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Zupa nic
Vanilla milk with meringue
Zupa nic: Polish 'nothing soup' of vanilla milk with poached meringue clouds
Zupa nic means 'nothing soup', and Polish grandmothers in Silesia and Greater Poland made it from almost nothing: milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Spoonfuls of whipped egg white are poached in the milk like little clouds, then the milk is thickened with the yolks into a thin custard and poured round them. It is eaten warm on a winter evening or chilled in summer, and children love it. A common mistake is boiling the custard after the yolks go in, which scrambles them. Chef's tip: poach the clouds for only a minute on each side; any longer and they puff up, then shrink and turn rubbery.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 vanilla podsplit, or 1 tsp extract
- 4 eggsseparated
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch ground cinnamonopt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 1 litre whole milk with 1 vanilla pod in a wide pan until barely simmering.
5 minStep 2: Whisk the egg whites from the 4 eggs to soft peaks, then add half the 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar a spoon at a time and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.
4 minStep 3: Drop large spoonfuls of meringue onto the simmering milk and poach for 1 minute a side until set. Lift onto a plate with a slotted spoon.
8 minStep 4: Whisk the yolks with the rest of the 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp potato starch or cornflour. Whisk in a ladle of hot milk, then pour back into the pan and stir over a low heat until it coats the back of a spoon, 2–3 minutes, without boiling.
3 minStep 5: Remove the vanilla pod, ladle the custard into bowls, float the clouds on top and dust with 1 pinch ground cinnamon.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zupa nic take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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