No. 43 — Sour Shchi Made from Fresh Cabbage
English translation of the original Russian recipe No. 43 in Molokhovets’ 1901 cookbook, with historical quantities and source references.
Wash 2–3 Russian pounds of beef, put into a pot with water and simmer, frequently removing the scum. Add an onion, bay leaf and pepper, then strain.
Separately cover ten small sour wild apples with water and boil until they break down. Trim a small cabbage head, shred finely, rub with salt and squeeze. Put the cabbage into the strained beef broth and let it boil thoroughly. Add the sour apple cooking liquid to taste.
Shortly before dinner, melt butter in a saucepan, lightly fry a finely chopped onion without browning deeply, stir in about two spoonfuls of flour and mix well. Use it to thicken the shchi and boil several times. Sour cream may also be added and brought once to the boil.
To provide
2½–3 Russian pounds of beef; 1–2 bay leaves; 2 onions and 1 cabbage head 5–10 allspice berries; 10 small wild apples | ½ spoonful of butter and 1 spoonful of flour ½–1 glass of sour cream |