Crayfish Soup
Ingredients
1 lb. crayfish or unpeeled shrimp
2 tbs. butter
1 onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
3 cups pea stock (see below)
5 tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup cream
2 tbsp butter, cold
salt, pepper
Optional:
2 pears
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
Preparation
Peel the crayfish or small shrimp and sauté the shells in 2 Tbsp. butter until they turn red
Heat the pea stock ( see recipe below) in a saucepan, add the shells, onion, bay leaf, slices of bread, crayfish and simmer for 25 minutes
Set aside the crayfish tails for decorations;
Strain the soup with a sieve
Mix the flour water and sour cream, add to the soup and stir with a whisk until smooth, Season with salt and pepper and boil to thicken briefly
Mix the egg and egg yolk with the cream. Take the soup off the heat. Stir in the egg and cream mixture and add the butter and whisk till melted.
Serve the soup with the crayfish tails.
Optional: core two pears and cut them into small slices. Caramelize the pear in butter, deglaze with white wine and lemon juice and add to the soup before the egg and cream mixture.
Pea Stock
Preparation
Soak the peas in salted water overnight.
Drain peas and discard water.
Peel and chop the roots.
Melt butter in a large pot and sauté the vegetables, without allowing them to color.
pour cold water into the pot and add the peas and spices.
Leave uncovered and simmer gently.
Sprinkle a muslin cloth or rinsed kitchen towel with nutmeg.
Strain through the cloth for a clear pea stock.
Ingredients
500g split peas
2 carrots
2 yellow carrots
1 leek
1 small celery root
1 parsley root
1 small onion
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 cloves
pinch of nutmeg
2 liters water
1 tbsp butter
Salt
All recipes and images of the cooked dish are from
Baroque Cooking 1740 - Authentic Austrian recipes from the time of Empress Marie Therese.
This can be purchased here: https://www.geschichte-kunst.at/en/books/baroque-cooking-1740