№ 33Viena stipra zupa priekš slimiem

Strong chicken and almond broth for invalids Serves 4 (as cups of broth) · 2 hours · Adapted from the 1796 recipe; not yet tested.

The book gives 1 old hen, 1 stops of strong broth and ¼ mārciņa of almonds, which converts to 1, 1.25 l and about 105 g.

Ingredients

• 1 boiling fowl or chicken, about 1.5 kg (see Notes)
• 1.25 l strong chicken or beef broth
• 100 g blanched almonds, or ground almonds
• Optional: a strip of lemon peel, a small piece of cinnamon stick and a little lemon juice
• Boiling water, for topping up (our addition)
• Salt, to taste (our addition)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Roast the bird for 30–40 minutes, until browned outside but still only half cooked. 2. Let it cool a little, then cut it into small pieces with a heavy knife or cleaver, chopping through the bones. Put it all into a large pan with the skin and any juices from the tin. 3. Grind the almonds finely in a food processor and add them to the pan with the broth. 4. Bring to the boil and keep it at a lively boil, partly covered, for 1 hour. If the liquid sinks below the chicken, top it up with a little boiling water. If using lemon peel and cinnamon, add them for the last 15 minutes. 5. Strain through a sieve lined with muslin, pressing on the solids. Season with salt and, if you like, a little lemon juice. Serve hot, in cups.

Notes

• What the book says vs. what we added: the book has you roast an old hen until half done, pound it into small pieces, add the strong broth and pounded almonds, boil it all hard and pour it through a cloth. Lemon peel, cinnamon and lemon juice are optional. The oven temperature, the times, the topping-up water and the salt are ours.
• The hen: an old hen (boiling fowl) has the most flavour and is what the book means. A young chicken works but gives a milder broth. The book pounds the half-roasted bird in a mortar, bones and all; chopping through the bones does the same job.
• Food safety: the chicken is only half cooked when it goes into the pot, so give it the full hour's boiling before straining.
• Almonds make the broth milky and richer, an old idea in food for the sick (compare medieval almond milk).
• Yield: the book uses little liquid for a whole bird, so this is a concentrated broth; expect about 1 l. The meat is strained out with everything else; it's mostly spent, but can be picked off for another dish.