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Borscht
Ingredients
- 4 large or 6 small beets, peeled and halved
- 1 lb (455 g) meaty veal or beef bones
- 1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
- 1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled
- 1 large onion, peeled and halved
- 1 leek (white and green parts), trimmed, halved lengthwise, and rinsed
- 1/4 celery root, peeled, or 1 long celery stalk
- 3 to 4 dried mushrooms or porcini, if you’ve got them
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole, plus 2 extra just in case
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large pinch of dried marjoram, plus more for seasoning
- 6 peppercorns (optional; throw them in if you like a spicier soup)
- About 12 cups (2.8 L) water (depending on the size of the pot)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt (optional)
Directions
- Combine the beets, bones, carrot, parsnip, onion, leek, celery root, mushrooms, 8 garlic cloves, the bay leaf, marjoram, peppercorns (if using), and water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. (There should be enough water to cover the other ingredients.) Remove any foam that has risen to the top, cover, and turn down the heat. Simmer gently until the meat falls off the bones and the vegetables are very soft, about 2 hours.
- Strain the soup through a colander, pressing the solids to extract all the liquids. Taste: If it is too watery, then boil down, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or so. If it seems too dense, add water. When the soup is ready, stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and, if you like, some more dried marjoram.
- You might also ask yourself at this point whether the soup needs even more garlic, in which case peel a couple more cloves, crush them with a garlic press or the flat side of a knife, toss them in, and simmer for a minute or two. Make sure they don’t fall into anyone’s bowl when you serve (unless, like Anne, the person happens to like boiled garlic cloves). The flavor should be slightly sour and garlicky, yet with that beety hint of sweetness.
- Serve clear, very hot, in small bowls or even large teacups, which you can pick up and drink. If you prefer yours bright pink, then serve in large soup plates with a spoonful of the sour cream or plain yogurt dropped into each one. This keeps in the refrigerator (covered) for days, and indeed grows slightly tangier with time, which is how it is supposed to be.