Poltavskyi Borshch (полтавський борщ, goose-broth borshch)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A big modern stockpot, at least 6 litres
• •A wide pan for the zasmazhka
• •A box grater
• •Two teaspoons for dropping halushky
• •A fine sieve or colander for straining broth

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the goose broth

   Put the goose pieces in a big stockpot with the cold water, halved onion, carrot, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring it up slowly, then keep it at the gentlest murmur, the sound my grandmother called spirit, skimming the grey foam as it gathers. A hard boil makes the broth cloudy and pushy; a quiet simmer gives you clean richness and that gold fat you want later.

   Salt only lightly at the start. Fermented tomato mors or beet zakwas will bring salt and sourness later, and you need room to balance the pot.
2. 2

   Cook the beets

   While the broth works, simmer the whole beets in a separate pot until a knife slips through without a fight. Leave the tails on so the color stays inside them. Slip off the skins, grate the beets coarsely, and keep them with any ruby juices that collect on the board.

3. 3

   Strain and pick

   Lift the goose pieces from the broth when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the broth tastes rounded. Strain the liquid, discard the spent onion and carrot, and pull the goose meat into generous pieces. Skim off some fat if the surface looks too thick, but keep a few spoonfuls for the zasmazhka. That fat is not waste. It is the beginning of flavor.

4. 4

   Build the zasmazhka

   Set a wide pan over low heat with a few spoonfuls of goose fat, adding sunflower oil only if the broth is lean. Add the diced onion and let it soften until translucent, then stir in the grated carrot and parsnip or parsley root if using. Cook slowly until the carrot has relaxed, the fat has turned orange, and the smell changes from raw roots to sweetness. Stir in the tomato paste and let it darken one shade.

   The zasmazhka goes into the borshch near the end. Its slow sweetness should sit brightly on the broth; add it too early and it disappears into the stock.
5. 5

   Layer the vegetables

   Return the strained broth and picked goose meat to the pot. Add the potatoes first and let them cook until their edges just begin to soften, then add the cabbage. Stir in the grated beets with their juices. The pot should turn dark ruby, not pink, and the surface should carry little gold beads of goose fat.

6. 6

   Sour the pot

   Add the fermented tomato mors, beet zakwas, or fermented tomato brine a little at a time, tasting as you go. You want sweet beet, rich goose, and a clean sour lift, not a sour slap. If the beets are flat, add the sugar, but only after you taste. The ferment is doing the important work here, deeper and kinder than vinegar.

7. 7

   Drop the halushky

   For the halushky, beat the egg with the water or cooled broth and salt, then stir in the flour until you have a soft, sticky dough that drops heavily from a spoon. Dip two teaspoons into the hot broth, scoop small pieces of dough, and slide them into the simmering borshch. They will puff and float when ready, tender at the center and stained lightly red at the edges.

   Do not make them tidy. Poltava halushky are home food, and a lumpy dumpling has more character than a nervous one.
8. 8

   Finish and rest

   Stir in the zasmazhka, smashed garlic, black pepper, and most of the dill. Taste again: salt, sour, sweetness, fat. The spoon must stand up straight, not because the soup is stiff, but because the pot is full of cabbage, potato, goose, beet, and dumplings. Turn off the heat and let it sit before serving so the halushky drink in the broth.

9. 9

   Serve generously

   Ladle into deep bowls, making sure every person gets goose, beets, cabbage, and halushky. Add a spoon of smetana and a scatter of dill at the table. Tomorrow it will taste deeper, so do not apologize for the size of the pot.

Chef Tips

• •If you cannot find goose, duck legs are the nearest cousin. Chicken makes a gentler, more everyday pot, a bit more modern, but still worth cooking.
• •Fermented tomato mors is beautiful here because tomato belongs naturally with borshch. Beet zakwas is darker and earthier. Sauerkraut brine works in a pinch, but add it carefully so cabbage does not take over the goose.
• •The halushky dough should be soft, not rollable. If it sits in a neat ball, loosen it with a spoonful of broth; if it runs like batter, add a little flour.
• •The broth and the souring do not forgive rushing. The chopping does. Rough cabbage and uneven potatoes still feed people.
• •Chill the finished borshch overnight if you can. Goose fat firms on top, so you can lift off excess or leave some for gloss and flavor.

Advance Preparation

• •The goose broth can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and chilled. Skim the fat after chilling, keeping a few spoonfuls for the zasmazhka.
• •Cook and grate the beets a day ahead if you like; keep every drop of their juice.
• •Finished borshch improves overnight. Reheat it gently so the halushky stay tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 750g)