Soup à la Solferino is a traditional British recipe, based on an Italian original, derived from Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of fried dough balls made from eggs, cream, butter and flour served in hot meat stock. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Soup à la Solferino.
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This is a traditional Italian recipe (from the island of Sardinia) redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
154. INGREDIENTS.—4 eggs, 1/2 pint of cream, 2 oz. of fresh butter, salt and pepper to taste, a little flour to thicken, 2 quarts of bouillon, No. 105.
Mode.—Beat the eggs, put them into a stewpan, and add the cream, butter, and seasoning; stir in as much flour as will bring it to the consistency of dough; make it into balls, either round or egg-shaped, and fry them in butter; put them in the tureen, and pour the boiling bouillon over them.
Time.—1 hour. Average cost, 1s. 3d. per quart.
Seasonable all the year.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Note.—This recipe was communicated to the Editress by an English gentleman, who was present at the battle of Solferino, on June 24, 1859, and who was requested by some of Victor Emmanuel's troops, on the day before the battle, to partake of a portion of their potage. He willingly enough consented, and found that these clever campaigners had made a most palatable dish from very easily-procured materials. In sending the recipe for insertion in this work, he has, however, Anglicised, and somewhat, he thinks, improved it.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 eggs
300ml cream
60ml butter
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
250g plain flour (about)
2l medium stock
Method:
Beat the eggs together, add to a bowl then whisk in the cream and butter. Season to taste then stir in enough of the flour to form a fairly stiff dough. Take pieces of this dough and form into round or egg-shaped balls.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and use to fry the dough balls. Transfer to a tureen with a slotted spoon. In the meantime, bring the stock to a boil then pour over the dough in the tureen and serve.
