Ciorbă de perișoare

Step 1: Bring 10 ½ cups water to the boil in a large pot. Meanwhile warm 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion for 5 minutes until translucent.

Step 2: Tip the onion into the boiling water with 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 3 ½ oz celeriac and 1 red pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the carrot is just tender.

Step 3: While the vegetables cook, mix 1 ⅛ lb pork mince, 1 ¾ oz short- or medium-grain rice, 1 egg, 1 onion, 3 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper in a bowl with your hand for a minute, until sticky. Keep the bowl in the fridge until you roll the meatballs.

Step 4: With wet hands, roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls (about 30). Rinse your hands under cold water every few balls.

Step 5: Turn the heat down so the soup barely bubbles. Lower the meatballs in one by one with a spoon. Do not stir for the first 5 minutes; they firm up and hold their shape.

Step 6: Add ¾ cup tomato passata and simmer gently, lid ajar, for 25 minutes, skimming off any foam. The rice should be swollen and soft; cut one meatball open: it must be cooked through with no pink, or 160°F on a thermometer.

Step 7: In a separate pan bring 2 cups borș (fermented bran liquid) to the boil (raw borș can cloud the soup), then pour it into the soup. Add 2 tsp salt, taste, and adjust the sourness. Simmer 2 more minutes and turn off the heat.

Step 8: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lovage and a little extra dill. Ladle into bowls and serve with 6 tbsp sour cream and 3 long green chillies. Cool leftovers within 2 hours and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat until piping hot.