Polish Duck Soup (Czarnina)

Adam Janowski
Adam Janowski @polishkitchen
Jeffersonville, Indiana

I haven't made this in a long time, but I have fond memories of eating it in the Polish-American kitchens of my childhood. The recipe calls for duck blood, but since it is almost impossible today to get duck’s blood and it is a turn off for most people (even though it just adds flavor and richness), this recipe does not include duck’s blood. This soup is meant to be served with Polish "Raw" Potato Dumplings. I have included a recipe for these dumplings here on Cookpad. The picture above is of the broth. In April, my sister will visit and at that time I will add the prunes and carrots and the flour and sour cream to thicken the broth.

Polish Duck Soup (Czarnina)

I haven't made this in a long time, but I have fond memories of eating it in the Polish-American kitchens of my childhood. The recipe calls for duck blood, but since it is almost impossible today to get duck’s blood and it is a turn off for most people (even though it just adds flavor and richness), this recipe does not include duck’s blood. This soup is meant to be served with Polish "Raw" Potato Dumplings. I have included a recipe for these dumplings here on Cookpad. The picture above is of the broth. In April, my sister will visit and at that time I will add the prunes and carrots and the flour and sour cream to thicken the broth.

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Ingredients

3 hours
10 servings
  1. 1duck, cut up
  2. 1 poundpork loin back ribs
  3. 3 quartswater
  4. 2 teaspoonssalt
  5. 1 stalkcelery
  6. 1/2onion
  7. 1 sprigparsley
  8. 10whole allspice
  9. 6whole cloves
  10. 2 Tablespoonsvinegar
  11. 2-3 tablespoonKitchen Bouquet Gravy Maker
  12. 1 tablespooncondensed veal demi-glace (Optional, but recommended. You can get it on Amazon.)
  13. 12dried prunes
  14. 4carrots
  15. 2 tablespoonsflour
  16. 1 tablespoonsugar
  17. 1 cupsour cream

Cooking Instructions

3 hours
  1. 1

    Cover duck and pork ribs in a large sauce pan. Add salt and bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add celery, onion, parsley, allspice, cloves, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet Gravy Maker. Cover and cook over low heat until meat is tender, about 1 and 1/2 hours.

  2. 2

    Strain, discard vegetables and reserve pork for another use.

  3. 3

    Remove duck meat from bones. Reserve. Allow soup to chill overnight. Remove fat.

  4. 4

    Bring to boil. Add veal demi-glace if available. Add prunes and carrots. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

  5. 5

    Blend flour, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add about 1/2 cup hot soup to flour mixture. Pour mixture into soup and stir just to boiling. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can adjust the color by adding another tablespoon of gravy maker if you think it isn't dark enough. It should be a rich brown color.

  6. 6

    Add reserved duck meat. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, again stirring occasionally to prevent soup from burning, and meat is heated through.

  7. 7

    Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with raw potato dumplings

  8. 8

    Note: You can find the optional condensed veal demi-glace on Amazon, but it isn't absolutely necessary, it just adds richness.

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Adam Janowski
Adam Janowski @polishkitchen
on
Jeffersonville, Indiana
I am a retired school library media specialist living in southern Indiana. I spent a number of years working in schools around the world and have lived in Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. I enjoy travelling, reading, and eating great food. I especially enjoy the challenge of re-creating dishes that I discover when I read a book. My last creation based on a book was a “Waves of the Danube” cake which was mentioned in "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks. It was absolutely decadent and delicious. I have always been in love with cooking and pie baking comes easy to me. I find that baking soothes me in times of stress. The first time I bake something I always follow the recipe exactly to see how it turns out. Afterwards, I will analyze it and make changes if I feel that the recipe could use some tweaking before I make it again. My cooking skills come from my Polish American family roots in Detroit, Michigan and its suburbs. My brother and sisters are all great cooks and they absorbed many of the lessons learned while they were growing up. Check out my blog. Find it at http://apolishkitchen.blogspot.com
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Comments (3)

Chris Gan
Chris Gan @ChrissyAlpha
My mom’s side of the family is all Polish-American. Czarnina is one of her favorites. Nice recipe!

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