tunge lægges legges tilside til andet annet bruk), benene knækkes op. knekkes. Alt sættes settes over ilden varmen i koldt, saltet vand, saa vann, så meget vand vann at det netop staar nettop står over. Kokes op, skummes, siles. Kjøt Kjøtt og ben vaskes igjen over i koldt vand vann og haves has straks tilbake i gryten tillikemed kalveskanken, paaheldes påhelles de 4 l. vand; naar vann; når dette koker og er skummet, haves has de rensede røtter og krydderierne i; skum og kok sagte sakte under lok lokk i 3—4 timer, eftersom hodet er stort til. Siles op gjennem serviet; sileklædet; hodekjøttet lægges tilside legges til side med let pres paa. Naar lett press på. Når kraften er kold, skummes alt fett fra, og kraften klares med det grovskrapede oksekjøt, grovskrapte oksekjøtt, eggehviter og eggeskal, se side 32. eggeskall. Den klarede, silede klaret, silte suppe haves has tilbake i gryten, gives gis et opkok, tilsættes tilsettes vin, citronsaft, sitronsaft, hodekjøttet, opskaaret opskåret i smaa små firkanter eller fine strimler, kjøt- kjøtt- og fiskeboller, samt eggeboller. — eggboller. Til suppen kan serveres melkepunsch. melkepunsj.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does the dish take in total?
Allow around 30 hours in all. The calf's head must be soaked in salt water for 24 hours before it is cooked, and then comes cooking, straining and clarifying.
What are the brain and tongue used for?
They are set aside for other use. For the soup, the head meat is used, cut off as completely as possible, along with the cracked bones and the veal shank.
How is the soup clarified?
With 250 g lean beef plus the egg whites and shells of 2 eggs. The soup is first boiled up with the head and bones, skimmed and strained, before the meat and bones are washed over in cold water and set back with 4 liters of water.
What is served in the soup, and how is it seasoned?
Small meatballs, fish dumplings and egg dumplings. Seasoned with 2 wine glasses of Madeira and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. The recipe serves 10 (Stor kokebok 1914, p. 56).

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