CULINARY EXPLORATIONS: Russian Borsch

Enough of fooling around and let's bring on the hardcore gourmet soup game! Namely, I am about to reveal the hidden secrets of borsch making, the way my mother has taught me. Naturally there are many different recipes for borsch and I am not saying they are wrong and mine is the best, but if you do it like I tell you here, you won't go wrong. Promise! :))

Since I still have a lot to learn about recipe writing (e.g. actually note down the ingredients and quantities I use when I make something) then I photographed all products in quantities that were used in the soup this time to make this task easier for myself and more visual for you.

For the broth:

2 litres of water, bring it to boil

add the beef osso bucco piece and let it boil a bit, remove all foam that forms on top. if you want more colour and taste, fry the osso bucco piece beforehand a bit.

After about 40 minutes of boiling on medium heat add ginger, garlic, onion (the more the better the taste, imo), carrots and parsley

For the perfect beef broth make sure you have at least 3 hours in total. So make sure you have plenty of time or go to the gym meanwhile, like I did! ;)

Add salt and pepper to taste. Put beef aside and strain or filter the broth. Throw away all the vegetables used in making the broth. Let the osso bucco cool.

For next step:

Peel the potatoes and carrots. Chop potatoes and cabbage into small pieces and add to the broth which is being brought to boil. Do not close with a lid in the first 15 minutes, so that the cabbage smell evaporates. Then cover with lid.

Meanwhile, grate carrots and mince onions. Heat up a frying pan with some olive oil, first add carrots and some minutes later the onions. Let them braise under a closed lid until they are cooked. Then add salt, sugar, some fresh lemon juice and tomato paste (about 1 tablespoon, or one tomato), let simmer few more minutes. Before you add this mixture to the soup, make sure the flavours are balanced - it is not too sour, salty or sweet.

Now add to the soup. Also add a few bay leafs.

While it is all simmering at low heat, chop the beef into small pieces, removing everything that is not actual meat. Also grate the previously boiled beet of about 200 -300 grams (that's one of the items I always buy ready made, since it makes life so much easier) and add to the soup together with two minced garlic cloves. Bring it to boil, flavour with more salt if you wish and remove from heat. Also now it is the time to find those bay leafs in the soup and remove them.