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Czarnina -- Polish Duck Soup

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Submitted by jsuplp

Czarnina is a traditional Polish duck soup: a dark, sweet-and-sour broth of duck or goose with pork ribs, dried prunes and cherries, soured with vinegar and enriched with cream. Served with egg noodles or dumplings.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

2 hrs

READY

3 hrs

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.

Ingredients

1 ½ 680.4
POUNDS G PORK RIB
1 1
STALKS EACH CELERY
2 2
BUNCH BUNCH PARSLEY LEAVES
1 1
SMALL SMALL ONION
4 4
EACH EACH ALLSPICE *
4 4
EACH CLOVES
whole *
3 3
EACH EACH SWEET BELL PEPPER
whole
10 10
EACH EACH PRUNE
dried
15 15
EACH CHERRIES
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 237
CUP ML SWEET CREAM
1 5
TEASPOON ML SUGAR
½ 118
CUP ML VINEGAR

Directions

Put vinegar into glass or crockery bowl (not metal) and into this catch the blood when killing the duck or goose and stir to avoid coagulation.

Fresh pigs blood may also be used.

Cover the fowl trimmings and spare ribs with water, bring to a boil and skim.

Put spices, celery, onion and parsley into a sack and add to soup.

Cook slowly until meat is almost done, about 2 hours.

Remove spice sack add fruit and cook for ½ hour more.

Blend flour with ½ cup of the blood mixture, add 3 tablespoon soup stock, and pour into soup, stirring constantly.

Add sugar and cream and bring to a boil.

Serve with egg noodles or potato dumplings.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 254g (9.0 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 451 59% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 12g 59%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 106mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 10%
Sugars g
Protein 55g
Vitamin A 33% Vitamin C 250%
Calcium 11% Iron 17%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Sodium
 

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