Danish Fruit Soup
The Danes enjoy this soup with their autumn goose dinner and also as a first course during the Christmas season, followed by aebleskiver, or Danish pancakes.
Soup Stock
6 cups water
1 medium-sized carrot, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
½ cup diced celery root
3 sprigs parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
Giblets from one goose, washed
Soup
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
3 medium apples, pared, cored, and chopped
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg yolk
⅓ cup heavy (whipping) cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
Dash of pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Combine all of the stock ingredients in a 3-quart pot. Heat to simmering, cover, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until the giblets are tender, periodically skimming off any foam that forms. Strain the stock, discarding all but the giblets and the stock. Chop the giblets and return them to the stock. Cover the stock and continue to simmer.
While the stock simmers, in a saucepan, combine the prunes, apples, and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, or just until the prunes and apples are tender and have absorbed most of the water.
In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Gradually stir in the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cream, just until blended. Add a small amount of the hot broth, stirring vigorously. Return mixture to the soup, stirring. Add the prunes and apples. Season with salt, vinegar, pepper, and sherry. Serve hot.
6 servings.
Beatrice A. Ojakangas, Scandinavian Feasts: Celebrating Traditions throughout the Year. (Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 2001), 166-167.