Trotter Soup
Prepared cow/calf trotters gently simmered with onion, bay, cardamom and mastic.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 3 hr 5 min · Total: 3 hr 25 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- prepared edible cow/calf trotter pieces, commercially cleaned — 2
- small onion, halved — 1
- bay leaves — 2
- cardamom pods — 3
- 0.25 tsp culinary food-grade mastic resin
- 1440 ml cold blanching water, discarded
- 1440 ml fresh main cooking water, retained
- additional cold blanching water if needed for coverage, discarded (optional)
- additional boiling cooking water if needed for coverage (optional)
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Measure and prepare
Use commercially cleaned/scraped edible trotters, not unprocessed slaughter offal. Follow product preparation directions and keep raw pieces at ≤4°C. Prepare an ordinary deep pot with a fitting non-pressure lid; piece count is not an inferred gram weight.
Prepare an ordinary deep pot with a fitting non-pressure lid; piece count is not an inferred gram weight.
Prepare the components
Measure 1440 ml cold blanching water separately from 1440 ml fresh main cooking water: 2880 ml measured process water total. Keep conditional cold blanching top-up and boiling cooking top-up distinct; neither six cups nor an unspecified piece size guarantees coverage in every pot.
Keep conditional cold blanching top-up and boiling cooking top-up distinct; neither six cups nor an unspecified piece size guarantees coverage in every pot.
Build the base
Cover pieces with the cold blanching water, using its conditional extra only if needed. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and blanch from 5 minutes after boiling begins, allowing foam to rise.
Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and blanch from 5 minutes after boiling begins, allowing foam to rise.
Build the base: 300 seconds
Combine carefully
Drain and discard the blanching water cautiously without scalding splashes. Omit unnecessary sink rinsing of hot animal pieces; washing does not sterilize them. Transfer promptly into the cleaned pot with 1440 ml fresh main cooking water, then add onion, bay, cardamom and mastic.
Transfer promptly into the cleaned pot with 1440 ml fresh main cooking water, then add onion, bay, cardamom and mastic.
Cook and check
Bring to a controlled boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the ordinary fitting lid. Check water levels regularly and use the conditional boiling top-up to maintain coverage. Begin overall tenderness checks around 3 hours; a 170-minute reminder marks when to begin the final seasoning phase, not proof of readiness.
Begin overall tenderness checks around 3 hours; a 170-minute reminder marks when to begin the final seasoning phase, not proof of readiness.
Cook and check: 10200 seconds
Finish the cooking
Add salt and pepper during roughly the final 10 minutes within the simmer phase, not automatically 3 hours plus another 10 minutes. Continue until tissue releases easily from bones; use a selected conservative 74°C flesh check in addition to tenderness, not a validated trotter schedule.
Continue until tissue releases easily from bones; use a selected conservative 74°C flesh check in addition to tenderness, not a validated trotter schedule.
Finish the cooking: 600 seconds
Check before serving
Remove whole bay leaves and cardamom pods with utensils and check for loose bone fragments. Keep the ordinary-pot method at all scales; no unspecified pressure-cooker conversion or old garlic/coriander/lemon/rice ingredients are included.
Keep the ordinary-pot method at all scales; no unspecified pressure-cooker conversion or old garlic/coriander/lemon/rice ingredients are included.
Serve and store
For 8 servings use 8 pieces, 5760 ml blanching plus 5760 ml cooking water = 11520 ml measured process water, 4 onions, 8 bay leaves, 12 cardamom pods and 1 tsp mastic. Half uses 1.5 cardamom pods and 0.125 tsp mastic, not a rounded 2 pods. Conditional waters remain separate.
Conditional waters remain separate.
Serve and store
Serve 2 hot portions with burn precautions. Cool broth and meat promptly in shallow portions within 1 hour at ≤4°C, not an intact deep stockpot left on the counter. Use within 2 days and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Use within 2 days and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Tips
- Instructions describe the original 2-serving batch. Ingredient controls scale the list to 1 or 8 servings: exactly half or fourfold. One cup is 240 ml, one tbsp 15 ml and one tsp 5 ml. Dry volumes are not gram weights. Use equivalent vessels and manageable batches; times are first checks, not linear scaling rules.
Common mistakes
- Do not add unlisted ingredients or rely on fixed times and surface browning alone.
Substitutions
- Use the stated source states and alternatives; check product directions and allergens.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C. Use within 2 days from preparation, including cooling. These are conservative household limits, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers at most once to 74°C throughout, then serve immediately. Keep unused portions refrigerated.
About this recipe
Prepared cow/calf trotters gently simmered with onion, bay, cardamom and mastic.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.