№ 49[Auksta zupa 2: rupja maize ar krējumu un alu]

Chilled rye bread soup with cream and ale Serves 4 · 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes soaking · Adapted from the 1796 recipe; not yet tested.

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

Ingredients

• 150 g stale dark rye bread
• 400 ml single cream, chilled
• 600 ml malty ale or dark lager, chilled
• To serve: 3 tbsp sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Grate the bread finely, or pulse it in a food processor to fine crumbs. Put it in a serving bowl. 2. Pour the cream over, then stir in the ale a little at a time. 3. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes so the bread softens. 4. Just before serving, sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Notes

• What the book says vs. what we added: the book grates coarse rye bread finely, pours sweet cream and good ale over it and finishes with "a lot of" sugar and cinnamon on top. The amounts, the chilling and the 30-minute rest are ours. All the sugar goes on top; stir it in as you eat.
• Same soup, richer: this is the bread soup of 01-048 with sweet cream instead of wine, and without the currants, lemon and rusks.
• Cream and ale: beer is slightly acidic, so the cream may thicken a little where it meets it; adding the ale gradually helps keep it smooth. For the ale, see 01-048: malty rather than hoppy. Alcohol-free beer works if you want the soup without alcohol.