Fish Botvinya with Kvass
Soups • Russian
Description
The restaurant version of this ancient cold soup is prepared at 'The Rustic Table' with three seafood products: salmon, sturgeon, and shrimp. But even if you don't have sturgeon on hand, keep in mind the principle of making such botvinya: in addition to beet greens, which gave the soup its name, blended spinach is used. It adds thickness, freshness, and an emerald hue to the soup. Also, only sour kvass is appropriate for botvinya, similar to okroshka. The recipe was shared by John Smith, the chef at 'The Rustic Table' (Penza).
Ingredients
- Fresh basil leaves 10 oz
- Mustard Greens 5 oz
- Sorrel 0 oz
- Cucumbers 5 oz
- Salmon 5 oz
- Sturgeon 5 oz
- Shrimp 0 oz
- Scallions 0 oz
- Dill 0 oz
- Bread Kvass 25 fl oz
- Mustard Greens 0 oz
- Horseradish Leaves 0 oz
- Malt Vinegar 0 fl oz
- Sugar 0 oz
- Salt to taste
- Bay leaf to taste
- Thyme to taste
- Green peppercorns to taste
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Wash and clean the spinach, beet greens, and sorrel from the roots. Set the roots aside.
Step 2
Pour boiling water over all the greens for 1–2 minutes, drain in a colander, and then chop randomly.
Step 3
Chop the roots of the beet greens into small cubes and add vinegar and sugar. Season with salt to taste and let marinate.
Step 4
Blend the spinach until pureed. Set aside.
Step 5
Place a pot of water on high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaf, thyme, dill, and peppercorns.
Step 6
Add the salmon, sturgeon, and shrimp to the pot for 2 minutes. Then carefully remove the contents of the pot with a slotted spoon.
Step 7
Peel the shrimp from their shells.
Step 8
Wash the cucumbers, peel them, and cut them into small cubes.
Step 9
In the kvass, add mustard, horseradish, salt, and sugar to taste, along with the spinach puree.
Step 10
In bowls, place a mix of beet greens and sorrel. Add the marinated beet green roots.
Step 11
Top with the chopped cucumber. Arrange slices of sturgeon and salmon, and the shrimp on top.
Step 12
Finely chop the green onions and add them to the bowl.
Step 13
Pour the kvass mixture over everything.
Step 14
Serve.
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