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Begova čorba
Begova čorba: Sarajevo 'bey's soup' of chicken and okra thickened with egg yolk and sour cream
Fit for an Ottoman bey, this velvety soup is the opening course of special dinners in Sarajevo and across Bosnia and Herzegovina, ladled out at weddings, Bajram tables and in the old aščinice, the canteens of the Baščaršija bazaar. Chicken simmers with carrot, celeriac and parsley root, and small okra pods go in to give a gentle, silky body; at the end, egg yolks and sour cream turn it creamy and pale gold, with a sharp lift from lemon. A common mistake is pouring the yolks straight into boiling soup, where they scramble: warm them with a little broth first. Chef's tip: dried okra, if you can find it in a Turkish shop, is traditional and less slimy; soak it in water with a splash of vinegar.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 8 ¼ cups cold water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 oz unsalted butter
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 carrotdiced
- 3 ½ oz celeriacdiced
- 1 parsley root or parsnipdiced
- 7 oz small fresh okratops trimmed
- 1 ⅜ oz long-grain rice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 ½ oz sour cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ oz fresh parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer the 2 lb chicken legs and breast on the bone in the cold 8 ¼ cups cold water with the 1 bay leaf and 1 ½ tsp salt for 40 minutes, skimming early on, until the meat pulls from the bone and reads 165°F next to the bone.
40 minStep 2: Lift out the chicken, strain the broth and keep it hot. Pull the meat into small pieces, discarding skin and bones.
10 minStep 3: Melt the 1 oz unsalted butter in a clean pot over a medium heat and cook the 1 onion, 1 carrot, 3 ½ oz celeriac and 1 parsley root or parsnip for 8 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
8 minStep 4: Pour in the broth, add the 7 oz small fresh okra and 1 ⅜ oz long-grain rice and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the okra soft.
15 minStep 5: Return the chicken to the pot and season with the ½ tsp black pepper. Turn the heat to low.
2 minStep 6: Whisk the 2 egg yolks with the 5 ½ oz sour cream and 2 tbsp lemon juice, then whisk in two ladles of hot broth. Pour it back into the pot, stirring, and heat gently for 3–4 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly and steams (above 158°F) without boiling. Serve with ⅓ oz fresh parsley.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does begova čorba take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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