Calf's Tails Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of calf's tails in a white stock flavoured with vegetables and spices that's finished with forcemeat quenelles and an egg yolk liaison. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Calf's Tails Soup.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Calf's Tails Soup that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 146.—CALF'S TAILS SOUP.
Cut up two calves' tails into pieces about an inch and a half long; place these in a stewpan with a carrot, an onions stuck with four cloves, celery, a bunch of parsley, half a bay-leaf and thyme, a small bit of mace and four shalots; fill up with two quarts of stock; and boil very gently by the side of the fire for about an hour and a half, when the pieces of tail will be done. They must then be strained from the stock, washed in cold water, drained, and set aside; while their stock must be placed in a stewpan with six ounces of white thickening, No. 10, stirred over the fire, until it boils, allowed to throw up slowly by the side of the stove, to remove all grease, &c.; skimmed and strained into a soup-pot containing the pieces of calf's tails and a few small forcemeat quenelles. Five minutes before dinner-time, having first made the soup hot, stir gently into it a leason of four yolks of eggs, a gill of cream, a glass of sherry, a very little nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and an ounce of grated Parmesan cheese; and when the soup has been stirred over the fire for three minutes longer, serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 calves' tails, cut into 3cm long pieces
1 carrot, scraped
1 onion, peeled
4 cloves
4 celery sticks
1 bunch of parsley
1/2 bayleaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 blade of mace
4 shallots
2l stock
180g Francatelli White Thickening for Sauces
12 forcemeat quenelles
4 egg yolks
140ml cream
60ml sherry
pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
salt and freshly-grated black pepper
30g freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
Place the calf tail pieces in a large pan with the carrot, onion (stick the cloves in this), celery, parsley, bayleaf, thyme, mace and shallots. Add 2l stock then bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a brisk simmer and cook for about 90 minutes, or until the tail pieces are tender.
Strain the tail pieces from the stock, wash in cold water and set aside to drain. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean pan then whisk in the white thickening. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, reduce to a simmer then allow to cook gently until all the grease has come to the surface. Skim this off then strain the soup into a clean pan containing the calf tail pieces and the forcemeat quenelles.
Allow the soup to heat through. About five minutes before serving whisk together the egg yolks, cream and sherry to a bowl and whisk to combine. Take the soup off the heat and add two ladles of the hot soup to this mixture to temper then pour the egg yolk mix back into the soup. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and black pepper then stir in the grated Parmesan.
Return the soup to the heat and heat gently to thicken and heat through (but ensure it does not boil). Serve immediately.
