One of the oldest Russian dishes is rassolnik, which is prepared from meat or fish broth with the addition of pickled cucumbers. The first mentions of it date back to the 16th century, but then this first dish was called no other than kalya.
Features of kalya
Initially, this first dish was prepared in a strong and thick fish or meat broth. For the first, only fatty fish was used, often with the addition of pressed caviar, and for the preparation of meat broth, preference was given to poultry: chicken, duck or black grouse. They tried to put as many of these products as possible in the broth so that it turned out to be rich and fatty - this kalya was considered the most delicious.
Kalya with pork or beef kidneys was also popular. The latter were necessarily soaked in water or milk in order to eliminate their characteristic unpleasant odor and bitterness.
Some vegetables and spices were always added to the kalyu, and a little flour was also added to get the viscous consistency characteristic of this soup. Well, at the end of cooking, cucumber or cabbage pickle was poured into the dish. Somewhat later, lemon juice was added to the kalyu.
How to make chicken kale
To make kalya using this recipe, you will need:
- hen;
- 2 heads of onions;
- 2 carrots;
- 3 liters of water;
- parsley root;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flour;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- 4 pickles;
- 180 ml of cucumber pickle;
- parsley;
- salt and black pepper to taste.
To prepare this dish, it is better to use homemade chicken, since a more rich and tasty broth is obtained from it.
Wash the chicken, cut into several pieces and put in a saucepan. Add the onion and parsley root. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Remove the foam thoroughly and simmer until tender. Then remove the chicken, cool, divide into small pieces and return to the broth. Discard the onion and parsley root.
Peel the onions and carrots, chop finely and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add flour to them and sauté for a few more minutes. Then transfer the frying to the soup. Add cucumbers and cucumber pickle there. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat, add the herbs and let the kalya brew for a couple of minutes under a closed lid. Serve with brown bread.
Fish kalya with lemon juice
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of halibut or trout;
- 2.5 liters of water;
- 2 heads of onions;
- lemon;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flour with a slide;
- 200 g of fresh caviar of sea or river fish;
- fresh dill;
- salt and black pepper to taste.
The most delicious kalya comes from several types of fish.
Peel and gut the fish if necessary. Wash thoroughly, place in a saucepan with onions, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat. Then remove and separate the meat from the bones.
Discard the boiled onions, strain the broth and bring to a boil again. Put the broth fish pieces, mashed caviar and pour in the juice of half a lemon. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fry finely chopped onions in a frying pan, add flour and stir. Add the stir-fry to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Then put lemon slices without zest and dill in the kale, remove from heat.
