Kelle Paça (Kelle Paça) — Turkish Jelatinli et suyunda pişen şifa çorbası

• 1000 glamb trotters, split and cleaned (ask butcher to scrape and split; remove excess hair)
• 800 glamb head pieces, cleaned (cheek and head meat with bone; omit brains)
• 3000 mlwater (plus extra hot water as needed)
• 150 gonion (1 medium, halved)
• 12 clovegarlic cloves (lightly crushed)
• 2 leafbay leaf
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 10 gsalt (add after skimming to keep broth clear)
• 25 gall-purpose flour (about 3 tbsp)
• 1egg yolk
• 30 mllemon juice (2 tbsp, freshly squeezed)
• 30 gunsalted butter
• 2 tspAleppo pepper (or Turkish pul biber)
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 4 clovegarlic cloves, finely grated
• 45 mlwhite vinegar (3 tbsp)
• 30 mlwarm water (to mellow the bite)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the lamb trotters and head pieces under cold running water for 2 minutes, scrubbing any residue. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a full boil for 10 minutes to purge impurities.

2. 2

   Drain the pot and rinse the meat and bones again, then quickly rinse the pot to remove any scum stuck to the sides. Return the cleaned pieces to the pot and add 3000 ml fresh water so everything is well submerged.

3. 3

   Add the halved onion, 12 crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim foam for the first 20 minutes, because a clean skim is what gives Kelle Paça its clear, glossy broth.

4. 4

   Lower the heat to maintain a steady, lazy simmer and partially cover the pot. Cook for 3 to 3.5 hours, topping up with hot water if the level drops below the bones, until the trotter collagen is released and the meat is very tender.

5. 5

   Remove the head and trotter pieces to a tray and let them cool until safe to handle, about 10 minutes. Pick the meat, soft connective tissue, and any gelatinous bits into a bowl, and discard bones, bay leaves, and onion.

6. 6

   Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot to remove peppercorns and tiny bone fragments. Add the picked meat back to the pot, then stir in 10 g salt and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.

7. 7

   In a bowl, whisk the flour with 120 ml of warm broth taken from the pot until completely smooth and lump-free. Whisk in the egg yolk and lemon juice, because this classic terbiyesi gives the soup a silky body and gentle tang.

8. 8

   Temper the mixture by whisking in another 240 ml hot broth very slowly, keeping the bowl moving so the egg does not curdle. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pot in a thin stream while stirring constantly, then simmer for 8 minutes to cook out the flour taste.

9. 9

   For the pepper butter, melt the butter in a small pan over low heat until it foams, then stir in Aleppo pepper and paprika for 20 seconds. Remove from heat promptly, because overheating will make the spices bitter and dull.

10. 10

    Mix the grated garlic with vinegar and 30 ml warm water to make the classic garlic-vinegar. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle each with 1 to 2 teaspoons of pepper butter, and serve with 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic-vinegar per bowl so guests can adjust the sharpness.