Alt-Wiener Suppentopf (Old Vienna Soup Pot)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large stockpot (10-liter minimum)
• •Fine-mesh sieve and muslin cloth
• •Non-stick pan (24cm) for Frittaten
• •Small saucepan for poaching Griesnockerl
• •Wide, deep soup bowls for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Start with cold water

   Place the beef bones and the whole piece of shoulder or brisket in your largest pot. Cover with four liters of cold water. This is where most people go wrong: they use warm water, or worse, boiling. Cold water draws the proteins out of the bones gradually, which gives you a clear, golden broth. Hot water seals them in and you end up with something cloudy and thin. Set the pot over medium heat and bring it slowly to a simmer. Don't walk away yet.

   Gretel always said the difference between phony soup and real soup is patience. Real soup starts cold and stays gentle. If your broth is boiling, your heat is too high.
2. 2

   Skim the broth

   As the water heats, gray foam will rise to the surface. This is protein and impurities leaving the bones and meat. Skim it off with a ladle or a large spoon, patiently, repeatedly, until the foam turns white and stops coming. This takes fifteen to twenty minutes. Don't stir the pot during this stage. Stirring pushes the foam back into the liquid and clouds the broth. You want to see the surface settle into a gentle, lazy simmer with only the occasional bubble breaking through.

3. 3

   Add the vegetables and aromatics

   Once the broth is skimmed clean, add the whole carrots, parsnip, celeriac, halved leek, charred onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley sprigs, and lovage if you have it. Add a tablespoon of salt. The charred onion is doing two jobs: it gives the broth that deep golden color and adds a subtle roasted sweetness. Cut it in half and char the flat side directly on a gas burner or under a hot grill until it's nearly black. Drop it in. Reduce the heat so the surface barely trembles. Let it simmer, uncovered, for two and a half to three hours.

   Lovage is the herb Austrians call Liebstöckel, and it tastes like celery's more interesting cousin. If you can't find it, don't substitute anything. The soup will still be beautiful. But if you see it at a market, buy it.
4. 4

   Make the Frittaten batter

   While the broth simmers, whisk together three eggs, 150g flour, 200ml milk, and a pinch of salt until you have a smooth, thin batter. It should coat the back of a spoon lightly and run off in a clean stream. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk. Let the batter rest for fifteen minutes. The gluten needs time to relax, and rested batter spreads more evenly in the pan, which means thinner, more delicate pancakes.

5. 5

   Fry the Frittaten

   Melt a small knob of butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom in a single thin layer, tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Cook until the edges lift and the underside turns a light gold, about one minute. Flip and cook thirty seconds more. Stack the finished pancakes on a board and let them cool. You should get four to five thin pancakes from this batter. Once cool, roll each pancake tightly and slice into strips about half a centimeter wide. Set the Frittaten aside.

6. 6

   Make the Griesnockerl

   Beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the egg and beat again until combined. Stir in the semolina, a good pinch of salt, and the nutmeg. The mixture will look loose and unpromising. That's fine. Cover it and let it rest in the fridge for thirty minutes. The semolina absorbs the liquid as it sits, and the mixture will firm up enough to shape. This resting step is not optional. If you skip it, your dumplings will dissolve in the broth and you'll be fishing for ghosts.

   Griesnockerl should be small, about the size of a walnut. Wet your hands before shaping each one. The water prevents sticking and gives you a smoother surface.
7. 7

   Poach the Griesnockerl

   Bring a small pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. With wet hands, shape the semolina mixture into small dumplings, about walnut-sized. You should get eight to ten. Slide them into the simmering water. Don't let it boil. A rolling boil will break them apart. Let them poach for fifteen to twenty minutes. They're done when they float to the surface and have nearly doubled in size. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

8. 8

   Remove and slice the beef

   After three hours, the beef should be fork-tender. Lift it out carefully and set it on a warm cutting board. Cover it loosely so it doesn't dry out. Lift out the carrots, parsnip, and celeriac. These have given their flavor to the broth but they've kept enough of their own to be worth eating. Slice the carrots and parsnip into thick rounds. Cut the celeriac into rough pieces. Discard the leek, onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Slice the beef against the grain into pieces about a centimeter thick.

9. 9

   Strain and clarify the broth

   Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a clean muslin cloth or kitchen towel into a clean pot. The broth should be clear and deeply golden, the color of afternoon light in October. If it's pale, it needed more time. If it's cloudy, the simmer was too aggressive at some point. Taste it now and adjust the salt. The broth has to stand on its own because it's carrying the whole dish. Bring it back to a gentle simmer.

10. 10

    Assemble the Suppentopf

    Warm your widest, deepest soup bowls. In each bowl, arrange a few slices of beef, two or three pieces of root vegetable, a small nest of Frittaten strips, and one or two Griesnockerl. Ladle the hot, clear broth over everything slowly, letting it fill the bowl and surround each element. The Frittaten will unfurl. The Griesnockerl will bob gently. The beef and vegetables will settle into the golden liquid like they belong there, because they do. Scatter fresh chives and parsley over the top. Serve immediately, with good bread on the side. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Ask your butcher for marrow bones specifically. The marrow gives the broth a body and richness that meat alone can't achieve. If the bones are very large, have them sawn in half so more surface area is exposed to the water.
• •The beef shoulder or brisket is doing double duty here: it flavors the broth and then becomes part of the finished dish. Choose a piece with some fat running through it. Lean cuts make clear broth but dry, stringy meat. You want both the broth and the beef to be worth eating.
• •Don't crowd the bowl. This looks best when each element has room to breathe in the broth. The clarity of the liquid is part of the presentation. You should be able to see the bottom of the bowl through it.
• •If you want to go further, add Markknödel (marrow dumplings) or Leberknödel (liver dumplings) alongside the Griesnockerl. A proper Alt-Wiener Suppentopf at a grand table might have three or four different Einlagen. But two is generous and more than enough for a home cook doing this for the first time.

Advance Preparation

• •The broth can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. A layer of fat will solidify on top, forming a natural seal. Remove it before reheating. The broth often tastes even better the next day.
• •Frittaten can be made two days ahead, rolled tightly, wrapped in cling film, and refrigerated. Slice into strips just before serving.
• •Griesnockerl can be poached up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat them gently in the broth for a few minutes before serving.
• •The beef can be cooked in the broth the day before and stored in a little of the strained broth to keep it moist. Slice and warm through in the broth just before assembly.
• •If you're making this for a dinner party, do the broth and Frittaten the day before. Make the Griesnockerl mixture the morning of and poach them in the afternoon. The final assembly takes ten minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 750g)