This excellent soup can be made out of beef innards, but pork can be used as well. The success of the final dish depends on the quality of ROSÓŁ (beef or a combination of beef/chicken stock (bullion).
It takes some time to prepare it, so I usually make it when I have the time and the ingredients. When ready the soup can be served immediately or frozen. It reheats very well.
When serving flaki I sometimes offer my guests a tiny glass of frozen vodka.
Here we go
Ingredients for 4-6 people:
- Some 3/4 kg (1 ½ lb) tripe thawed and clean. North American butchers usually sell tripe frozen, so you may need to buy ‘a package’ rather than the precise amount you need. It does not matter, the amount of soup you will produce will be also controlled by thickness you prefer; this, in turn, will be given by the quality and amount of bullion you choose to add. Also, the tripe I get here is usually very clean. I would avoid the stuff you get at the grocery meat counter. It is often bleached and quite tasteless.
- Some bullion (I would assume about 1.5 litre (6 cups?) to satisfy the ¾ kg tripe above). It is good to have too much rather than too little, but – it freezes well so you can correct the proportions at later date.
- Good, sharp knife, to cut the tripe with
- Spices (lots of): marjoram, ground ginger, red Hungarian paprika, salt, pepper – some people also add nutmeg.
- Place soft clean tripe in large pot on the stove and scald with boiling water.
- Bring to boil and simmer for 20 min
- Drain, rinse with cold water
- Back to the pot, scald again, cook slowly for 1-2 hours or until the tripe is tender (can you pierce it with the fork?). Try not to overcook.
- Drain, let cool
- Cut the tripe into fine strips (several of them must fit into your tablespoon, so figure out the size – somehow 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, less that 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) wide).
- Heat the bullion
- Drop the tripe into a hot liquid. bring to boil.
- Spice with all the goodies. final result should be somewhat hot (spicy) but edible.
- Leave to simmer for about 30 min or so – the spices and the flavours have to mix well
- Serve very hot with your favourite baguette, placing more of the same spices on the table for individual adjustments.