Borsch
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
For the stock
- 1kg fatty beef shin, (left in large chunks)
- 1 onion, peeled and left whole
- 1 bay leaf
For the broth
- 2.2kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, roughly grated
- 200g beetroot, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
- 1 red pepper, chopped (optional)
- ½ x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 6 prunes, pitted (we used French Agen prunes)
- ½ white cabbage, shredded
- 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 100ml soured cream or crème fraîche, to serve
- ½ bunch dill, chopped
- crusty bread, to serve
Method
- STEP 1
To make the stock, put the meat, whole onion, bay leaf and 2 litres of lightly salted cold water in a large saucepan. Cook over a very low heat for 1 hr 30 mins or until the beef shin is soft and falls apart easily – this can take up to 3 hrs. Skim off the scum with a spoon from time to time. Break up any larger pieces of beef into the broth, remove the whole onion and discard.
- STEP 2
Add the potatoes to the borscht, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the diced onion and carrot, and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the carrot is soft and is about to start caramelising.
- STEP 3
Add the beetroot and cook for around 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper, if using, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and prunes, stir, then increase the heat and boil to reduce slightly, before adding everything to the borscht.
- STEP 4
Add the shredded cabbage and the kidney beans, and cook for 7-10 mins or until tender. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, lots of chopped dill and some crusty bread.
