Regency Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of game bird carcasses, vegetables and pearl barley cooked in beef stock and thickened with a blend of hard-boiled eggs and cream. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Regency Soup.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
182. Ingredients.—Any bones and remains of any cold game, such as of pheasants, partridges, &c.; 2 carrots, 2 small onions, 1 head of celery, 1 turnip, 1/4 lb. of pearl barley, the yolks of 3 eggs boiled hard, 1/4 pint of cream, salt to taste, 2 quarts of stock No. 105, or common stock, No. 106.
Mode.—Place the bones or remains of game in the stewpan, with the vegetables sliced; pour over the stock, and simmer for 2 hours; skim off all the fat, and strain it. Wash the barley, and boil it in 2 or 3 waters before putting it to the soup; finish simmering in the soup, and when the barley is done, take out half, and pound the other half with the yolks of the eggs. When you have finished pounding, rub it through a clean tammy, add the cream, and salt if necessary; give one boil, and serve very hot, putting in the barley that was taken out first.
Time.—2-1/2 hours. Average cost, 1s. per quart, if made with medium stock, or 6d. per quart, with common stock.
Seasonable from September to March.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
Bones and carcass remnants from at least 2 game birds (pheasants, partridges etc)
2 carrots, scraped and sliced
2 small onions, peeled and sliced
1 head of celery, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and sliced
115g pearl barley, washed and drained
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
150ml cream
salt, to taste
2l medium stock
Method:
Place the carcasses in a large stockpot along with the vegetables. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 hours. Take off the heat and skim off any fat from the surface then pass the soup through a fine-meshed sieve. Return the liquid to a stockpot and set aside.
In the meantime, boil the barley in two changes of water (bring to a boil, drain, cover with more water and bring to a boil again) then add to the soup stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for abut 30 minutes, or until the barley is tender.
When the barley is tender remove half with a slotted spoon, transfer to a mortar and pound to a paste with the egg yolks. Rub the paste through a fine-meshed sieve then whisk to combine with the cream.
Add this to the soup, season to taste, then bring to a boil and serve immediately.
