Flaczki

Ingredients

• 1kg pre-cleaned honeycomb beef tripe, rinsed
• 1.5kg beef marrow bones or oxtail
• 2.5 liters water, plus more as needed
• 1 small celery root (celeriac), peeled and halved
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 parsley root, peeled (or substitute 1 parsnip)
• 1 leek, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 4 allspice berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• Salt, to taste
• Grated horseradish and crusty rye bread, for serving

Before you cook

• Rinse the tripe thoroughly under cold running water.
• Peel the celery root, carrots, and parsley root.
• Halve the celery root and the onion.
• Trim the leek and halve it lengthwise, rinsing between the layers to remove any grit.
• Measure the allspice berries, bay leaves, and peppercorns into a small dish.

Steps

1. Put the tripe in a large pot and cover it with cold water.
2. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the tripe and rinse it well under cold water.
4. Repeat the boiling and draining two more times to remove any strong odor.
5. Heat a dry heavy skillet over high heat.
6. Char the halved onion, cut-side down, for 3-4 minutes until blackened in spots.
7. Put the beef bones, charred onion, celery root, carrots, parsley root, and leek into a large stockpot.
8. Add the parboiled tripe, allspice berries, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot.
9. Cover everything with the 2.5 liters of fresh water.
10. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat, keeping it well below a full boil.
11. Skim off the gray foam that rises to the surface every 15 minutes for the first hour.
12. Simmer uncovered for 3 hours, topping up with water if the level drops below the solids.
13. Lift the tripe out of the broth with tongs and let it cool slightly on a cutting board.
14. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot, discarding the bones and vegetables.
15. Slice the cooled tripe into thin strips, about 1/4 inch wide.
16. Return the sliced tripe to the strained broth.
17. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
18. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the roux turns pale gold.
19. Ladle a cup of the hot broth into the roux, whisking until smooth.
20. Pour the roux mixture into the pot of soup, stirring to combine.
21. Stir in the marjoram, ginger, nutmeg, and paprika.
22. Simmer the soup for 10 more minutes until slightly thickened.
23. Season with salt to taste.
24. Serve the flaczki hot with grated horseradish and crusty rye bread on the side.