Ingredients
Broth
- 1.2 kgmutton or lamb on the bone, shoulder or neck
- 3 litreswater
- 1 tbspsalt
- 1 tspwhite peppercorns
Meatballs
- 500 gminced mutton or lamb
- 1 tbsppotato flour
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspwhite pepper
- ½ tspground ginger
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 150 mlmilk
Vegetables
- 6carrots, in chunks
- 1swede, optional
- boiled potatoes, served separately
To serve
- flatbread, flatbrød
- boiled potatoes
- sour cream, optional
To drink
- beer or milk
Directions
- Put the mutton in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Start it in cold water, which draws the flavour out into the broth. Bring it slowly to a boil and skim the grey scum off as it rises. Skim relentlessly for the first twenty minutes, while the scum is still a coherent raft.
- Add the salt and the white peppercorns. Never boil it. Simmer for about 2 hours until the meat is completely tender. Lift the meat out, strain the broth carefully through muslin, and skim the fat. Cut the meat off the bone into neat pieces and set it aside.
- Work the minced mutton with the salt first, before anything else goes in. Working the mince with salt alone draws out its proteins and makes it sticky, which is what lets it take up the milk and hold together.
- Beat it hard with a wooden spoon or in a mixer for several minutes. Add the milk gradually. The finished mixture should be smooth, pale and glossy, and it should hold on a spoon. Keep them small, about the size of a walnut, since sodd meatballs are delicate rather than substantial.
- Poach the meatballs in a separate pan of lightly salted water at a bare simmer for about 10 minutes. Cooked directly in the clear broth they release protein and cloud it, undoing two hours of careful skimming.
- Lift them out and add them to the strained broth. Boil the carrots and swede separately as well, until just tender. Cook them until tender but not collapsing. Now assemble: put pieces of meat, a few meatballs and some carrot into each bowl, and ladle the hot clear broth over.
- Serve boiled potatoes on the side rather than in the bowl. The potatoes are always separate and are added by each person, which keeps their starch out of the broth. Serve flatbrød alongside, which is the traditional partner. The broth should be clear, golden and taste strongly of mutton, and it should be seasoned simply with salt and white pepper.
Technique
- Inderøysodd is the best known regional version.
- It is served at Stiklestad during the Olsok festival each July.
- Tinned sodd is widely sold and eaten without embarrassment.
Substitutions
- Lamb in place of mutton, which is milder.
- Cornflour in place of potato flour in the meatballs.
Variations
- With swede as well as carrot.
- Made with beef, which some households prefer.
- With a spoonful of sour cream in the bowl.
History
The traditional wedding and confirmation soup of Trøndelag, cooked in large pots for village gatherings and still served at Stiklestad.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sodd?
Sodd is a soup & stew from Norway: clear mutton broth with meatballs, carrot and potato, served at celebrations. The traditional wedding and confirmation soup of Trøndelag, cooked in large pots for village gatherings and still served at Stiklestad.
How long does Sodd take to make?
Sodd takes 40 min of preparation and 2 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Sodd?
Yes, within limits. Lamb in place of mutton, which is milder. Cornflour in place of potato flour in the meatballs.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sodd?
Add the salt and the white peppercorns. Never boil it. Simmer for about 2 hours until the meat is completely tender. Lift the meat out, strain the broth carefully through muslin, and skim the fat. Cut the meat off the bone into neat pieces and set it aside.
