Borscht with Beetroot Dumplings & Bacon Parmesan

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This is a fantastic borscht recipe with beetroot dumplings provided by Chef Jiju Rajappen of Sheraton Samoa. It is served warm together with bacon Parmesan crumble.

How to Prepare Borscht:

1. Cut the carrots, onion and celery in chunky pieces and place in the oven together with the beef bones and roast for 1 hour. Transfer into a pot and add tomato paste. Roast over low flame until tomato paste loses its sourness.
2. Now add 500 ml red wine and simmer down until completely evaporated.
3. Add the remaining red wine and bring to boil.
4. Now add chicken stock, beetroot, peppercorn and bay leafs. Simmer for 4 to 5 hours, then strain through a fine strainer. Make sure to keep the beetroot.
5. Cool down the stock preferably overnight.
6. Meanwhile peel the beetroot and cut into 2 inch pieces and keep in the fridge.
7. The next day lightly beat up the egg whites making sure it doesn’t get too stiff.
8. Now mix egg white with beef mince and diced beetroots and combine with the beef stock and gherkin water in a big container.
9. Cover with 2 layers of cling film and 2 layers of tin foil.
10. Place in the oven for 2 hours at 135 degrees Celsius, then remove tin foil and cling film and bake for another 2 hours at 135 degrees Celsius.
11. Now remove solids with a spider and strain through a cloth and cool down in a container. The liquid should now be red, purple and clear shiny. The taste should be slightly sour like gherkin and beef consommé. 

How to Make the Beetroot Dumplings:

1. Finely slice the cabbage with the meat slicer and place in a container.
2. Add 10 g sugar and 10 g salt and start squeezing the cabbage until liquid comes out. Keep on squeezing until cabbage is fully covered in its own liquid.
3. Ferment in the fridge for 5 days.
4. Meanwhile combine beetroot juice, flour, hot water and ½ teaspoon to form a beetroot dough.
5. Set the dough in the fridge for 1 day.
6. Once cabbage is fermented chop up bacon and onions and sauté in a pan and add fermented cabbage. Cook until all liquid has evaporated. Cool down in the fridge.
7. Once cooled down take out the cabbage mix and beetroot dough.
8. Start rolling out the beetroot dough with the pasta machine. Make sure to dust with corn flour.
9. Cut dough into rounds with a ring cutter, and place 1 teaspoon of cabbage filling.
10. Sprinkle some water on the edges of the round and fold in half to form dumplings.
11. Make sure to squeeze the edges with your fingers, then cut it even with another ring cutter slightly smaller than the first ring.
12. Store on baking paper in the freezer until needed.  

How to Make the Beetroot Powder:

1. Boil beetroot in plain water for 3 hours until soft, peel and puree in an upright blender.
2. Spread on a tray with baking paper and dry in the hotbox for 2 days.
3. After 2 days or once all liquid has gone, place in an upright blender again and mix to get powder.
4. Store in airtight container until needed. 

How to Make the Bacon Parmesan Crumble:

1. Finely grate Parmesan cheese on a tray with baking paper and place in the hotbox to dry.
2. Meanwhile chop up bacon and cook in a pan over low heat until golden brown.
3. Now add Panko bread crumbs and keep on cooking until the bread crumbs turn golden.
4. Place the mix in the hotbox too and dry for 1 day.
5. The next day combine Parmesan cheese and bacon mix in an upright blender and mix to get a fine crumble.
6. Place in the hotbox for another day and store in airtight containers after.

Plating:

1. Steam 2 dumplings per portion in Asian steam basket with baking paper for 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile warm up butter in a pot and keep on the side.
3. Once the dumplings are cooked place in the warm butter, then place in the middle of a soup bowl.
4. Brush the edge of the bowl with oil and dust with beetroot powder.
5. Place 1 spoon of bacon Parmesan crumble on the dumplings and finish with some micro herbs.
6. Pour the borscht in a small jug.