Ingredientes
- 14 oz / 400g pork ribs or shoulder
- 6 cups / 1⅖L water
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 allspice berries
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 carrot
- 9 oz / 250g potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 drained Brined Cucumbers, shredded, plus brine, as needed (optional)
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream (optional)
- ¼ cup / 15g chopped fresh dill, with more for garnishing
Instrucciones
- In a large stockpot over low heat, combine the pork and water, and bring to a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, skim off and discard any accumulated foam from the surface. Add 1 tsp salt, the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaf to the pot, cover, and let simmer for 1½ hours. Add the carrot and continue to cook until the meat is completely tender, about 30 minutes more.
- Strain the stock and return to the pot. Transfer the meat to a plate and let cool slightly. If using pork ribs, peel the meat off the bones. Cut the pork into small chunks and set aside. Discard the bones and fat. Cube the carrot and set aside.
- Add the potatoes and 1 tsp salt to the stock, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook until the potatoes are almost completely tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the cucumbers and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Transfer the cucumbers into the pot with the potatoes. Then add the cooked meat and carrot and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cream (if using), stir, and let simmer for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat, add the dill, season with salt, if needed, and pepper. Taste, and if the soup isn't sour enough, add a splash of cucumber brine.
- Pour the hot soup into individual bowls, garnish with dill, and serve with fresh bread for dipping.
Descripción
My horse Popiel, so kindly lent to me by my relatives in Vizima, was my faithful companion on the roads and trails of the North. So naturally, my daily routine in Novigrad included a visit to the city stables, where Popiel was quartered. I would then go to dine at a different tavern each day, hoping to try a new local delicacy. The dish in question came highly recommended by a group of halflings from the Meiersdorf Meadworks—that is to say, I overheard them loudly praising the brined cucumber soup at the Seven Cats Inn as they passed the stables. I had no choice but to taste it for myself! On my way, I passed a mess of broken glass and sweet cherry preserves spread across a paved alley—evidently heaved there from the second floor of a nearby tenement house in the heat of some quarrel. This sticky situation aside, my journey passed uneventfully. Upon my arrival at the Seven Cats, I ordered a deep dish of the unusual decoction, tiptoeing to a table so as not to spill even a drop of the fragrant liquid. The tangy, greenish pickled cucumber broth was rounded out with pieces of delicate meat, creamy potatoes, sweet carrots, and a dash of aromatic dill. It proved a true pleasure, a refreshing departure from some other soups I'd had the misfortune to try in the city. Woe to those who serve things excruciatingly bland.