Irish Kidney Soup

Ingredients:

1 Beef kidney (about 675g)
2 tbsp bacon drippings (or oil)
2 tbsp plain flour
2l beef stock
squeeze of lemon juice
1 Spice bag made from 10 black peppercorns, 1 blade of mace, pinch of celery seeds tied in a muslin bag
1 bouquet garni made from thyme sprig, parsley sprig and bayleaf tied in leek leaf
1 tbsp sugar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 carrot, thinly sliced
250ml sherry

Method:

Skin the kidney then cut down the middle before coring and removing any membranous tissue and dicing the meat. Heat the fat or oil in a pan over high heat and quickly brown the kidney halves in this. Pour off any excess fat then stir-in the flour and mixing until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, or until the flour has lightly browned then stir in the stock before adding the sugar, bouquet garni and the spice bag.

Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 3 hours. Take the soup off the heat and set aside to cool then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours). After this time skim off any fat from the surface of the soup then remove the bouquet garni and the spice bag. Adjust the seasonings to your taste then add the lemon juice and sherry.

Return the soup to the heat and bring just under the boiling point. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve with Melba toast.