Tripe – 'A dream in white'

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g fresh, cooked tripe
• 20 g dried mushrooms (preferably morels)
• 1 liter meat broth or vegetable broth
• ¼ liter white wine (Riesling), dry
• ½ cup sweet cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• 3 shallots
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 4 carrots
• butter
• Salt and pepper from the mill
• possibly lemon juice
• n. B. water

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Soak the mushrooms in lukewarm water for several hours beforehand. The butcher will usually have pre-cooked the fresh, pure white tripe and cut it into fine strips, so it only needs to be thoroughly rinsed and carefully shaken out, and trimmed if necessary. The tripe was not pickled in a “vinegar broth” and was not frozen either! Add the tripe to the broth, which has been brought to a boil with a peeled shallot and the bay leaf, and cook it in a sufficiently large pot (see below) with the lid closed for about 30 minutes, until it is al dente. The first test for a bite is after about 20 minutes. When straining, collect the broth in the used pot. Cut the leeks and carrots into julienne strips and cook in the broth – also with the lid closed – until al dente. Then remove them with a ladle – strain if desired – and return the liquid to the pot. In a sufficiently large pan, fry the two remaining shallots, finely diced, in butter over moderate heat until golden brown. Then add the julienne strips of leek, carrots, and tripe, along with the well-drained (retain the soaking water!) mushrooms, quartered if necessary. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the picked thyme and the wine. Filter out the sand from the mushrooms’ soaking water using a filter paper/cloth/tea strainer and add it to the tripe. Meanwhile, reduce the stock by 50%, then add the cream, a little salt, and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Season to taste. Now add the entire contents of the pan to the pot and simmer everything together for a few minutes. Season again (thyme!), and if the wine doesn’t achieve the required, very slight acidity, add a few drops of lemon juice as an exception. I like it best with fresh baguette, but fresh farmhouse bread or a few cubes of boiled potatoes also make a delicious dip in the sauce. Don’t forget the wine! Note: If using frozen tripe, reduce the broth by at least 10% to soften it (the tripe absorbs water!) and increase the quantity of tripe accordingly. Tripe pickled beforehand with cheap vinegar takes away all creative flexibility and is only partially suitable for Swabian recipes.