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Kelle Paça Çorbası
Slow-simmered lamb head meat and trotters in a rich broth, with garlic vinegar and pepper butter.
Place prepared meat and trotters in a large pot with water, onion and bay. Bring to a boil, skim, then partially cover and simmer gently for 4–5 hours. Keep covered with hot water as needed. Do not wash raw meat under a running tap.
Lift out meat and trotters; when safe to handle, remove every bone, cartilage and hard fragment. Chop edible meat. Discard onion and bay, and strain broth through a fine sieve. Work promptly and keep the broth hot.
Return meat to the strained broth, season and simmer thoroughly.
Meat is fully tender and the final soup reaches at least 165°F.
Combine garlic and vinegar in a small bowl. Briefly warm pul biber in butter. Serve soup with these additions and lemon wedges. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F.
Ask a licensed butcher for professionally cleaned edible lamb head meat and trotters. This recipe uses lamb only and does not give instructions for preparing an uncleaned head.
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