Ingredients
Broth
- 1 kgbeef tripe, cleaned
- 1veal bone or trotter
- 3 litreswater
- 2carrots
- 1onion
- 1celeriac
- 10black peppercorns
- 2bay leaves
- salt
To finish
- 1whole head of garlic
- 250 mlsour cream
- 2egg yolks
- 100 mlwhite vinegar
To serve
- vinegar and crushed garlic on the table
- hot peppers
Directions
- Buy tripe that has already been cleaned and blanched, which is how it is almost always sold, and rinse it thoroughly in several changes of cold water.
- Boil it for 10 minutes in fresh water, drain, and rinse it again. This first blanch takes off the strong smell that would otherwise run right through the finished soup.
- Cover the tripe and the veal bone with 3 litres of fresh water and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, skimming often, until the tripe is completely tender and yields easily to a fork.
- Add the whole vegetables and the peppercorns for the last hour only.
- Strain the broth and keep it. Discard the vegetables and cut the tripe into fine strips about 5 mm wide.
- Cut it thin. Wide pieces of tripe are unpleasant to eat and this is where most disappointing versions go wrong.
- Crush the entire head of garlic to a paste with salt and a little of the hot broth, then strain that liquid into the soup. A whole head is correct, and it is what people order this soup for.
- Whisk the sour cream with the egg yolks in a bowl, then temper the mixture with several ladles of hot broth, whisking constantly.
- Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot with the heat off, and never let it boil again, or the eggs curdle and the soup separates irreversibly.
- Return the tripe to the pot, season, and add vinegar to taste.
- Serve very hot, with more vinegar, crushed garlic and hot peppers on the table so that everyone can sharpen their own bowl.
Technique
- Never boil it after the egg and cream go in. That is the one irreversible mistake available here.
- It is a Bucharest late-night restorative and is sold in dedicated places that make almost nothing else.
- The garlic quantity is not a misprint. A timid ciorbă de burtă is not worth making.
Substitutions
- Crème fraîche in place of sour cream, which is more stable.
- Lemon juice instead of vinegar, though vinegar is the Romanian choice.
Variations
- With veal trotter meat added to the bowl.
- Made without cream for a lighter, sharper soup.
- Ciorbă de ciocănele, the chicken feet version, made the same way.
History
Tripe soup soured with vinegar and enriched with cream, garlic and hot peppers, a Bucharest late-night restorative.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ciorbă de burtă?
Ciorbă de burtă is a soup & stew from Romania: sour tripe soup with garlic, vinegar, cream. Tripe soup soured with vinegar and enriched with cream, garlic and hot peppers, a Bucharest late-night restorative.
How long does Ciorbă de burtă take to make?
Ciorbă de burtă takes 30 min of preparation and 4 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Ciorbă de burtă?
Yes, within limits. Crème fraîche in place of sour cream, which is more stable. Lemon juice instead of vinegar, though vinegar is the Romanian choice.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ciorbă de burtă?
Boil it for 10 minutes in fresh water, drain, and rinse it again. This first blanch takes off the strong smell that would otherwise run right through the finished soup.
