Altmärkische Hochzeitssuppe

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stockpot, 5 to 6 litres
• •Fine sieve
• •Clean kitchen cloth for straining
• •Two teaspoons for shaping dumplings

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the stock

   Put the bones, beef, roughly chopped carrot, leek, celeriac, onion, bay, peppercorns, juniper, and cold water in a large pot. Start with cold water because the slow climb pulls flavour and soluble protein out gently; drop bones into boiling water and the outside tightens before the broth has taken what it needs.

2. 2

   Skim and simmer

   Bring the pot slowly just to a tremble, skimming the grey foam as it rises. Do not let it boil hard. A hard boil smashes fat and scum into the liquid, and then no sieve in the world gives you a wedding-clear broth. Once clean, keep it barely moving for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is tender.

   Leave the onion skin on if it is clean. It gives the broth a pale gold colour without tasting of onion soup. That is cupboard knowledge, not decoration.
3. 3

   Make the dumpling paste

   While the stock simmers, bring the milk, butter, a good pinch of salt, and nutmeg to a gentle boil. Stir in the semolina and cook, stirring, until it pulls from the pan in a thick mass. Let it cool for 10 minutes before beating in the egg, because egg in a boiling paste cooks into strings instead of binding the dumpling.

4. 4

   Shape and poach

   With wet teaspoons, shape small dumplings no bigger than a walnut. Poach one tester in lightly salted water that trembles but does not boil; if it holds, cook the rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Boiling water batters them apart, and large dumplings turn heavy in the middle before the outside is set.

5. 5

   Strain the broth

   Lift out the beef and keep it covered. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with a clean cloth, then let the fat settle and skim off what floats. Do not press the vegetables through the sieve; pressing clouds the broth, and this soup earns its place by staying clear.

6. 6

   Finish the soup

   Dice the cooked beef neatly and return it to the clear broth with the finely diced carrot. Simmer until the carrot is just tender, then add the peas for the last 2 minutes so they stay green instead of army-grey. Taste now for salt. Würzen, Fett, Salz zum Schluss, because only the finished broth tells you what it needs.

7. 7

   Serve clean

   Divide the semolina dumplings among warm bowls and ladle the clear broth, beef, carrots, and peas over them. Finish with chopped parsley. The bowl should look pale gold, green, orange, and clean, not like a pot that lost its temper. Schön ist, was schmeckt.

Chef Tips

• •Buy bones with joints and a little marrow, not bare white bones. Cartilage gives body to the broth, marrow gives depth, and bare bones give you hot water with a memory.
• •Salt lightly at the beginning or not at all, then correct at the end. Stock reduces as it simmers, and early salt can turn sharp before the broth is done.
• •Cook the dumplings separately. If one breaks, it clouds a pot of water, not the wedding broth. Nicht aus dem Glas, and not ruined by one impatient dumpling.
• •Frozen peas are honest here in winter. The Altmark table knows the larder; use good frozen peas rather than tired fresh ones that taste of nothing.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the stock one day ahead and chill it. The fat lifts off in a firm cap, which gives you a clearer, cleaner broth with less work.
• •The semolina dumplings can be poached up to a day ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and warm them gently in the broth before serving.
• •Do not add peas and parsley until serving day. Their colour is part of the dish, and reheating turns them dull.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 410g)