№ 31Kresu zupa

Cress soup Serves 4 · 45 minutes · Adapted from the 1796 recipe; not yet tested.

The book gives no quantities; the amounts below are ours.

Ingredients

• 200 g garden cress or watercress (see Notes)
• 1 l water
• 25 g butter
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 egg yolks

Method

1. Pick over the cress, throwing out any yellow leaves and tough stalks, and wash it well. Chop it roughly. 2. Bring the water to the boil with the butter and salt. Add the cress and simmer for 30 minutes. 3. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in a ladle of the hot soup, then pour it all back into the pan, stirring. 4. Stir over low heat for a minute or two until the soup thickens very slightly. Don't let it boil, or the yolks will scramble. Taste for salt and serve.

Notes

• What the book says vs. what we added: the book has you pick over, wash and chop the cress, boil it in water with a little butter and salt for half an hour, then thicken it with egg yolk. The amounts and warming the yolks first (step 3) are ours.
• Which cress: German Kresse usually means garden cress, which is sold in small punnets (you'll need several) and is easy to grow. Watercress is easier to buy in quantity and tastes similar. The book doesn't say which.
• Cooking time: half an hour gives a mild, olive-green soup. For a brighter, more peppery one, simmer for 5–10 minutes only; that's our variation, not the book's.
• Body: this is a plain, thin soup. A light stock instead of water makes it fuller (our suggestion), and bread on the side makes it a meal.