Czarnina -- Polish Duck Soup

Czarnina is one of Poland’s oldest country dishes, a soup that few outside Polish kitchens have tried but that holds deep tradition. It’s a dark, sweet-and-sour duck (or goose) soup, built on poultry and pork ribs simmered into a rich broth.

Its defining ingredient is the blood, caught in vinegar to keep it from clotting, which both thickens and darkens the soup and gives it its name (czarny means black). Fresh pig’s blood is a common substitute.

The sweet-and-sour balance is the soul of the dish: vinegar brings the tartness, while dried prunes and cherries add a deep, dried-fruit sweetness, and a spice sack of allspice and cloves perfumes it all.

A little flour blended with the blood thickens it, and cream rounds it out. Traditionally it’s ladled over egg noodles or potato dumplings. It’s a true heritage soup, sweet, sour, and unlike anything else.

Chef Tips

• Always catch the blood in vinegar and stir, as directed, to keep it from coagulating.
• Temper the flour-and-blood mixture with a little hot stock before stirring it in, so it doesn’t curdle.
• Balance the sweet and sour to taste, adjusting the prunes, cherries, and vinegar.
• Use fresh pig’s blood if you aren’t preparing your own duck or goose.

Variations

• Serve with kluski (egg noodles) or potato dumplings, as is traditional.
• Add a few raisins or extra dried fruit for more sweetness.
• Use goose instead of duck for a richer, more old-fashioned version.