Cookbook:Frittaten Soup

| Austrian Cuisine Frittaten soup originates from an incident that took place during the Congress of Vienna in the 19th century, which involved various European ambassadors and was chaired by the Austrian Prince, Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. At this time, the main issues of European politics were discussed during secret meetings between the key diplomats. These private meetings needed to be kept confidential, and many ambassadors decided to hold them incognito in inns outside of the city.

One of those conspiratorial meetings took place in an inn in Langenlebarn between Metternich, Prince de Lignet, the French ambassador Talleyrand, and the Sicilian ambassador Conte Romano de Frittata. The disguised aristocrats arrived at the inn and greeted each other in French, but the innkeeper refused them entry. The problem was that the innkeeper despised the French because of the suffering of the Austrians at the hands of Napoleon’s soldiers. Unfortunately, there was no other inn in the surrounding area, so Metternich was forced to disclose his Austrian identity and to try to persuade the innkeeper to at least provide the diplomats with accommodation. The innkeeper eventually let them in, but he refused to cook for them.

The innkeeper’s stubbornness led to Metternich ordering his coachman to prepare a meal for his fellow diplomats, but he was only able to heat water and add spices. Frittata’s servant came to the coachman’s aid and mixed a batter out of milk, eggs, and salt, which he then fried in a pan. The soup with the cut pancakes in it was then served to the diplomats, who were content with the meal. Later on, the Prince of Lignet spoke of how well the "soup of Frittata" had been received.

Broth

 * 2.5 liters water
 * 300 g beef bones
 * 400 g beef
 * 1 onion
 * Celery
 * Carrots
 * Leek
 * Lovage
 * Salt
 * Chives, minced

Pancake

 * 2 eggs
 * 400 ml milk
 * 180 g flour
 * Salt
 * Butter or oil

Broth

 * 1) Wash the beef bones with warm water.
 * 2) Put the meat and bones in cold water and heat. Simmer for 1½ hours at low temperature. Skim the foam off the top of the soup from time to time and add more water if necessary.
 * 3) Cut the onion in half, and brown it in a pan with no oil. The browned onion gives the soup its dark color.
 * 4) Add all the vegetables and a pinch of salt to the broth, and cook for 20 minutes. Strain all solids from the soup.

Pancakes

 * 1) Mix the egg, milk, flour, and salt together.
 * 2) Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan.
 * 3) Pour some of the batter into the hot pan and wait until the pancake has solidified. Flip the pancake and wait for the other side to cook.
 * 4) Let it cool and then cut into thin strips.

Serving

 * 1) Put the pancake strips into the finished broth.
 * 2) Serve with chives on top.