| Ellina Chernobilsky's Borsch A lot of times, the recipies for borsch are complicated and long (in the cook books that is). I can give you the one I make, which is simple yet delicious. Also, I do not use ham or pork but you may if you feel so compelled. Anyway, here is a recipe: For broth: gallon of water 1 lb beef or lamb meat, best if on the bone, cut into small pieces. Broth is made from either beef or lamb. It is simple, just put your meat in the pot of water and bring to boiling, remove the foam from the top, when the broth starts boiling. Once you have cleaned up the foam from broth then simmer for an hour. 4-5 medium beets 2 medium carrots (shredded) very small cabbage (Green, Red or half and half shredded) 4-5 medium potatos (cut in 6-8 pieces each) One large onion 3-4 tomatos or a medium size can of tomato sauce salt, pepper, paprika, cumin to taste dill and parsley 6-8 sprigs of each Shred carrots and cabbage into the thinnest possible pieces. Also, when putting it in the soup, take it with you hand and break it up with your fingers as you are putting it in the pot. It makes it a little finer, as the juice comes out of it faster that way. If using tomato paste, take the smallest can and dilute with water, so it is like tomato juice. To the broth add peeled beets, bring to boil and cook until the beets are about half-done. Add shredded carrots and cabbage. Add potatos. Once the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer, until the potatos and cabbage are almost ready. Reduce the heat as low as possible. Check the beets and if they are cooked through, take them out and cut them into nice thin slices, make sure they are not too long. Keep the rest of the soup on the smallest possible heat. Chop onions and prepare tomato paste or grate tomatoes. Take a deep skillet, add some olive or safflower oil, heat, then add onions, fry until golden, then add beets and tomato paste (sauce or grated tomatos, whichever you prepared). Sautee until the mixture thickens and becomes deep purple (beets will give it their coloring). Add the sauteed mixture to the soup. Bring the soup to boil. Check the potatoes and if they are ready, turn the heat off. Add salt, pepper, paprika and cumin to taste. Add dill and parsley (fresh, minced). If you feel the soup is too lean, add a spoonful of olive oil. Serve borsch with sour-cream and on the side dark bread and fresh garlic. You take a bite of bread, then garlic then some borsch. Also, borsch is the best on the second day, it needs to "stay-on" as Russians say to become heartier and to really absorb the flavors of the vegetables and spices. Justus' Notes: Lena is very correct about the borsh "staying on" it makes an incredible difference. Much more so than for chili or gumbo. When making the broth I also added 4 bay leaves and a sliced onion. To me this makes a fuller broth. I would add about a half a quart less water. Lena has heavy vegetarian tendencies, add twice as much meat. Lamb is superior to beef. Pull the bones when the borsh is finished and break up any large chunks of meat. I don't like to ingest my garlic Russian style. I added a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic to the borsh. When she says sour cream on the side she means that you put a big dollop in the middle of the bowl and swish it around. This is essential. Borsh tastes wrong without sour cream. Many Russians prefer mayonaise but that is (of course) gross. Russian black breads are usually too heavy and hard for American tastes, however it is best with a bread on the side. I like garlic bread. |
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