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2 lbs
lamb shanks, cleaned
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8 cups
water
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1 tsp
salt
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2
egg yolks, whisked
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3 tbsp
fresh lemon juice
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6
garlic cloves, minced
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2 tbsp
red wine vinegar
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2 tbsp
olive oil
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1 tsp
red pepper flakes
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1
Place 2 lbs cleaned lamb shanks and 1 tsp salt into a pot with 8 cups water and simmer until meat is tender and internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 90 minutes.
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2
Shred cooked meat from bones, strain broth, and return meat to strained broth.
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3
Whisk 2 whisked egg yolks and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice together, temper with broth, and stir back into pot.
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4
Mix 6 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar in a bowl to make garlic sauce.
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5
Heat 1 tsp red pepper flakes in 2 tbsp olive oil and drizzle over soup with garlic sauce.
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About Kelle Paça Çorbası
Also called: kelle paça, kelle paca, paça çorbası, kelle paca corbasi
Kelle paça çorbası is a Turkish soup made by simmering lamb or mutton until the meat falls from the bone, then thickening the broth with an egg yolk and lemon liaison. The name refers to the head (kelle) and trotters (paça) traditionally used. This version uses lamb shanks, which give a similar gelatin-rich broth and are easier to buy. It is served from soup shops (işkembeci and paçacı) and eaten especially in cold weather and late at night. At the table it is finished with garlic steeped in vinegar and a drizzle of oil warmed with red pepper flakes, so each bowl can be adjusted to taste.
The long simmer in step 1 is the whole technique: about 90 minutes for the shanks to release their collagen. The tempered egg yolk and lemon then turn the clear broth creamy and sharp at once. Strain the broth before the egg goes in, and shred the meat into bite-size pieces so every spoonful carries some. The soup should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable.
Serving and keeping
Serve hot with the garlic vinegar and pepper oil on the side and bread for dipping. Keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently without boiling, since the egg yolk can split.
Variations
With trotters
Add 2 cleaned lamb trotters to the pot with the shanks and extend the simmer until they are tender for a more gelatinous broth.
Paça only
Make it with trotters alone for a lighter, more gelatinous soup with less meat.
Butter finish
Warm the red pepper flakes in butter instead of olive oil for a richer topping.
If it goes wrong
Egg yolk scrambles in the pot
Temper slowly: whisk a ladle of hot broth into the yolk and lemon, then a second ladle, before stirring the mixture back in. Keep the soup below a boil after that.
Broth is thin
The shanks need the full simmer to give up their gelatin. Simmer longer with the lid ajar, then strain.
Soup is cloudy and grey
Skim the foam that rises in the first 15 minutes of the simmer and strain the broth before returning the meat.
Garlic sauce is harsh
Let the minced garlic sit in the red wine vinegar for at least 10 minutes before serving; it mellows as it steeps.
Substitutions
- lamb shanks: lamb neck or a mix of shank and trotters. Neck gives more meat; trotters give more body.
- red wine vinegar: grape vinegar or white wine vinegar. Grape vinegar is the usual Turkish choice; the flavor is milder.
- red pepper flakes: pul biber (Aleppo pepper). Milder, fruitier heat and a deeper red oil.
Questions
How long does Kelle Paça Çorbası take?
As written, 140 minutes: 20 of prep and 120 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 1 (1 hour 30 minutes): "Place 2 lbs cleaned lamb shanks and 1 tsp salt into a pot with 8 cups water and simmer until meat is tender and internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 90 minutes."
What internal temperature should Kelle Paça Çorbası reach?
For Kelle Paça Çorbası, the target internal temperature is 165 F (about 75 C), given in step 1. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.
Why does Kelle Paça Çorbası have me temper the eggs?
Step 3 reads: "Whisk 2 whisked egg yolks and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice together, temper with broth, and stir back into pot." Eggs scramble if they meet a hot liquid all at once. Step 3 warms them gradually with a little of the hot mixture first, so they thicken the sauce or custard smoothly instead of curdling.
Can I make Kelle Paça Çorbası less spicy?
Yes. The heat in Kelle Paça Çorbası comes from 1 tsp red pepper flakes. For a milder plate, halve the pepper flakes; nothing else in the method changes.
Is Kelle Paça Çorbası low-carb?
A serving of Kelle Paça Çorbası carries 3 g of carbohydrate. Against a strict 20 g keto day that is 15 percent of the budget; against a moderate 100 g low-carb day it is 3 percent.
Does Kelle Paça Çorbası contain eggs?
Yes: 2 egg yolks, whisked. The full allergen list for this entry is eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.
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