In 1987, there was a Danish movie called Babette’s Feast, which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film. It is based on an Isak Dinesen story that I have never read, but I loved the movie then. I haven’t watched it recently, and I believe it’s fallen out of favor as I have never met anybody who felt about it the way I do. It’s slow and sentimental, but funny, wistful and surprisingly wise and meaningful.
I won’t go too much into the story, which is complex yet simple in the way human lives can be, but suffice it to say that Babette’s feast is undertaken as a sacrifice, a last hurrah - one that communicates the frail power of life through food. The meal is exotic and stunning, and it changes the world of the movie. Simply put, Babette is an artist, and the point of the movie is that even art that disappears from view can nourish and resurrect creator and appreciators alike. In this way, there is a connection between food and art and religion, a gift given us by god or our own wiring in order to fill us with meaning every once in a while in a world working hard to take it away.
The sentiment, which I wholeheartedly agree with in my most positive moments, is driven home by a toast given by a successful yet melancholy general, who is the only one at the table knowledgeable enough to fully appreciate the meal being served. This is what he says, and since this is a dumb soup blog, there is a remarkable recipe for the turtle soup Babette makes below, which requires you to slaughter a turtle and let it bleed out for hours. How’s that for some f*cking mercy? It’s well worth a read as well, and if anybody has a big turtle, I would be happy to come over and make some soup…
“Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another.
Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness, believes he must make choices in this life.
He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no, our choice is of no importance.
There comes a time when our eyes are opened, and we come to realize that mercy is infinite.
We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude. Mercy imposes no conditions.
And lo! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us.
And everything we rejected has also been granted.
Yes, we even get back what we rejected.
For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another.“
POTAGE A LA TORTUE / GREEN TURTLE SOUP
(this is taken wholesale from a former café and current cannery named Le Naked Lunch in Quebec, who got it from the most famous chef of the fine dining restaurant where Babette worked: the Cafe Anglais)
1 live green turtle (about 5 kilos)
1 recipe for consomme (recipe follows)
1 recipe for chicken-meat stock (recipe follows)
Madeira (or sherry)
l bouquet garni (basil, marjoram, rosemary, savory, thyme and parsley tied together in muslin)
l bouquet garni of peppercorns and coriander
4 medium carrots
l small cabbage
1 turnip
1 large unpeeled apple
salt and pepper to taste
croutons for serving (recipe follows)
1. Slaughter the turtle and hang it to bleed for 3 - 4 hours.
2. Butcher the turtle, setting aside separately the breastplate and carapace, the meat and the innards. Clean the innards well.
3. Cut the carapace and breast plate into pieces and plunge these into a large pot with rapidly boiling water. Let the pieces blanch for 5 minutes. Drain rapidly, run the pieces under cold Water and remove and discard the outer sheilds that cover them.
4. Place the cleaned pieces in a large saucepan and cover generously with the consomme. To the saucepan both bouquet garnis, the vegetables and the apple. Over a high flame bring just to a boil. Immediately lower the flame and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 7 hours.
5. While the consomme is simmering, bone the turtle meat and cut into 1 cm cubes. Place the meat in the chicken-beef stock, bring just to a boil, reduce the flame and let simmer just until the meat is tender (about 2 hrs). Keep the meat warm in the stock.
6. When the carapace and breast plates have finished cooking, strain the soup through a cloth, heat through and add 2 cups of Madeira (or sherry) to each litre of stock. Heat through. A few minutes before serving stir in two-three tsp. of the Amontillado sherry to be served with the meal.
7. Immediately before serving place the turtle pieces in the soup. Garnish with the croutons and serve at once.
Note: This soup should be served with a medium-dry Amontillado wine.
Note: If using tinned turtle meat, follow all of the above steps simply substituting additonal turtle meat for the carapace and breast plates used in preparing the stock.
The Consomme
Consomme is nothing more than a stock that has been perfectly clarified until completely clear and sparkling. The following consomme (consomme blanc de veau) is considered ideal for making the turtle soup, above.
2 kilos uncooked veal bones, cracked
1 stewing hen, cut into convenient pieces
1 ½ kilos uncooked veal shank meat
2 medium carrots
2 medium onions
2 stalks celery
l bouquet garni with 2 unpeeled garlic cloves and 2 whole cloves added to 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley, ½ bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp salt
1. Place the veal bones and veal meat into a kettle, pour over cold water to cover, bring to the boil and let boil very gently for 5 - 6 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold water. Rinse the kettle. Return the bones and meat to the kettle, pour over fresh cold water to cover and bring just to a bare simmer. Skim and then add the vegetables, chicken, bouquet garni and salt. Continue this bare simmer, partially covering the kettle, for 4 - 5 hours, adding boiling water only if the liquids evaporate below the level of the ingredients. When cooking is completed discard the bouquet garni and strain the stock into a clean bowl.
2. To degrease, let the stock settle for 5 - 6 minutes and then skim the bulk of the fat from the surface with a large spoon. Draw pieces of paper toweling across the surface of the stock to absorb the last remnants of the fat.
3. Taste the stock. If it is to weak, boil down to concentrate the strength. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
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eatdrinkdie1-blog said: i had a turtle soup once at a banquet in western china. it was fucking awesome, the meat was so tender. also it helped that some old chinese man kept pouring some clear liquor into my glass, forcing me to drink. this post is very, very good. SOUP!
ayearofsoup posted this