Ukrainian green borscht

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 500 g chicken giblets, frozen
• 4 potatoes
• 6 eggs, hard-boiled
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 carrot(s)
• 4 handfuls of nettle leaves, fresh
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch of dill
• 1 bunch of parsley
• salt and pepper
• Crème fraîche to serve

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

ancient recipe with nettle, traditional Ukrainian cuisine

Place the chicken giblets in a 4-liter saucepan with 3 liters of water, place on the stove, and skim off any gray foam before bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken giblets, separate the meat from the bones, chop it, and return it to the pan. In the meantime, peel the potatoes, cut them into spoon-sized cubes, add them to the stew, and bring the contents to a boil. For the roux, coarsely grate the carrot and dice the onion. Place both in a pan with 2-3 tablespoons of crème fraîche and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the roux to the stew and bring to a boil. Dice the eggs, add them to the stew, and bring everything to a boil. Wash and chop the nettle leaves, add them to the stew, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Wear disposable gloves when handling nettles. Season the borscht with salt, pepper, and bay leaf, turn off the heat, and only then add the finely chopped dill and parsley. Serve the stew with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and traditional Ukrainian hrinky with egg. (See my recipes in my profile.) Notes: These days, green borscht is often made with sorrel instead of nettles. The original recipe, however, is made with nettles, as it is one of the first green herbs to grow in abundance in spring. Green borscht is often prepared in spring or summer, especially after Easter when lots of boiled eggs need to be used up. Don’t be afraid of nettles; they don’t sting in the borscht, but they give the dish a unique, mild flavor and aroma, and they’re healthy too. Nettles don’t cook for a very short time; five minutes is plenty; then they’ll simmer in the hot pot for a while longer.