Borsch is a regional dish in the southern part of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, as well as Poland and Lithuania. Therefore, we can safely say that the recipes of borsch on the earth are like stars in the sky, and each mistress presents it in her own way. Discussing the topic of how to cook soup properly does not make sense. You can only highlight the most common and important points in its preparation, for example, the preparation of the broth and the choice of beets - these components most affect the taste and appearance of the dish.
Chicken stock borsch - basic technological principles
Any meat broth is appreciated for its richness, which affects the calorie content of the dish and its taste. Real borsch is usually made from beef brisket, "sugar bones" of cattle, because the meat set forms the taste of the dish. This rule was invented many centuries ago, which can be seen by reading the ancient recipes of Slavic cuisine. Everything happens once for the first time, and then it becomes the norm, so let's see what can be done from an economical set of products, given the difference in price between selected beef, pork and cheaper poultry. At the same time, we will find out how the Poltava borsch differs from the St. Petersburg borsch, and the South Russian borsch from Kiev.
An ideal option for chicken for borsch is an old domestic cock, of good fatness, on the carcass of which fat is clearly visible. Domestic chicken or rooster can only be bought in the market. The poultry farm also has high-quality broilers, but they are grown in cages, under artificial lighting, without free walking, and this greatly affects the quality of meat. The only consolation is the abundance of cheap product on all counters. But from such a bird you can get a medium quality broth, and in it, by a lucky chance, you can find small pale yellow balls of chicken fat, which can not be compared to the amber film obtained after cooking poultry.
What can be done to improve the quality of stock from factory chickens?
For three liters of full broth you will need a carcass weighing at least two kilograms. The whole carcass can be replaced with legs, wings, backs - in these parts there are suitable bones, of which, in fact, a good saturated broth is obtained. From the breast, the most dietary part of the chicken, no fat will come out at all: it is advisable to cook it along with the rest of the carcass.
There is another option - the most economical, only a little troublesome: for a good broth, you can buy a kilogram of chicken paws, grind, remove the cornea and cook on the lowest heat, adding chicken fat, which is also sold on the market, separately or with giblets. If it is not important that the broth is just chicken, you can combine different types of meat for borsch, but be sure to add a good bone set to it.
Pre-treatment of poultry.
Do you think that the purchased frozen carcass of a bird, or wings, legs, thighs - has already been processed, and it is enough to wash them only? Very mistaken. Rather, they are processed, but not in the right way. Compare the farm bird with the broiler in the package, and you will understand that the smell and color of these two options are noticeably different. Without going into details of the process of processing carcasses in poultry farms, we pay attention only to what needs to be done so that such meat has a decent appearance and taste similar to meat of domestic chicken:
Having bought a frozen or chilled factory bird in any distribution network, be sure to immerse it in water for at least two hours. During this time, all unwanted additives that are very often injected will be removed from the carcass to increase shelf life, weight and other benefits;
After soaking, dry the meat with a napkin and be sure to grind it over the burner flame. After such resuscitation, the taste of meat will noticeably improve; gray foam will not bubble in the broth, which kills the appetite in advance. If you bought not a whole carcass, but, say, a chicken leg, connect the skin with a skewer, prick the leg with a fork, so that it would be more convenient to hold it over the flame, and so that juice does not drip from the meat. After this procedure, wash the meat under a stream, using a brush or a hard sponge, dry it again with a napkin, and you can cook the broth.
The rules of this meat broth
The secret to saturated broth also lies in the method of cooking meat. If you put the meat in boiling water, you get juicy meat, and the broth does not reach the highest grade. Decide according to the circumstances: if boiled meat will be used to prepare other dishes, and you need to preserve its juiciness, then dip it in boiling water, but in any case, start to cook the bones in cold water.
The second secret of the broth is the addition of roots and spices. There is a wonderful custom in Russian cuisine - spices and spices are added to the first dishes twice:
For the first time: the roots of parsley, carrots, celery and onions, bay leaf, pepper. Roots need to be added when the meat is already in the half-ready stage, and spices - 7-10 minutes before cooking is complete. Do not forget to strain the broth or get additives using a slotted spoon.
Add spices for the second time at the very end of cooking borsch: ground (!) Spices - 7-10 minutes before cooking, and spicy greens should only be allowed to boil, and immediately remove the pan from the stove. Subject to these rules, the best borsch of all time is guaranteed!
The remaining rules for the preparation of first courses are well known:
Vegetables in the first courses are added depending on their density, the speed of heat treatment. For example, cabbage, fresh pepper are added along with parsley and dill, potatoes - after the beets are ready, dressing from carrots, onions and tomatoes - after the potatoes are ready. In this order, there is a need: if you add acidic dressing to the pan before the potato, then it will be tough - the acid will increase the potato cooking time by three times, and the potato will not be saturated with broth even with longer cooking.
Sour dressing is added after the potato when it becomes soft. Dressing consists of stewed or stewed vegetables - onions, carrots, tomatoes in any form (juice, fruit drinks, mashed potatoes, pasta - in the South Russian cuisine). The composition of acidic dressing for borsch in some regional cuisines (in the northern regions of Russia) includes vinegar, citric acid, sourdough (in Poland and Lithuania).
Cabbage, spicy greens, salad peppers have a very delicate texture. They are added at the very end of cooking, giving them only to boil. These vegetables have time to reach readiness, while the borsch is infused.
About the beets, which became the ancestor of the Slavic soup, a few words - separately. This root crop largely determines not only the name, but also the color and taste of the dish. Choose varieties with the lowest fiber and fiber content, they are more juicy, they can be cooked faster. Depending on the desired result, you can also choose beets with different color intensities. For example, Bordeaux beetroot is more suitable for salads and vinaigrettes, if you want the red color of the borscht to be achieved not at the expense of the root, but thanks to tomato dressing, as in the South Russian versions of the dish. For borsch in this case, you need to choose lighter, borsch beet varieties.
Vegetables are added to borsch in raw, baked, stewed and pickled form, beets are added at different stages of cooking, which is also due to the peculiarities of regional cuisine.
1. South Russian borsch on chicken stock, classic
Products:
Chicken broth 3 l
Boiled chicken meat (pulp) 800 g
Beets, borscht 140 g
Cabbage 0.5 kg
Potato 300 g
Salad pepper 120 g
Onion 220 g
Carrot, red 150 g
100 ml refined oil
Sugar 35 g
Tomato paste, natural 100 g
Celery (roots) 70 g
Salt
Parsley, dill 120 g
Hot peppers, green; bay leaf, a mixture of ground peppers and coriander
Technology cooking:
How to cook the broth is described in detail in the basic technological principles. Select the appropriate option.
In a boiling liquid, throw the beets, previously peeled and grated on a fine grater. Cover, and continue to cook, slowly, until the beets are fully cooked. As soon as the broth is clarified, drop the potatoes. While the potatoes are boiling, heat the oil in a pan, toss some sugar, then chopped carrots, onions. Finishing the vegetables tender, add the tomato paste diluted with a small amount of broth taken from the pan. Stir fry, simmer until the paste becomes a deep dark red. Put the frying in the borsch, let it boil. After that, immediately throw chopped cabbage, salad and hot pepper, dill and parsley. Add spices and salt. Close the pan as soon as the borscht begins to boil, and immediately turn off the heat.
After half an hour, the dish can be served by putting portions of meat in plates. If desired, you can add sour cream, mustard, garlic sauce.
2. Poltava borsch on chicken stock
Composition products:
Broth (semi-finished product) 4 L
Peeled potatoes 400 g
Beetroot 300 g
White cabbage 800 g
Onion 350 g
Carrot 300 g
Lard (lard) 250 g
Fruit drink, tomato 0,7 l
Dill, parsley 120 g
Salt
Garlic
Bay leaf
Meat (fillet), sour cream, donuts - for serving
Way cooking:
Cut the peeled beets into thin strips, stew, adding a small amount of melted pork fat. Transfer the beets to a boiling broth, cook until light. Chop the bacon into small cubes, fry until rosy. Fried pieces can be removed from the pan, or left as desired. Put in the melted fat grated carrots and onions, chopped with a thin straw. Fry until soft, then pour the tomato juice, simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
After boiling the beets, put the chopped potatoes in the pan, cook until soft, add the tomato dressing. When the dressing begins to boil, throw chopped cabbage and chopped dill, parsley. Season with spices, add bay leaves, ground red and black pepper, chopped garlic and salt to taste.
Serve the borscht after infusion for forty minutes. Place the meat in plates or serve separately. Sour cream and donuts with garlic are surely served to Poltava borsch.
3. Capital borsch on chicken stock
Products:
Carrots, sweet 150 g
Sugar 40 g
Beets 300 g
Onion 120 g
Oil 120 ml
Table vinegar 25 ml
Cabbage 800 g
Tomato Paste 125 g
Bouillon 1.6 L
Potato 200 g
Sour cream - for serving
Dill, chopped 80 g
Pepper, black and red, bay leaf, salt
Order cooking:
Fry chopped beets and carrots in oil until soft, tomato paste, vinegar and sugar. Transfer the vegetables to a boiling broth: cabbage, potatoes - in cubes. Cook until the potatoes are cooked. Season with spices, add salt, bay leaf. Serve with sour cream and fresh chopped dill.
4. Borsch on chicken broth with smoked bacon, beans and prunes
Ingredients:
Bouillon 4.5 L
Celery (stem) 1 pc.
Carrot 300 g
Onion 350 g
Oil 150 ml
Parsley 90 g
Pepper, garlic, bay leaf - to taste
Tomatoes 250 g
Cabbage 700 g
Tomato Paste 75 g
Bacon 200 g
Beets 350 g
Prunes 250 g
White beans, boiled 300 g
Salt
Cooking Technology:
Cut the prepared beets into strips, sauté until tender, with vegetable oil. Put in a slightly boiling broth, cook until the broth color turns yellow.
Smoked bacon, chopped into small cubes, fry in a pan, add onions, also diced, grated carrots, prunes, slices of blanched tomatoes and tomato paste. Transfer the stewed vegetables to the pan, let it boil.
Add beans, chopped cabbage, herbs and finely chopped celery stalk. Season the borsch with spices, salt. Remove from the stove. Serve after the borsch is infused with sour cream.
5. Borsch on chicken stock with chard and eggs "Summer"
Ingredients:
Boiled breast, chicken - 100 g per serving
Boiled eggs 7 pcs.
Onion 200 g
Cabbage 400 g
Bouillon 4 L
Chard 400 g
Pickled beets 300 g
Coarse salt
Parsley, dill 150 g
Bacon 250 g
Potato 0.4 kg
Sour cream 250 g
Lemon juice 100 ml
Spice
Cooking:
In a broth, cook the potatoes until soft. Take a portion of the broth and separately boil the pickled beets in it, add lemon juice, sugar, ground spices.
Salt finely chopped bacon and onion, and beat with a blender, until a paste forms, which you put in a pot of potatoes. Boil for 8-10 minutes, drop the cabbage, chard, greens, when the borscht boils, pour the acid dressing from pickled beets with lemon juice into it . Try and adjust the taste.
When serving, put in each serving meat, half an egg, serve sour cream.
6. Kiev borsch on chicken stock
Grocery list:
Beets, borsch 600 g
Chicken thighs 550 g
White beans 150 g
Sour apples 250 g (net)
Ground pepper
Kvass, beetroot 1.2 l
Garlic 15 g
The roots of carrots, parsley - only 300 g
Celery Root 90 g
Onion 210 g
Potato 360 g
Tomato paste120 g
White cabbage 0.4 kg
1.5 L broth
Salo 180 g
Bay leaves
Sour cream (20%) 200 g
Sugar
Salt
Parsley for decoration
Cooking Technology:
Combine the finished chicken broth with beet kvass. Cut vegetables and apples into strips, potatoes - into bars. Boil the beans separately. Stew beets chopped with straws, stew with chicken thighs (1 pc. Per serving), with the addition of tomato puree. Grated roots and onions passer separately with lard. Put prepared ingredients in boiling broth: potatoes, cabbage, beets, stewed with hips, roots, boiled beans, spices. Cook for 3-5 minutes. At the end, add apples, garlic, spices, sugar, salt. Serve the sour cream separately.
Chicken broth borsch - useful tips
So that the beets do not stain the potatoes in burgundy, they must be stewed in vegetable oil. Adding acid when cooking beets will make potatoes stiff. Sour dressing in all types of soups is added only after the potatoes are ready.
If borsch should be heated the next day, do not bring it to a boil. To refresh the taste, add fresh chopped greens.
