Ciorbă de burtă

Step 1: Even when the tripe is sold cleaned, rinse it under cold running water, rubbing it with your hands, and trim off any fat. Put it in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse. This removes the strong smell.

Step 2: Put the blanched 2 ¼ lb beef tripe, cleaned and blanched (dressed) and 1 ⅛ lb beef bones or shin on the bone in a large pot with 14 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Step 3: Add 1 onion, 2 carrots, 5 ½ oz celeriac, 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns. Simmer, partly covered, for 2½–3 hours, until the tripe is very tender and a knife slides through without resistance. Top up with hot water if needed to keep it covered.

Step 4: Lift out the tripe and cool it for a few minutes, then cut into thin strips 5 mm wide and 5 cm long. Strain the broth (you need about 2 litres), pick any meat from the bones and slice the carrots; discard the rest.

Step 5: Return the broth, tripe, carrot and any meat to the pot. Add 2 ½ tsp salt and bring back to a simmer for 5 minutes so the tripe is piping hot.

Step 6: Whisk 4 egg yolks with 10 ½ oz sour cream (20% fat) in a bowl until smooth. Ladle in about 400 ml of the hot broth, a little at a time, whisking constantly, to warm the mixture gently (tempering).

Step 7: Turn the heat to low and pour the cream mixture into the pot, stirring. Heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly and steams, but do not let it boil or the yolks will curdle. It should be well above 158°F (too hot to keep a finger in).

Step 8: Stir in 4 tbsp white wine vinegar a spoonful at a time, tasting, until pleasantly sour. Adjust the salt.

Step 9: For the mujdei, crush 6 garlic cloves with ½ tsp salt in a mortar to a paste, then stir in 3 tbsp water. Serve the soup hot with mujdei to stir in and 6 hot green peppers on the side. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently without boiling.