Philadelphia pepper pot

During the relentlessly harsh winter of 1777-78, morale was low at Valley Forge, and desertions frequent. According to legend, Washington ordered a good meal to cheer his troops one night - only to be told by his harried cook that there was nothing but tripe, some peppercorns, and useless scraps. Still, an order was an order and the cook improvised a soup which he called, ex post facto, Philadelphia (in honour of his home town) Pepper Pot. It is said that some Philadelphians still attribute the success of the Revolution to Philadelphia pepper pot soup.

3 pounds tripe

1 knuckle of veal with meat left on

2 pounds marrowbone, split

2 large onions, sliced

Soup bouquet: several sprigs parsley; 1 bay leaf; 2 sprigs thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 carrot, cut in chunks

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon whole allspice

6 whole cloves

4 potatoes, diced fine

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

2 dessertspoons chopped parsley

Salt

Pepper

Dumplings (recipe below)

Wash the tripe, put into a large saucepan with 3 quarts of water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook over a low heat for 6 to 7 hours or until the tripe is very soft. Cool in the broth. When cool enough to handle, out into very small pieces. Pour broth into a container. While tripe is cooking, put veal knuckle in a second large saucepan with 1 1/2 quarts of water. Remove the marrow from marrowbone with a knife or spoon and heat in a saucepan. Toss in onions and sauté until tender. Now combine with the veal knuckle and the de-marrrowed bone. Add the soup bouquet, red pepper, allspice, and cloves and cook over a low heat for about 5 hours or until very tender. Cool veal in broth until meat can be handled comfortably, then chop veal in small pieces (discard bones), and add to chopped tripe. Pour broth into a separate container and refrigerate both the meat and the two broths overnight. Next day, remove and discard fat from tripe and veal broth. Combine the two broths and add the chopped tripe and veal, diced potatoes, marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes. Add parsley, drop dumplings in broth, and cook as directed. Serves 12.

Dumplings

1 cup sifted plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ ounce shortening

6 dessertspoons milk (about)

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add shortening and pinch it in with your fingers until it is well distributed. Gradually stir in milk with a fork - just enough to make a soft dough. Drop by dessertspoons into simmering soup, cover tightly, and cook 15 minutes. Serves 6. The dumplings are limited to 6 servings because your saucepans will not accommodate more and they must be cooked, all at one time, in the simmering soup. You can make a second batch of dumplings when you serve the soup on the second day.