Ukrainian BorshchBorshch Ukrainskii -

Ukrainian Borshch
Borshch Ukrainskii

Native to the Ukraine, borshch is one of the great soups of the world. Well over a hundred variations exist - rather a startling total when one considers the relatively small size of the Ukraine. Although as many as twenty different ingredients may go into a borshch, the common component is beetroot, lending the soup its characteristic taste and colour. (The sole exception to this rule is the so-called 'green' borshch made with spinach and sorrel.) Each region of the Ukraine boasts its own preparation of borshch, and the best of these have transcended local boundaries. There is Kiev borshch made with lamb and mushrooms, borshch from Poltava with poultry and dum¬plings. The Galician soup is heavy with potatoes, while Chernigov cooks add marrow to the broth. Lvov has a version with small, mild frankfurters, but in Konotop three different meats make up the soup. Other varieties of borshch appear throughout Russia: Moscow borshch, rich with tomato, 'navy' borshch made with bacon, and the ever-popular 'soldiers' borshch, designed to assuage grumblings both verbal and intestinal. As a general rule, the further west one goes, the more beetroot is added to the soup. But even here the possibilities are numerous: it may be added raw in cubes or in julienne strips; it may be baked first or boiled. Some cooks add raw beetroot to water and make a strong broth, then set it aside for a few days to ripen. Others add beetroot along with its kvass, as in the recipe below. A sour tang can be had from soused apples, sauerkraut, even prunes. It all depends on the resources and imagination of the cook. Ukrainians often eat borshch with ushki, their tiny ear-shaped dumplings, while Muscovites prefer unsweetened vatrushki or pirozhki. Make this soup a day ahead for best results.

Ingredients

3 ½ pints (2 litres) water
½ celeriac, peeled and diced
1 ¼ pints (750 ml) beetroot kvass*
¾ lb (340 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 lb (1.8 kg) beef shin or chuck with bone
1 small head of white cabbage, shredded
2 oz (60 g) dried beans, soaked overnight
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 large beetroot, peeled and cut into julienne strips
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ lb (225 g) smoked pork shoulder or knuckle
1 oz (30 g) salt pork
1 oz (30 g) butter.
4 tablespoons minced parsley
1 carrot, scraped and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf

Beetroot Kvass - Svekol'nyi kvas

4 lb (1.8 kg) beetroot, tops removed
Lukewarm water

Method

Put the water and the beetroot kvass in a large stockpot. Add the beef. Bring to the boil, skimming the foam from the surface of the soup. Simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook the dried beans in salted water until almost tender. Keep warm. Sprinkle the raw beetroot with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Then add it to the soup along with the smoked pork. Cook for 10 minutes. Sauce the onion, carrot and celery root in the butter until softened, hen add to the soup. Stir in the potatoes, shredded cabbage, and apple.

Drain the beans and add them to the soup, along with the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and remaining tablespoon of vinegar. Cook the soup for 20 minutes more. Mince the salt pork together with the parsley, then carefully stir it into the soup, mixing well. Stir in the bay leaf. Boil for 15 minutes longer. Leave to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight. Reheat to serve.

Beetroot Kvass - Svekol'nyi kvas:-

scrub the beetroot, then peel them and cut them into cubes. Place the cubes in a 6 pint (3.5 litre) crock. Bring water to the boil and leave it to cool to lukewarm. Pour enough water over the beetroot cubes to cover them. Cover the crock and leave the beetroot to stand undisturbed for several days. After a few days lift the cover and check the liquid. Skim off any scum or mould that has formed. (The fermenting process is very active, so do not be alarmed to find that mould has grown on the liquid.) Repeat this process every 4 to 5 days. The beetroot kvass will be ready in two weeks. It should give off a sour smell and be a deep red colour. Skim the top of the liquid until it is free of scum, and then strain the liquid through muslin into a clean jar. Store in the refrigerator, or, if desired, freeze.

Note:- A quicker, though less potent beetroot kvass may be made by grating the beetroot and then covering it with warm water. Cover the crock and keep it in a warm place. The kvass will be ready in 3 to 4 days.

Related food category:

• Russian Home Cooking