Garsochki – meat and vegetables in a clay pot

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large carrots
• 4 small potatoes
• 1 pack of soup vegetables
• ½ fennel
• 1 can of mushrooms
• ½ can kidney beans
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp paprika powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp mixed dried herbs, e.g. marjoram, dill, savory
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion(s)
• 4 date tomatoes
• 1 cabbage sausage
• 200 g minced pork
• e.g. sour cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

It is said that in Tsarist Russia the residual heat from the bread ovens in the village was used to cook this dish.

Finely dice the carrots and coarsely dice the potatoes. Finely dice the celery and, if present, the parsley root from the soup vegetables. Halve the leek and cut into half-slices. Open the mushrooms and beans and drain, reserving the mushroom liquid. Trim the fennel and finely slice it, quarter the persimmon tomatoes, and roughly chop the onion. Slice the sausage. In a bowl, mix the egg with the tomato paste, paprika, herbs, and salt. Fold in the minced meat. Thicken with breadcrumbs until softened and form four meatballs. Prepare four garsochki, small clay pots from a Russian store. Add a layer of vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes. Place the meatballs on top. Add other vegetables, such as mushrooms and beans. Finally, add the sausage and cover with the onions. Stir a little salt and pepper into the mushroom liquid and divide the liquid among the four pots. Top with tomatoes for garnish. Bake in the oven at 180°C for one hour. If you like, top with a generous dollop of sour cream after serving.