Charlette (Curded Beef Soup)

Fabulous Feasts, p. 146

1 quart milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon saffron

1 cup lean minced beef (or pork)

6 eggs

1 cup ale

2 Tablespoons, or more, butter for sautéing

The ale I selected as tribute! (And had a couple of swigs of myself, of course, because it's delicious.)

Gently heat milk with salt and saffron, preventing boiling but slowly simmering. 

Yay saffron!

A skim will form which can either be removed or simply stirred into the milk.

Briefly saute beef in butter until meat is brown (or saute pork until every piece is thoroughly cooked through). Drain well on absorbent paper towel.

Add meat to the spiced milk and continue simmering ten minutes. Stir occasionally.

Beat eggs with ale.

This feels like a strange thing to do, but it smells good.

Add aled eggs to the pot, constantly stirring, until, as the manuscript advises, it “croddes”—it forms curds, in 2 or 3 minutes.

Ladle into individual bowls, assuring each portion of meat, curds, and hot soup stock.

Served with a spicy cheesy beef bread I made to use up all the little banana peppers our garden spit out right before it snowed.

My Rating: 4/5 "For a historical recipe that's pretty far afield from our customary 21st century dishes, this is actually quite tasty. It's just a rich beer soup. The 'curds,' (which, when you call them that, sound like a bit of a turnoff) ended up just being nice pieces of poached egg that add texture and protein. The whole thing is complex, enjoyable, and filling after you take a couple of bites to get your palate used to it."