Fish Botvinya

Soups • Romanian

Time 1 hour

Ingredients 16

Servings 5

Description

One of the main Russian cold soups, but, unlike okroshka, it is almost forgotten today. The tender, young greens in it are not a substitute for anything but a cornerstone ingredient. Most often, sweet beet greens or Swiss chard leaves are used, but radish greens, which we have in abundance from our garden, are also suitable for botvinya. If their flavor seems too assertively grassy to you, simply add some neutral spinach to the soup. Botvinya is traditionally made with white fish (we had cod, but pike perch and pike would also be ideal), and the herbal freshness of the greens is complemented by the sour kvass.

Ingredients

Cod 1 piece
Onion ½ heads
Carrot ½ pieces
Bay leaf 1 piece
Mustard Greens 5 oz
Mustard Greens 5 oz
Sorrel 5 oz
Cucumbers 4 pieces
Radish 5 oz
Bread Kvass 5 fl oz
Scallions 0 oz
Dill 0 oz
Creamy Horseradish 1 tablespoon
Sour Cream to taste
Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Wash the fish, remove the fillets, and cut off the skin. Cut the fillets into large pieces.

Step 2

Prepare the broth. Place the fish spine, peeled onion, and carrot, along with a bay leaf, into the pot.

Step 3

Cut the stems off the dill and add them to the pot as well. Pour in 1 liter of water, place it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the broth for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Add the cod fillet and cook for another 7 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer the fillet to a plate, remove the fish bones and vegetables from the pot, and strain the broth.

Step 6

Remove the stems from the greens. Place the greens and sorrel in a saucepan (taking care not to mix them together or tying them in separate bundles) and cover with hot water.

Step 7

After 30 seconds, remove the sorrel leaves and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. After another minute, take out the beet greens and place them in the same bowl.

Step 8

Wash the cucumbers and radishes. Slice the cucumbers into small pieces and the radishes into rounds.

Step 9

Pour the kvass into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, blend the ice until finely crushed.

Step 10

Cut the boiled fish fillet in half lengthwise, then into pieces of 2–3 cm. Slice the blanched herbs into thin strips.

Step 11

Finely chop the green onions and dill leaves.

Step 12

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the botvinya, except for the fish, broth, and ice, then add the horseradish and mix well.

Step 13

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the borscht to bowls, pour over chilled fish broth, add pieces of fish, and crushed ice. Serve with sour cream.