Borscht with fish

Pretty in pink: Felicity Cloake’s borscht. Last borscht with fish on Wed 3 Jun 2020 13.

Borscht is best made with raw beetroot, but if you have only the ready-cooked sort, you can use that instead, though it doesn’t give the finished soup such a vibrant hue or intense flavour. Whichever you use, you’ll need either gloves, or a stout nailbrush, and an apron, because beetroot stains everything it touches. Peel the onion and carrot, and wash the celery and leek thoroughly. Cut the carrot and celery into smallish dice and thinly slice the leek. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium-low heat, then fry the onion until fairly soft and translucent.