Beet Consommé

Ingredients

• •3 lb medium beets
• •4 qt water
• •1½ lb smoked turkey legs
• •2 whole carrots
• •2 whole celery ribs
• •1 whole large onion
• •1 clove garlic
• •4 sprigs fresh dill
• •1 leaf bay leaf
• •1 teaspoon salt
• •¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• •2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• •2 teaspoons sugar
• •liver and mushroom pirozhki
• •cheesecloth

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Boil beets, covered, in water (4 quarts) in a 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer beets with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool slightly, reserving cooking water. When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off skins. Cut 1 beet into 1/4-inch dice and reserve for garnish. Cut remaining beets into 1/2-inch pieces and return to cooking liquid in pot. Add turkey, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, dill sprigs, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns and simmer, partially covered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Pour soup through a dampened cheesecloth-lined sieve set into a 3-quart heavy saucepan, discarding solids. Measure soup: If there is more than 6 cups, boil in cleaned pot until reduced; if there is less, add enough water to total 6 cups.

   160 min

2. 2.

   Skim fat from consommé, then add lemon juice and sugar and heat until hot.

   10 min

3. 3.

   Divide diced beet and chopped dill among 8 shallow soup plates and ladle consomm on top.

   5 min