My Odessa cuisine. Cooking according to books: Odessa cuisine

Odessa cuisine, like a big cauldron, combines Ukrainian hospitality, Jewish resourcefulness, oriental spice, Russian thoroughness, French multi-layeredness and Caucasian spiciness. Having absorbed the best, Odessa cuisine flavored the dishes with a slice of the southern sun, the salt of the generous sea and the aroma of ripe tomatoes. Performed by Savely Libkin, Odessa cuisine sounds, charges you with mood and desire to prepare exactly that salad, the sauce of which you then savor with a piece of Borodino, exactly that blue caviar, a kilogram of which you just “have to try.” Bright, unforgettable, leaving the warmest memories, gathering everyone around the big table, Odessa cuisine does not leave anyone indifferent.

Preface to the book:

The hardest thing in life is to start. The subject in this case does not matter. Starting a book was no less difficult for me than it was for you to start cooking. The beginning is always fraught with doubts: is it worth it? will it turn out right?

Everyone knows: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Let's go on a “gastronomic journey” through my Odessa together. Let’s take the first step: I am as a writer, you are as connoisseurs of Odessa cuisine. So, let's go to “my Odessa kitchen”...

Today “my Odessa kitchen” is located on French Boulevard - in one of the most beautiful areas of Odessa. Sometime in 1902, the Little Fountain Road received the sonorous name French Boulevard in honor of the visit of Tsar Nicholas II to France. Our city has always been at the center of cultural and political events, despite its distance from the capitals. Here, at the dacha of the consul of the French Republic and merchant Jean Reno, A. S. Pushkin stayed, and on the street nearby I. A. Bunin lived his last years before emigration. But this is all poetic, literary Odessa. My story began in maternity hospital No. 1 exactly 70 years after its foundation; by the way, it was built on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the marriage of Emperor Alexander III.

After the “historical” (in every sense) maternity hospital No. 1, I moved to Vorovskogo Street (formerly Malaya Arnautskaya Street at that time and now Malaya Arnautskaya Street again). Yes, you remember quite correctly: “All smuggling is done in Odessa, on Malaya Arnautskaya Street.” They say that it was here that the prototype of Ostap Bender lived - a certain Ostap Shor. But I didn’t find him, but I know well how life works if you live two blocks from the famous Privoz, next to the station and a 10-minute run from the sea.

I learned to cook from Grandma Rosa. Without exaggerating, I will say: Rozalia Moiseevna cooked every day for our entire large family after my grandfather brought food from Privoz, which in Odessa must not only be selected, but also bargained for. I am very curious and naturally attentive to details, so I can talk about food and the way it is prepared in nuances without further tasting. In my younger years, I increasingly looked at food rather than tasted it. Restaurants sold alcohol, dancing and instant dating. In the 70s, you had to pay to get into a restaurant in Odessa.

At the same time, store shelves were empty (the country began to “generously feed” us exclusively with birch sap), prices on Privoz rose ever higher (apparently, towards the upcoming “Olympic heights”). To survive in the heyday of the “socialist paradise”, it was necessary to get closer to the products and learn how to cook.

Immediately after serving in the Soviet army, I went to study to become a cook, and then I started working. My culinary practice started with the “banquet business”. Famous and rich Odessa residents, true epicureans, ordered original Odessa dishes - a mixture of Greek-Armenian food from Soviet products, mixed with Jewish traditions.

I have been involved in food all my adult life: I can say that for 20 years the menu of my restaurants has been appreciated not only by Odessa residents, but also by tourists from all over the world who so willingly come to Odessa during the season.

“My Odessa Kitchen” is the first book of recipes from a real Odessa resident who loves his city and his business. For me, cooking is not a hobby, not a newfangled trend to gather “friends with similar interests” on blogs. Everything in this book is real: recipes that make delicious food, words from Odessa friends who make it a joy to sit at the table, and an author who is seriously in love with his Odessa history and cuisine.

Before the first page of the book and the first recipe, I will again turn to the main Odessa writers and their hero, the son of a Turkish citizen, a true Odessa citizen Ostap Bender: “Dinner first, and speeches second.” Bon appetit!

From the editors of Lady Mail.Ru. Cooking according to books is like playing roulette: you seem to do everything according to the instructions, but the end result does not coincide with what you see in the picture. The taste of the dish sometimes also leaves much to be desired. Therefore, we decided from time to time to organize culinary experiments to test cookbooks and share with you our achievements, failures and ideas on how else you can dream up this or that dish.

To repeat recipes from the book Savelia Libkina “Odessa feast” (EKSMO publishing house), I had to go to the nearest market to buy groceries: cooking from supermarket ones would be akin to blasphemy. I’ll say right away: I did the right thing - all the dishes turned out delicious.

A few words about the author of the book. In Russia, Savely Libkin is not as well known as in his homeland - Ukraine. There he is considered one of the best chefs and is among the top 10 most famous people in Odessa. His restaurant in Prague is mentioned in the Michelin Red Guide. And when the cook says that he worked for Libkin, he says it with such an air as if he studied with Paul Bocuse himself.

Recipe. Young radish salad with sour cream

For some reason, radishes are familiarly called radishes. And after the film “Gentlemen of Fortune” this word generally became a playful curse word. But spring comes, and I want to enjoy the delicious crispy salad made from this same radish again and again. For this salad, we choose the earliest, slightly elongated radish with a white bottom.

Ingredients(for 4 servings): 500 g radishes, 5 homemade eggs, 200 g homemade sour cream, 0.5 bunch of parsley, 0.5 bunch of dill, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation. Wash the radishes and chop them very thinly into circles. I use a shredder for this, so I get neat slices of the same thickness, which is essential for this salad. Add some salt to the radishes. Boil chicken eggs hard and peel them. Then, after cooling a little, chop into crumbs and add to the radishes. Mix sour cream with chopped dill and parsley, add salt and pepper and pour it over the radishes and eggs. Mix and serve immediately. Radishes contain mustard oil, which not everyone likes. But neutral-tasting eggs and rich homemade sour cream from Privoz perfectly soften its sharp, sparkling taste.

Left - photo from the book, right - photo of the author

On practice. I chose this recipe because I love radishes in any form. But I’ve never cooked the “radish + egg” combination. It turned out very tasty, especially for those who don’t like the spiciness of radishes, but, in my opinion, a little bland. And one more thing: in the photo, green onions were clearly added to the salad, which would have given it some spiciness, but the recipe doesn’t mention it.

Recipe. French soup

I don’t know what fate the French faced in Odessa in the 1870s-maybe one of the sailors... But already in those years one of the variants of vegetable soup was called French. Since then, I have traveled to many cities and villages in France, trying many different soups, but I was convinced that such a taste only exists in Odessa. French soup is prepared exclusively in late spring.

Ingredients: (for vegetable broth) - 300 g old harvest carrots, 100 g parsley root, 100 g celery root, 200 g stems from parsley, dill and celery; (for soup) - 150 g fresh shelled green peas, 250 g early white cabbage, 250 g young potatoes, 200 g early carrots, 100 g parsley root, 100 g dill, 50 g butter, 200 g homemade sour cream, 1 bay leaf, 5 peas of allspice, salt to taste

Preparation. We disassemble the earliest white cabbage into individual leaves, cut off the rough parts and cut the tender parts of the leaf into squares of approximately 15 x 15 mm. Cut early carrots into thin slices. Peel the parsley root and cut into thin circles. Cut the new potatoes into thin circles. Fresh green peas peeling. Prepare vegetable broth. Place 4 liters of drinking water on the fire and bring to a boil. Boil carrots, parsley roots, celery and a bunch of parsley, dill and celery stems tied with white thread in water for 25 minutes. Remove vegetables and stems. Add potatoes, carrots and parsley root to the broth, cook for 10 minutes over medium heat and add salt. Then add butter, peas, cabbage, bay leaf, a few allspice peas and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste for salt and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bay leaf and add half of the chopped dill. Cover with a lid and let the soup rest for 30 minutes. When serving, add a full tablespoon of homemade sour cream and the same amount of dill to each bowl of soup.

On practice. If I had not seen in restaurants how vegetable soups are prepared (and there they are cooked in two stages: first, coarse vegetables are boiled so that they give all the flavor to the broth, throw them away, and then add new ones), I would be very surprised. But believe me, this is the only way, in two steps, you will get a very tasty vegetable soup. Butter gave the finished soup that necessary fat content and taste, which it clearly lacked during the cooking process (I tried it!).

Recipe. Tsimmes with chicken meatballs

Odessa residents have their own metaphor for the sweet life - “the very tsimes”. This was once a holiday dish in Jewish families - now it is rarely prepared. Most Odessa residents will tell you that “samy tsimes” means “the most delicious”, “the most relish”, something like “zest”. And then everyone is surprised to learn that the dish is made from beans or carrots-by no means the most delicious products. These vegetables are not so tasty on their own, but the way they are prepared and what is added makes the dish amazingly tasty. "Tsimec" means "mixture". That is, the expression “same tsimes” means “correctly mixed, combined.” Which indicates the skill of the creator of the dish or situation.

Ingredients(for 4 servings): (for meatballs) - 300 g boneless chicken, 150 g onions, 50 g carrots, 20 g garlic, 3 egg yolks, 50 g white stale bun, 100 ml milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 50 g cilantro, 100 ml vegetable oil for frying; (for cimeca) - 70 ml olive oil, 20 g garlic, 40 g candied ginger, 800 g young carrots, 1 cinnamon stick, 10 g nutmeg, 70 g honey, 70 g light raisins, 250 ml chicken broth, salt and pepper taste.

Preparation. First we prepare the meatballs. Cut the onion into slices, grate the carrots on the finest grater. Pass the garlic through a garlic press. Finely chop the green cilantro. Soak the bun in milk and squeeze. To prepare the meatballs, mince the chicken meat along with the squeezed bun, add the yolks, the rest of the ingredients and spices. Mix everything until the minced meat is homogeneous, make meatballs with a diameter of 2.5-3 centimeters. Cooking tzimmes. Heat olive oil in a casserole or saucepan and add garlic and ginger, chopped into thin slices. After 5 minutes of sautéing, add washed and peeled carrots, cut into slices, and a cinnamon stick. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until the carrots begin to fry. Add broth, honey, nutmeg, raisins, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid loosely closed. A third of the broth should evaporate. Fry the meatballs on all sides in vegetable oil for several minutes. Add the meatballs to the tsimme and simmer together for another 10 minutes almost until the broth has completely boiled away. We quickly serve an elegant dish to the table with dry white wine.

Above - photo from the book, below - photo by the author

On practice. Naturally, I had heard the word “tzimmes” since childhood, but I was not familiar with the dish itself. And when I found a recipe for tsimmes in a book, I decided to cook it. It is possible that the products were not the same, or the proportions were slightly mixed up, but the tsimmes surprised me, but did not please me - an incomprehensible mixture of salty and sweet, the spiciness of the ginger was almost not felt. But I did everything as indicated in the book.

Recipe. Pike perch under marinade

Pike perch is considered a dietary fish in Odessa. Doctors prescribe it as their number one health food. But we’re not here to get treatment, so in my recipe, dietary pike perch is topped with a spicy tomato marinade.

Ingredients(for 4 servings): 600 g pike perch fillet, 300 g carrots, 400 g onions, 200 g parsley root, 100 g celery root, 250 ml extra virgin olive oil, 250 g tomato puree, 200 ml fish broth, 70 g flour, 100 ml vegetable oil, 50 g garlic, 2 tbsp. l. vinegar, grated nutmeg on the tip of a knife, 5 cloves, 5 allspice peas, 2 bay leaves.

Preparation. We fillet the pike perch and cut it into 70-80 g pieces. Salt the fish, bread it in flour and fry in vegetable oil on both sides until cooked. Prepare the marinade. Wash the carrots and cut into strips. We also cut the parsley and celery root into strips. Cut the onion into half rings. Peel the garlic and cut into slices. Heat the carrots in extra virgin olive oil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Then add parsley and celery, heat for another 5-7 minutes, add onion and garlic. Warm over low heat for another 7-8 minutes, add homemade tomato puree. Simmer everything for 15 minutes over low heat. Then add nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, allspice, bay leaf. Then pour in the prepared fish broth and vinegar, add sugar. Warm up for another 5-7 minutes. Bring to taste and turn off the heat. Place the fried pieces of fish in a ceramic tray and pour in the hot marinade. Cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled as an appetizer.

Summary.“Odessa Feast” by Savely Libkin is not just a book of recipes, it is a real guide to Odessa, and also a culinary photo album. You can look at wonderful food photographs for hours, and willy-nilly you will want to cook something. As with most chef books, some aspects of the recipes are described in passing. And if you have little culinary experience, questions may arise during the cooking process. For example, add chicken broth to tzimmes or fish broth to marinated fish. Only with experience do you understand that chicken broth can be immediately cooked from the bones that remain from cutting up chicken for meatballs, and fish broth can be made from the ridge and head of a pike perch. But if small difficulties don’t scare you, go ahead! The result will exceed all your expectations; it’s not for nothing that Odessa cuisine is considered one of the most delicious in the world. The main thing is to cook from quality ingredients.

Odessa is probably the only Ukrainian city where local cuisine is not an abstract concept from a tourist guide, but a completely edible phenomenon. At the same time, few people know which dishes should be considered originally Odessa and what local gastronomic traditions are in general. Some consider Odessa cuisine to be Jewish, others - a variety of Ukrainian. Both opinions are correct, given the multinational nature of the port city. The Village talked about the essence of Odessa cuisine with restaurateur Savely Libkin, selected 10 typical dishes and found out where you can try them.

Savely Libkin

Cook, owner of the restaurants “Kompot”, “Dacha”, Tavernetta,
“Steakhouse. Meat and wine", "Pan-pizza". Born and aliveis in Odessa

If we talk about the current national composition of Odessa, then the word “Odessa” is more of a collective image than a nationality. But this collective image includes, of course, some national components. There are many Bulgarians, Armenians, Greeks, there are still many Jews, there are Ukrainians, there are Russians. If we take it in order of importance, then Odessa cuisine is Greek-Ukrainian-Jewish cuisine with nuances from Armenia, Georgia, and Bulgaria. The combination of these nationalities with climate and the presence of the sea plays a serious role. Taking into account the fact that the trade relations that developed in Odessa thanks to the port are transferred to the whole of Ukraine, then in fact, during the season, porcini mushrooms from Transcarpathia, meat from Crimea, and fish not only from the Black Sea can come to us. It is clear that I do not mean supermarket cuisine (food in jars, bottles, boxes), which makes Moscow, Paris, and New York the same.

For me, Odessa is the taste of the salad made from “Bull's Heart” tomatoes - yellow and red, peeled and seeds, cut into slices about the thickness of a finger, and cheese cheese placed on top.

Personally, I think the taste of such a sandwich is very Odessa: stale state white bread, soft butter (not the kind from the refrigerator, but the kind that spreads easily) and last year’s Hungarian jam (a type of plum), which needs to be spread in a thick layer. For me this taste is very Odessa. Equally Odessa for me is the taste of black bread, Borodino (also not very fresh) with olive oil and salted sprat without bones. Also, the taste of Odessa for me is the taste of a salad made from “Bull's Heart” tomatoes - yellow and red, peeled and seeds, which were cut into slices about the thickness of a finger, and cheese cheese was placed on top. It turns out that this is a salad similar to what they eat in Italy (mozzarella with tomatoes).

I don’t envy tourists; they have to choose the place, not the cuisine. Because the name on the menu does not guarantee the absence of a swindler in the establishment, who may be a cook or a manager who hired this cook. The restaurant business is a business in which there are an insane number of scammers, and I see this well, because I myself love to eat and methodically go to all establishments. I would recommend choosing first of all a place where there will be less chance that they will slip you something wrong. Among the dishes, I recommend flounder during the season, it’s difficult to spoil it - it’s fried and that’s it. If you order eggplant caviar with it, you will already have some impression of the kitchen. Initially, it is important to find non-swindlers, and then you can eat whatever they give you: it will be worthy.

Recipes from Odessa chefs

Blue caviar

Where to try: restaurant "Dacha" | Price: 68 UAH | Chef: Vasily Yakim

In Odessa, it is customary to call eggplants blue. These same blue peppers and bell peppers are baked in the oven until fully cooked, so that they become soft (it is important not to overdry the pepper: it needs less time). Then the vegetables are cooled, peeled and finely chopped with a knife along with the blanched tomato. Add vegetable oil, crushed garlic, grated raw onion, lemon juice, sugar and salt. After mixing well, you can serve.

Black Sea flounder

Where to try:restaurant "Dacha" |Price: 108 UAH per 100 g | Chef: Vasily Yakim

The flounder just purchased at Privoz must be cleaned: cut off the fins and head with scissors, cut into portions. Then add salt, pepper and leave to sit for about 30 minutes. The fish is breaded in flour and fried in a frying pan with vegetable oil over high heat under a closed lid. Turning over to the other side, fry without covering with a lid until golden brown.

Forshmak

Where to try: restaurant "Kompot" | Price: 39 UAH | Chef: Ivan Ivanchenko

The herring fillet is passed through a meat grinder twice. Peel and core the apples and, together with peeled onions, grind them in a meat grinder along with herring. To the finished minced meat add butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, finely grated walnuts, boiled eggs - mix everything. Forshmak is placed on a plate, poured with olive oil and eaten with black bread croutons.

Beef Stroganoff

Where to try:restaurant "Kompot" | Price: 39 UAH | Chef: Ivan Ivanchenko

The beef is cleared of films, cut across the grain to a thickness of 1 cm and lightly beaten. Sliced ​​entrecote and champignons are cut into slices 2–3 mm thick, and onions into strips 2 mm thick. Fry the beef, onions and champignons in vegetable oil for 2 minutes until golden brown, salt, pepper, pour in cream and simmer for 5-6 minutes (alternatively, the meat can be breaded in flour mixed with salt and pepper, and fried separately from the onions and mushrooms). Then add spinach, torn into large pieces, and mix well. The dish is served with mashed potatoes.

Bean tzimmes with crispy toast

Where to try: cafe "Franzol" | Price: 39 UAH | Chef: Natalia Rybalko

The beans must be washed and soaked in water for an hour, then put to cook. Pre-cut the onion into cubes and fry in vegetable oil. Mix boiled beans in a frying pan with onion and tomato paste and fry. Add salt and pepper. Mix in a blender until smooth.
Peel the onions, cut into rings, add salt, roll in starch and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place the tzimmes on a plate and place the onion on top.

Tulka balls

Where to try:cafe "Franzol" |Price: 65 UAH | Chef:Natalia Rybalko

Clean the sprat from the ridges and intestines, rinse under water, dry, salt and pepper. Divide into four parts and form into balls. Add mayonnaise and salt to the egg. Dip the meatballs in flour and fry in hot oil on both sides, cover with a lid and cook until done.

Add finely diced onions, cucumbers, finely chopped dill and capers to the mayonnaise. Mix everything. The sauce is ready.

Vertuta with apple

Where to try:cafe "Franzol" |Price: 36 UAH | Chef:Natalia Rybalko

Vertuta is made from stretch dough. Knead the dough, divide it into two parts and form into balls. Cover the dough with a bowl and let rest for 1 hour. Peel and cut the apples into cubes, mix them with sugar, raisins and cinnamon.

Spread the tablecloth on the table and sprinkle with flour. Lightly roll out the dough and stretch it with your hands - it should be thin. When the dough is ready, you need to grease it with melted butter, place apples on one edge and roll it into a roll. Wrap the edges of the roll. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and place vertuta. Bake for 30–40 minutes at 170 degrees. 10 minutes before the end of cooking, brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Cut the resulting roll into portions.

Fish cutlets

Where to try: Bernardazzi restaurant | Price: 70 UAH | Chef: Alexey Shvets

Grind the prepared fish fillet through a fine rack in a meat grinder, add salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and form three round balls from the fish mass, place in the freezer to harden. Fry in vegetable oil and finish in the oven. Cut the eggplants into rings 0.5 cm thick and fry in vegetable oil.

Cut the peeled vegetables into small cubes, fry in a saucepan with a thick bottom and add cream. Let it boil and reduce the cream by half.

Bulls in Odessa

Where to try: restaurant "Clarabara" | Price: 80 UAH | Chef: Menyailov Alexey

Mix flour and starch thoroughly. Bread the bulls in this mixture. Fry in plenty of vegetable oil until golden brown. Serve with tomato slices, sprinkled with garlic sauce and sprinkled with herbs.

Meze in Odessa

Where to try: restaurant "Clarabara" | Price: 85 UAH | Chef: Menyailov Alexey

Peeled herring, pitted and peeled apples and a hard-boiled egg are passed through a meat grinder or in a blender. Season the resulting mixture with vinegar, salt, sugar and oil. Place on a platter next to the rest of the appetizers.

Savely Libkin is a famous Odessa restaurateur and a person passionate about cooking, the author of 2 cookbooks. His articles on cooking are published by the world-famous Forbes magazine.

And ODESSA cuisine itself seems to stand apart and is a symbiosis of Ukrainian, Jewish cooking with elements of Moldavian, Russian cuisine of the Soviet period (as defined by the moderators).

February 13, 2013

I stopped perceiving borscht as a dish when I was 7 years old. It was then that at school No. 74 they served it for lunch almost every other day. The state school, the state buffet and the watery brown water with cabbage were remembered for a long time.

In short, I didn’t eat borscht at school. At home too... Simply because the name matched, but I was afraid to try it. I, of course, assumed that everything was completely different at home, but school fears made themselves felt.

The first time I became interested in this dish was when I saw exactly how Reiza's grandmother prepared it. I don’t remember exactly whether I was 10 or 11 years old at the time, but given that the discussion of what to cook always took place in front of me, I remember some of the recurring nuances of conversations about food.

Every night my grandmother told my grandfather that my uncle didn’t eat anything and was therefore very thin. Then the question of what exactly to give my uncle to work was discussed. Then what to cook for tomorrow and so on. I slept in the same room with them, so I was aware.

The only dish that my uncle accepted was that same borscht. That’s why we cooked borscht often.

Borscht is a universally recognized gastronomic hit in Russia and Ukraine. When friends or relatives from abroad come to visit me, I always cook red borscht and consider this dish not just a tradition, but one of the most delicious soups in the world.

First, let's make some tomato puree.

Blanch ripe but not too soft red plum tomatoes and remove the skin. Cut into slices, remove the remaining stalks.

Wash the carrots, peel them, grate them on a medium grater. Cut the onion into rings, celery stalks and garlic into slices.

Place the vegetables in a cast iron casserole, add olive oil and place over medium heat. Add salt, sugar and a little freshly ground pepper.

Cook the puree covered for one hour, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula.

Cool and puree using a puree maker. (I had to see a passapomodoro in Italy - a device for making puree from tomatoes: something between an electric meat grinder and a juicer. But in Odessa they don’t use these yet).

We put the finished puree into clean jars and, if desired, either put it in the refrigerator, or “twist” it and hide it until winter.

Let's move on to the borscht itself. Brisket - sawn ribs with meat, fill with cold drinking water and cook for two hours with virtually no boiling, observing all the nuances of cooking the broth (see recipe Bouillon cubes).

Bring the broth to taste and remove all the vegetables and herbs from it. We leave the meat. It is important that it is cooked at the same time as the borscht.

We clean the early beets and chop them into strips. We don't use a grater.

Sprinkle the beets with vinegar and simmer over medium heat in vegetable oil. At the last stage, add the pulp of red peeled tomatoes without seeds or homemade puree from them to the beets. Simmer for another 10 minutes until thick and add a spoonful of sugar.

Chop the carrots, parsley root, and onion into strips and sauté them in vegetable oil for 10 minutes.

Wash the Sorokodnevka variety potatoes, peel them and cut them into the largest possible cubes. Even if we prepare borscht from early vegetables, we use last year’s vegetables: new potatoes are not accepted in borscht.

Finely chop the early cabbage. We cut the stems of young beets into pieces of 5-6 millimeters.

Without removing the meat, add potatoes to the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Then simultaneously introduce all the other stewed and raw vegetables. Cook without boiling for another 10 minutes.

Without removing the lid, leave the borscht to rest for two hours.

We take out the bones, leaving the boiled meat in the borscht.

Crush the garlic clove with a knife and chop it into crumbs. Chop the parsley and chop it very finely. Add salt, garlic, parsley to homemade sour cream and mix.

We tear off a piece of meat reddened from the beets with our hands and place it on a plate. Add two ladles of borscht and place a tablespoon of sour cream and herbs on top.

For the winter version, I pre-boil the beets for half an hour in water and vinegar. In addition, some of the potatoes can be replaced with pre-cooked large beans. At my house they called it a “shovel.” Otherwise, the technology for preparing winter borscht is the same as for spring borscht. But the taste is different.

I don’t put lard, black pepper, or allspice in borscht—it’s distracting. During the cooking process, you can add some fresh porcini mushrooms and then do not add garlic to the sour cream.

It is better to cook borscht for 2 days. The next time after cooking, it acquires a characteristic density and richness of taste.

See the recipe in the book:
Savely Libkin. "My Odessa cuisine." Eksmo 2013

People in Odessa eat sprat, that little silvery fish that Odessa residents miss in all overseas countries! Musician Irina Rakova, an Odessa native who worked for many years on cruise ships of the Black Sea Shipping Company, left for Australia in 1978, but continues to cook Odessa cuisine in Sydney. There is no sprat there, but she replaces it with a small sardine: “I salt according to the Odessa recipe, as I learned from my grandmother and mother - I cover the unwashed sardine with its intestines and head with salt. It takes longer to salt it because it is larger. And when it’s salted, I wash it, clean it, fill it with vinegar and oil. The taste is similar to tulle, but the consistency is different. It is denser - like a small herring. But that’s the only way it works with potatoes!”

For this salad, you need to choose a potato variety that does not overcook. Tulka and sauerkraut are interchangeable here: in the second case, the vinegar should be replaced with cabbage brine.