Chlodnik

4/4/25, 8:00 AM

Polish chef Piotr Korzen (Matka in Paris 3e) gives his version of the recipe for chlodnik, Polish beet soup, in a version adapted to the French palate.

This recipe by Piotr Korzen, chef at Matka restaurant in Paris3e, is taken from the special issue of Gault&Millau magazine, in which you can discover 109 chefs' recipes. These chefs have opened their establishments in the last 18 months and shared their favorite recipes with us. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it easy.

Serves 8

Preparationtime: 55 min

Cooking time: 6 h

Fermentation/resting: 10 days/2 h

Ingredients for Piotr Korzen 's chlodnik

7 red beets

Fine salt and pepper

For the fermented beets

1 clove garlic

80 cl water

2 tbsp. salt

For the stock

1 carrot

1 white onion

1 green leek

1 garlic clove

2 cloves

1 sprig thyme

2.5 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

Forthe beet purée

Grape seed oil

Forthe beet jelly

2 g agar-agar

1 g gelatin

For the lemon condiment

4 yellow lemons

200 g white sugar

For the mixture

1 cucumber

1 hard-boiled egg

8 pink radishes (or a piece of black radish )

1/3 bunch dill

¼ bunch chives

1 tbsp. stirred yoghurt

For the beet soup

50 cl beet stock

25 cl beet fermentationliquid

5 cl kefir

Steps for Piotr Korzen 's chlodnik

Fermented beets: Ten days in advance, peel 2 beets. Cuttheminto 0.5 cm slices, then place them in a glass jar. Add a crushed garlic clove in the middle. next to it, warm 2 l of water with the salt until it dissolves, then carefully pour into the jar. Close the jar and leave at room temperature , away from light, for 7 to 10 days.

Bouillon: Cook peeled vegetables in boiling water with thyme and cloves for 2 hours. Strain the stock. Save the vegetables (for a Russian salad, for example).

- Plunge 5 beet into the broth with salt until melted. Add the vinegar and cook for a further 2-3 min over low heat. Set the beets and stock aside in a cool place.

Beet purée: Recover 2 cooked beet from the stock and blend in a food processor until smooth. Add a drizzle of grapeseed oil if necessary for a smoother texture. Season with a little salt to preserve taste after jellying.

Beet jelly: Soak the gelatine in cold water. At the same time, mix the purée with the agar-agar in a small saucepan, bring to the boil for about 2 min, then add the wrung-out gelatine off the heat. spread the mixture out fairly thinly in a pre-wrapped dish. Leave to set in a cool place for around 45 min. Make circles with a cookie cutter (10 cm diameter).

Lemon condiment: Remove the lemon peel, then collect the zest. Chop finely, then squeeze out the lemon juice. Place the zests in the saucepan with the juice, 20 cl water and sugar. Cook over a very low heat for 4 hours. Blend, strain and reserve in a piping bag.

Mixing: Dice the remaining 3 beets cooked in stock and the 2 fermented beets, along with the peeled cucumber, radishes and hard-boiled egg . Add the dill and chopped chives , then the stirred yoghurt. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Beet soup: Combine the 3 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Presentation: Place an 8 cm diameter circle in a bowl and fill with the mixture. Add the lemon condiment on top, then cover with a veil of beet jelly. Garnish with coriander flowers (or garlic flowers, chives or dill). Pour the beet soup around when ready to serve.