"Will the real Borstch please stand up!"
By Franz Scheurer
.
“Always on the lookout for old cookbooks
I found The Russian Cook Book {more likely found as The Borzoi Cook Book}
compiled and translated by Princess Alexandre Gagarine and published in London 1924. It’s a wonderful book giving you an insight into the Russian psyche and some terrific
recipes to book. I was particularly enchanted to learn all about Borstch, the famous beetroot soup from Southern Russia.
.
“Real Russian Borstch’s most important ingredients are beetroot, kvass and sourovetz.
Every rural household in Russia (and many
suburban ones) will have kvass and sourovetz happily fermented away in their cellars. If we want to make authentic Borstch
then it will take a bit of work, but no doubt worth it.
.
“Here is Princess Alexandre’s recipe (and I quote from the book):”
{ukraineorphans.net is changing only the recipe presentation format to resemble the format we have
been using – the content is word for word, as Mr. Scheurer continues.}
.
“Beetroot Kvass for Making Borstch”
{Ingredients}
“5 large beetroots to 4 litres of water”
{for soup let one litre equal one quart}
.
{Instructions}
“Clean
wash and scrape beetroot. Cut into pieces. Fill wooden tub or barrel with alternate layers of cut and whole beetroots, well
washed. Pour in cold water so that no empty place remains. Seal tub and keep in cellar. The kvass will be ready for use in
two weeks. It can be kept the whole winter if the quantity of water is kept constant and any mildew that appears wiped or
skimmed off. The proportion is 5 large beetroots to 4 litres of water. This kvass is used only for cooking. (There is a recipe
for ‘drinking kvas’ in the book as well)”
.
“Sourovetz for Making Borstch”
{Ingredients}
“3 kg {kilogram} dry buckwheat bread {let one kg be two pounds}
2 lt {liters} water”
.
{Instructions}
“Put
the buckwheat bread into a wooden tub or barrel, pour over boiling water, and when water has cooled add 2 lt {liters} cold
water and ½ cake of brewers yeast, previously softened with ½ cup lukewarm water. Keep tub in kitchen or warm
pantry until the liquid begins to ferment; then remove to a cool cellar. Always add as much cold water to the tub as is taken
out. It will keep for several months.”
.
“Borstch”
{Ingredients}
“3 cups beetroot kvass
1 cup sourovetz
1 kg {kilogram} beef {let one kilogram be two pounds}
1 fowl
500g {grams} ribs of mutton {let 500 grams be one pound}
4 large beetroots
3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
Parsley and fennel leaves
1 cabbage
4
large potatoes
2
tomatoes
250g
salted pork
1
tbs flour
1 egg
yolk
1 large
white onion
1/2
cup cream”
.
{Instructions}
“Take 3 cups of beetroot kvass, 1 cup sourovetz and mix 3 litres
plain water, adding 4 teaspoons salt. Put into sauce pan 1 kg beef, 1 trussed fowl, and place on fire.
.
When it begins to boil remove skum and continue
boiling until is quite tender.
Take out, leaving beef in saucepan. Add 1 whole beetroot, 3 large chopped beetroots, 3 chopped
carrots, 3 stalks celery and 3 sprigs parsley.
.
When well cooked add 500g ribs of mutton.
.
One hour before using add a small young cabbage, cut into 6 or 8 parts, and 4 large potatoes, peeled
and cut into pieces.
.
Cut 250g of salt pork into small pieces, put
into a wooden mortar add 1 tbs flour, 1 onion and about a tablespoon fennel and parsley leaves chopped fine. Pound with a
wooden pestle until it is a smooth green paste.
.
.
Put into sauce pan with the cooking borstch
and boil until everything is well mixed.
When the cabbage and potatoes are tender add 2 fresh tomatoes, drained, seeded and cut into pieces.
.
Put
in soup 1 egg yolk and 1/2 cup sour cream. Add Borstch gradually, stirring constantly.
.
Cut fowl and mutton into pieces and put into
soup tureen. The beef should not get left in tureen (it usually goes for the servant’s dinner.)”
