Pickle "Leningradsky"

In Soviet times, Leningradsky pickle was cooked in almost any canteen. The dish differed in its special composition and preparation technology. Most often the composition included beef kidneys, pickled barrel cucumbers, pickle. Cooked the soup in meat broth with the addition of browned vegetables and tomato paste. Cucumbers must be cleaned, not only from the skin, but also from large seeds. The pearl barley was cooked separately and put into the soup finished - it was easier to calculate its quantity. Meat or kidneys were cut into pieces, which were put on a plate just before serving the dish to the table or in a hand. The classic recipe has undergone many changes, it has different variations. Rassolnik “Leningradsky” is made from various cereals and types of meat, including chicken and chicken by-products. Only the characteristic sourish taste of thick and fragrant soup remains unchanged.

Cooking Features

Under the title “Leningrad rassolnik”, recipes for broth soup with the addition of pickled cucumbers and brine, which are considered classical, are combined. To the first dish was worthy of the name, you need to cook it, following some rules.

The main ingredients for pickle, such as broth, pearl barley, browned vegetables, stewed pickles, are prepared separately from each other, and then mixed and brought to readiness. At the same time it is important to follow the ordering of the ingredients listed in the recipe.
You shouldn’t refuse to use meat by-products because they need a long preliminary preparation: they give the pickle a unique taste, at the same time making the dish cheaper.
If you use beef kidneys for preparing pickle, you must soak them in cold water to get rid of the unpleasant smell. Soaking time is at least 3 hours. Water needs to be changed 3-4 times. After that, the kidneys are poured with clean water, brought to a boil, boiled for 5 minutes and changed water again. Again, pour clean water and boil until ready, it takes an hour.
Chicken ventricles, if they are involved in cooking, must be thoroughly rinsed to remove yellow films, otherwise they will turn out to be bitter and spoil the taste of the finished dish.
Pearl barley should be boiled separately. Pre-soak the cereal in cool water will speed up the process. Thanks to this trick, the broth will remain transparent. Otherwise, the soup will be cloudy due to the high content of gluten in the pearl barley.
Pickled cucumbers differ from salted ones in taste, it is undesirable to use them for making pickle, because the soup will lose its characteristic taste because of this. Replacement of cucumber pickle marinade is also unacceptable.
Salt pickle should be shortly before its readiness. If this is done before the brine and pickles are introduced, there is a risk of over-salting the dish.
If tomato paste is added to the soup, fry it.
When cooking pickle in Soviet canteens, margarine was most often used to cook vegetable roasts. It can be replaced with vegetable or butter, as well as their mixture. Butter allows you to give the soup delicate creamy notes, soften the savory taste of pickles.

Rassolnik “Leningradsky” is usually served with sour cream. If you sprinkle the soup with fresh herbs, the taste and aroma of it will only benefit.

Rassolnik “Leningradsky” with kidneys

Composition:

beef kidneys - 0, 65 kg;
potatoes - 0 65 kg;
beef on the bone - 0, 4 kg;
onions - 0, 2 kg;
carrots - 100 g;
pearl barley - 40 g;
pickles - 0, 3 kg;
cucumber pickle - 125 ml;
tomato paste - 60 ml;
margarine - 45 g;
water - 2, 5 l;
bay leaf, salt, pepper, fresh greens - to taste;
sour cream (optional) - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash the pearl barley, cover with a small amount of water, boil until done.
Pre-soaked buds boil, cool, cut into portions.
Pour the beef with water, add bay leaf, peppercorns, carrots and one small onion. Salt lightly. Boil for an hour. When boiling do not forget to remove the foam.
Take the meat out of the broth. For soup, it is no longer needed, it can be used to prepare other dishes, such as salads.
Strain the broth by throwing out the vegetables.
Peel the cucumbers, cut the seed patches. Cucumber flesh cut into thin strips.
Peel and chop the onion into small cubes.
Melt margarine in the pan, using about half, put the onion in it. When it acquires a golden hue, add tomato paste, passe 3-4 minutes.
In a separate frying pan in the remaining margarine, lightly fry the cucumbers, add brine to them and stew for 5 minutes.
Peel the potatoes. Cut it into cubes and a half centimeters.
Boil the broth. Put potato cubes and barley in it. Boil 15 minutes.
Add the grilled vegetables and cucumbers, continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Salt and season the soup to taste. Add chopped greens. Boil the soup for 2-3 minutes, turn off the stove.
Insist pickle under the cover for 15-20 minutes.

When serving, put a piece of a kidney into each plate, pour in soup, add a spoonful of sour cream. The soup prepared according to the above recipe was often served in Soviet canteens, in the menu it was listed as “Leningrad rassolnik”.

“Leningradsky” pickle with chicken ventricles

Composition:

chicken ventricles - 0, 3 kg;
chicken or meat broth - 1, 5 l;
pickles - 0, 2 kg;
cucumber pickle - 60 ml;
pearl barley - 40 g;
potatoes - 0, 3 kg;
margarine - 40 g;
onions - 100 g;
carrots - 100 g;
tomato paste - 40 ml;
salt, pepper, sour cream, greens - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Boil broth. You can even cook it from cubes.
Rinse the chicken stomachs well, put them in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for an hour. Take out, cool, cut into strips.
Rinse the barley and boil it until ready in a separate saucepan.
Peel potatoes, cut into medium-sized bars.
Peel the cucumbers, cut them into thin strips.
Peel carrots and onions. Onions cut into thin half rings, chop carrots on a coarse grater.
Melt margarine in a pan, put carrots and onions in it, fry until soft.
Add cucumbers, fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato paste, fry for 5 minutes with vegetables.
Add pickle, stew vegetables in it for 2-3 minutes.
Boil the broth, put the potatoes and barley in it, cook for 15 minutes.
Add chicken ventricles and fried vegetables. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Insist the finished soup under the lid for 10-15 minutes.

When serving pickle, sprinkle it with chopped greens, season with sour cream.

Pickle "Leningradsky" with meat

Composition:

beef on the bone - 0, 7 kg;
water - 2, 5 l;
pearl barley - 60 g;
carrots - 100 g;
onions - 100 g;
cooking oil - 40 g;
salted cucumbers - 0, 25 kg;
tomato paste - 40 ml;
potatoes - 0, 4 kg;
brine - 125 ml;
salt, pepper, bay leaf - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash meat, cover with water, bring to a boil. Remove the foam, reduce the heat. Boil one and a half hours. Half an hour before the readiness add pepper and bay leaf.
Take the meat out of the broth, cool it, cut it into small pieces and return to the pan.
Remove peel from onion. Cut the vegetable into small cubes.
Grind peeled cucumbers on a coarse grater.
Peel the carrots, coarsely rub.
Melt fat in a pan. It can be replaced with vegetable or butter.
Fry onions with carrots, add tomato paste, fry it with vegetables for a few minutes.
Pour the cucumber pickle with the chopped cucumbers, simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes.
Peel and dice small potatoes.
Boil pearl barley until tender.
Put the potatoes and barley in boiling broth, cook for 15 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients, cook the pickle for another 10 minutes.

The recipe for pickle with meat, similar to the above, can be found in cookbooks, in which it is called “Leningradsky”. Compared with a similar soup, which consists of kidneys, its preparation requires less time and effort.

Rassolnik “Leningradsky” is a classic of the cooking of the Soviet period. His recipes are based on traditional, well-known for a long time, but the cooking technology has been improved, as a result of which the famous Russian dish has become even tastier and more appetizing.