Tag Archives: fish

Pancake Pie

Today is ‘Forgiveness Sunday’, the last day of the ‘pancake festival’ (Butterweek) in Russia.

According to one old tradition, the more pancakes have been eaten during the Butterweek, the more successful will be the year.

As per another custom, a girl at the twilight, should took a pancake, went out and asked the first stranger his name. It was believed, that man’s name and look is similar to the future husband’s appearance. In case if the girl didn’t like the name ‘n’ look, she had to give a pancake to the guy. If she liked it, she had to eat a pancake herself. 🙂

There are lots of pancakes varieties, with savoury or fruit fillings. Mine 3 favourites: with cottage cheese, sweet condensed milk and salmon 🙂

Making pancakes could be really exciting and interesting, you can involve the whole family, invite friends and enjoy the holiday.

You can surprise your family by preparing this delicious pancake pie!

What’s more, I decided to participate in Fiesta Friday, organized by Angie from TheNoviceGardener. I’m happy to be involved in such virtual parties and get new friends. 🙂

The basic Russian pancakes recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

650ml full fat milk

50ml warm water

250g all-purpose flour

2 eggs

a good pinch of salt

2 tbsp of sugar

2 tbsp of sunflower oil

1/3 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar

Preparation:

Break the eggs into large bowl, add salt and sugar, whisk.
Add the oil and milk, whisk again.
Sift the flour into the bowl, whisk thoroughly.
Add warm water and whisk to incorporate any lumps.
Pour lemon juice or vinegar into a spoon with baking soda on it (to dissolve the soda), quickly add it into the batter and whisk a couple of times.
While the mixture is resting (it allows the ingredients to blend together better), heat the pan; grease the pan with some oil, if needed.
Evenly coat the pan with the batter. Cook about a minute, then flip the pancake and cook for 15-30 seconds more.
Keep prepared pancakes in warm place.

You can already enjoy the tastiest pancakes, dipping them into a raspberry preserve or hazelnut sauce, or prepare the pancake pie with salmon. It could be wonderful lunch or dinner for the weekend.

Pancake pie with salmon and cream cheese

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

8 pancakes

200g salted or smoked salmon, always better homemade (find the recipe here)

120-150g cream cheese

2tbsp sour cream (substitute with crème fraîche, or single/double cream)

4-5 tbsp finely chopped dill

I used red caviare for the decoration, you can do it with salmon or just keep the top as is.

Assembling:

Blend the cream cheese with sour cream until smooth.
Cut the salmon into small cubes.
Arrange the first pancake on a plate, spread the cheese mixture and sprinkle with dill.
Cover with the second one. Spread some salmon on the pancake.
Cover with the third pancake.
Repeat all steps.

Have a lovely pancake time! 🙂

Red spinach

Hi guys! 🙂Have you ever tried red spinach? First time I tried it in Dubai. Unfortunately, I never seen it in Russia before. It has mild earthy and green flavor, very similar to green spinach. I use leaves in salads or garnish, adding nice color to any dish!

Today for the lunch is baked crusted creme dory fillet and carrot-spinach salad.

Ingredients (Serve 3)

3 medium-sized creme dory fillets

2 eggs

For the crust:

1 cup breadcrumbs (homemade is better)

1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp crushed white pepper

some salt to taste

For the salad:

3 carrots, shredded

1 stalk celery, sliced

1/2 bunch coriander

1/2-1 bunch red spinach

sour cream

Preheat oven to 190C (370F). Pat the fillet dry with paper towel.

In a bowl combine the crust ingredients. Dip the fish fillet in beaten eggs, then in crust.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile mix salad ingredients together gently and coat with sour cream.

Serve the hot crusted fish and the carrot salad together.

Enjoy!

Russian cured salmon

As I promised the recipe of classic Russian cured salmon. 🙂

We need around 400-500g salmon without skin, 2 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar and 50ml vodka (the best quality you can afford).

Combine salt and sugar in a small bowl, mix it with a spoon. 🙂

Take any dish (usually I use a food container with lid), sprinkle half of the mixture on the bottom, place salmon fillet over it.

Sprinkle the fish with the remaining mixture, and rub some into sides of the fish.

!!! And above all – pour 50ml vodka over the salmon. It will help to cure the salmon.

Put the lid or plastic wrap on the dish/container and refrigerate.

Turn salmon 2 times a day (if you don’t have time-don’t worry, once a day will be enough also), until it’s cured throughout – about 2 days. After a day of curing you will see some liquid, don’t pour it out!

Take the salmon out of the fridge after 2 days (it’ll be done even in 1 day). Now you can pour the liquid out. Wipe the salmon with paper towel. Slice it thinly.

Enjoy this marvelous Russian-style salmon with blini (thin crepes) and vodka. It’s also perfect on a piece of bread with a cup of tea. Great for breakfast or lunch. 🙂

Fish. Sea bream.

December 6, 2012
milkandbun
3 comments
fish, fish dishes, food, food photo, healthy, photography, photos, recipe, recipes, Russian, sea bream

Hello my dear readers!

Today I will tell you something about fish 🙂

Rivers hold a special place in Russian history. Waterways have been major routes of trade, settlement and cooperation. Goods ferried by water between important trading regions which were located near rivers. As a result the fishing was one of the most important trades for the Slavs since ancient times.

Russian cuisine is a famous with an incredible number and variety of fish dishes at all time. Uha with sterlet (fish soup), solyanka with sturgeon or pike (soup), fish balyks (curred fillet), various fish-pies, baked or fried fish in sour cream – were popular not only among tzar family (Imperial family) and merchants. Fish was on a table of common people as well, particular freshwater fish from rivers and lakes. A caviar was a treat also, either red or black. Festive days fall on a fasting days sometimes, when it isn’t allowed to eat meat and diary, and a fish is served as the main dish.

There were some typical methods to prepare fish: boiling (whole or sliced), steamed fish (usually whole), baked or fried fish fillets, stuffed, salted, jellied, even raw (“stroganina” – in Western Siberia sliced frozen fish).

Now-days fish isn’t well-liked as a main course. We still have rivers and a fish in it. But compare to a sea-fish, a freshwater fish has more bones, but inexpensive. Faves are salted salmon and red caviar.

What about me, I like fish whether it’s salted, fried, steamed or in a soup.🙂

Well, I’ve got 2 fresh cleaned sea-bream.

Rinse the fish in cold water. Pat dry with paper towel and rub both sides with salt (and rosemary optionally).

Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F).

Place the fish in a baking pan greased with some olive oil. Stuff fishes with the lemon slices and chopped fresh coriander (or parsley).

Make 2-4 gashes on the top sides and put in lemon slices. Squeeze the juice out of one lemon over the fishes.

Place the fish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with broccoli and asparagus. Enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients:

2 medium sea-bream

1.5 lemon

small bunch of fresh coriander (or parsley)

olive oil

some salt

Breakfast. Russian Salted Salmon.

What homemade breakfast is enjoyable for you? For me it is a sandwich with homemade salted salmon. Thin slices of salmon on a piece of Russian rye bread. May be some butter, chopped dill.. No words! It sounds so delicious, so amazing! I’m already hungry! 😀

You can also add a thin slice of lemon or lime. The citrus really comes through, but doesn’t overpower the delicate taste of cured salmon. Such breakfast would be a great start to the day for sure!

Don’t forget to prepare a cup of fresh coffee or tea. Now you can enjoy the incredibly tasty breakfast!

We do like a red fish in Russia! But during Imperial times in Russia not only fish with red meat were called “red”. Sturgeon, beluga (hausen) and sterlet were served for imperial dinners as “red fish”. List of red fishes was named not by the color of the meat or by the breed, but by excellent and tender taste, a certain size, and the prestige! It’s fishing was very difficult and sometimes dangerous. For example, beluga could weight up to 200-300 kg and could easily sinks the fishing boat. In 1827 beluga was fished with weight around 1500 kg!!! Siberian sturgeon got the title “The king fish” for it’s strength and size. So such dainty fishes been expensive, not everybody could buy it. Only for imperial family, noblemen and gourmets. Fishes with red meat (salmon) were more ordinary and often were made salty for long storage.

Popular and widely-sold types of red fish in Russian are chum salmon and pink or hunchback salmon (they’re not very expensive), salmon and trout are more expensive species but definitely more tastier fishes. Nowadays, it’s possible to buy already salted salmon in supermarkets but many Russian women prefer to buy a whole fish (often it’s sold frozen) and cure it themselves. The weather in Russian is cold most of the time, so fish’s head, tail and fins go well into soups and chowders, such comforting and nourishing meal can easily warms you up.

Cured salmon can be eaten as is, or on a slice of your favourite bread. It is a delicious appetizer, which accompanies vodka and other strong drinks. More pure vodka – more salmon should be eaten, it helps to reduce an alcoholic intoxication.

I’m sure your guests would be glad to taste Russian salted salmon and interested in the recipe. Shall we keep it in a secret? Can’t say for you, but I’ll show you how to prepare it soon (you can find the recipe by clicking here).

Stay healthy!

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