Russian Soup, or Tschi is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of beef and suet sausages served in a brown stock base with white wine, cabbage, onions and herbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Russian Soup, or Tschi.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Russian Soup, or Tschi that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli'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. 176.—RUSSIAN SOUP, OR TSCHI.
First cut two large onions into small dice, and shred a small cabbage finely, and chop these shreds across to shorten the filaments; fry all this in a stewpan with two ounces of butter, until it assumes a light colour; then mix in two ounces of flour; moisten with three pints of good brown stock; season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and having stirred the soup over the fire till it boils, set it by the side to boil gently for about half an hour; then add a glass of French white wine, some roughly-chopped tarragon and chervil, and pour it into a soup-tureen containing about two ounces of lean ham cut into small shreds, and two dozen small sausages, made as follows: viz., to six ounces of lean beef add four ounces of suet, and having chopped and pounded these together, season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, chopped parsley, and thyme; add one whole egg; mix well together by pounding; roll out the sausage-meat into the form of small round balls, and fry these in a sautapan with a little butter.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 large onions, finely diced
1 small cabbage, finely shredded then cut across into small pieces
60g butter
60g plain flour
1.8l brown stock
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
salt an freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
150ml white wine (preferably French)
2 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chervil, roughly chopped
60g lean ham, finely shredded
For the Sausages:
180g lean beef, minced
120g suet, minced
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
butter for frying
Method:
Melt the 60g butter in a pan, add the onion and cabbage and fry for about 6 minutes or until the onion and cabbage are soft. Scatter the flour over the pan, mix to combine then mix in the stock until smooth. Season to taste with the nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes. At this point stir in the white wine, tarragon and chervil.
In the meantime, prepare the sausages. Combine the beef, suet, parsley and seasonings in a bowl. Mix thoroughly then add the egg and mix with your hands to bind. Shape the mixture into 24 small balls or sausage shapes. Melt butter in a frying pan, add the meat balls and fry on all sides until golden brown all over. Take off the heat and turn the fried meatballs into a soup tureen. Add the shredded ham then pour over the hot soup mix. Serve immediately.
