This is a recipe my Polish grand-mother and then my mother always prepared for Christmas dinner. It is a typical festive dish from Poland. It is really delicious… We serve it with Polish raviolis called pierogis, filled with mushrooms, and fresh dill. The ingredients have to marinate for about a week.
The Ingredients
– an opaque big bowl (in terracotta preferably)
– 3 fresh beetroots from the market (it is important that you don’t use precooked beetroots)
– stale bread
– 3 garlic cloves
– water
– laurel
– 1 tbs coarse salt
– pepper
– fresh dill
– stock cube
The Recipe
- Rince the beetroots and cut them in pieces. Put them in the bowl and cover them with boiling water mixed to 2 stock cubes.
- Add salt, pepper, laurel, garlic and bread.
- Cover the pot with an opaque top and let it ferment for one week.
- Prepare a broth either with vegetables (leeks, carrots,…) or with a stock cube.
- Strain the beetroot juice (and the broth if made with veggies), and put them together (do not put too much stock otherwise it will loose its taste) to boil for about 15 minutes. You can add vinegar and spices if you think it’s not acid enough.
- Serve hot with fresh dill and mushroom pierogis (Polish raviolis), and vinegar ceps or boletus on the side.
