Begova čorba

Ingredients

Broth

• 1whole chicken, about 1.5 kg, or 1.2 kg chicken pieces on the bone
• 2.5 litreswater
• 1onion, halved
• 1carrot
• 1parsnip or parsley root
• 1bay leaf
• 6peppercorns
• 2 tspsalt

The soup

• 300 gokra, small pods, or 200 g dried okra
• 2carrots, finely diced
• 1parsnip, finely diced
• 1celeriac wedge, diced
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 40 gbutter
• 40 gplain flour

To finish

• 200 mlsour cream
• 2egg yolks
• juice of ½ lemon
• chopped parsley
• white pepper

Directions

1. Simmer the chicken with the aromatics for 1 hour, skimming carefully in the first ten minutes. Strain the broth, cool the chicken, and pull the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bone.
2. If using fresh okra, trim the stem cones without cutting into the pods and leave them whole. Dried okra should be soaked in warm water 20 minutes then drained. Whole and unbroken is what keeps the soup from going ropey.
3. Melt the butter in a large pot, stir in the flour and cook the roux 3 minutes over medium-low heat until it smells biscuity but stays blond. This is a white soup and a browned roux would change its character entirely.
4. Whisk in the hot strained broth a ladle at a time until smooth, then add the diced vegetables and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add the okra and the chicken and simmer very gently for 15 minutes more, shaking the pot rather than stirring so the pods stay intact.
6. Whisk the sour cream and egg yolks together in a bowl. Temper by whisking in several ladles of the hot soup one at a time before returning the mixture to the pot — added straight, the yolks scramble.
7. Warm through over the lowest heat without boiling, then take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
8. Serve with parsley and white pepper. Named for a bey and traditionally the richest soup on a Bosnian table.

Technique

• Never boil after the sour cream and yolks go in. It splits and cannot be brought back.
• Keep the roux pale. Begova čorba should be ivory, not beige.
• Whole okra, shaken not stirred, is the whole technique for keeping it silky rather than slimy.

Substitutions

• Veal instead of chicken, which some households prefer.
• Frozen whole baby okra straight from the freezer works well.

Variations

• A version thickened with a little rice instead of a roux.
• Made without okra where it is unavailable, though it is then simply a chicken velouté.

History

The bey’s soup, of chicken, okra and cream, an Ottoman-era dish of Bosnia’s Muslim gentry, often served at Ramadan iftar.

Frequently asked questions

What is Begova čorba?

Begova čorba is a soup & stew from Bosnia and Herzegovina: creamy chicken and okra ‘bey’s soup’. The bey’s soup, of chicken, okra and cream, an Ottoman-era dish of Bosnia’s Muslim gentry, often served at Ramadan iftar.

How long does Begova čorba take to make?

Begova čorba takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Begova čorba?

Yes, within limits. Veal instead of chicken, which some households prefer. Frozen whole baby okra straight from the freezer works well.

What is the most important thing to get right in Begova čorba?

Add the okra and the chicken and simmer very gently for 15 minutes more, shaking the pot rather than stirring so the pods stay intact.