Borscht

Method

1. Put 100 g of beef shin into a small heavy pot with 500 ml of cold water. Bring slowly to the boil over medium heat and skim off every trace of grey foam, then drop in the bay leaf and the peppercorns, lower the heat until the surface barely trembles and simmer half covered for 60 minutes, until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Salt lightly only at the end of this time.
2. While the broth simmers, prepare the vegetables: coarsely grate 100 g of peeled beetroot and 40 g of carrot, finely dice 50 g of onion, cut 80 g of potato into 2 cm dice and shred 60 g of white cabbage as finely as you can. Keep the potato in cold water so it does not darken.
3. Make the zazharka. Heat 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and carrot for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and just golden. Add the grated beetroot, 1 tbsp of tomato paste, 1 tsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of sugar, stir for 1 minute, then moisten with a ladleful of the beef broth, cover and stew on low heat for 15 minutes. The vinegar keeps the colour bright red.