Tag Archives: Russian recipe

Pozharsky kotleti

Hey-hey! How is the weekend going on? I’m glad to join Fiesta Friday party this time! And share famous Russian recipe – Pozharsky kotleti, which are chicken cutlets, scrumptious and tender. Hope, you will love it and recreate at home! 🙂
 Firstly, I’d like to tell you how the recipe became popular. It’s dating back to the late 18th or early 19th centuries. There are two history versions of the recipe. The first one says about Evdokim Pozharsky, who lived in small town Torzhok with his family; he was an ordinary person and owner of small tavern, but he bore the same family name with famous Russian imperial family Pozharsky. During that time the town was very important because it’s located on the highway from Moscow to St.Petersburg.
 Dariya Pozharsky inherited the tavern from her father; she started to cook cutlets from chopped meat (chicken, turkey, hazel hens), and decided to add this dish to the menu. The legend says, that one day the Russian Emperor Nikolay I was passing by the town and stopped to have a rest and food. He tried cutlets and was so impressed by this dish, that immediately invited Ms.Dariya to St.Petersburg, where she became the lady of high society.
 The other legend says, that Nikolay I decided to visit prince Pozharsky; the prince wasn’t expected to welcome such important guest and prepare chic dinner, so he/his chef cooked cutlets from chicken chopped meat and bread (the only meat which was available in the kitchen). 
Pozharsky Cutlets

Pozharsky kotleti - Russian chicken cutlets

Ingredients

Chicken fillets 500-600g
Large onion 1
Fresh white bread or baguette 1
Warm water 80-100ml
Clarified butter or butter 50g (25g for onion frying + 25g for the meat)
+extra butter (or sunflower oil) for cutlets frying
Salt, pepper to taste
Method
  • Finely chop the onion and fry it in the butter until soft and pale (don’t brown it).
  • Cut off the crust from baguette, finely chop it and set aside.
  • Put 3-4 bread slices in a small bowl, soak in the water for few minutes, then squeeze a bit of water out.
  • Finely chop or mince chicken fillets, add soaked bread, butter, season with salt and pepper, and combine well. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Divide chicken mince into several cutlets (medium size) and coat with fresh breadcrumbs.
  • Heat butter or oil in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a baking shit and bake in preheated 200C/400F oven for 7-8 minutes.
  • Serve with your favorite vegetables and/or boiled potatoes and sauerkraut.
Enjoy!!!

Jam Cake

 This cake is well-known in my home-country, and it’s quite popular among village people, or at least who prepare homemade jams. Oh, we love make jams in Russia! Nothing can beat a real homemade jam, jam for which you picked up fruits or berries yourself in the garden or forest during summer. And like everything is done at home the taste of every jam in every home is unique. When it is dark and dank outside, or even when it’s a snowstorm during cold Russian winters, it’s such a great pleasure to be at warm and cozy home, sip a hot herbal tea with a spoon of jam, or spread it thickly over a piece of bread.
 Many Russian grandmothers used to make this cake, mainly when was a cup of jam left, and nobody wanted to eat it up. Among such ladies was grandmother of my classmate, she used to make delicious cake with strawberry jam! 
 The cake recipe is very easy and quickly to prepare, you need only few ingredients and patience while it cooks, and the result is sweet and tasty cake! Ability to use any jam is excellent, every time you’re getting new-flavoured cake! Isn’t it cool? 

Jam Cake

Jam Cake

Ingredients
200ml jam, not watery (I used plum jam)
200ml full fat kefir
1 tsp baking soda
50-100g white sugar, depends how sweet is jam
1 big egg or 2 small
300-350g all-purpose flour
In a big bowl, mix jam and soda, leave it for 5 minutes. In another bowl, slightly beat eggs with sugar. 
Add kefir and beaten eggs into jam mixture, stir well. Add flour, and combine all ingredients.
The consistency of the batter should be little bit thicker than for pancakes.
Pour batter into greased pan, bake in preheated 180C/360F oven for 50-60 minutes.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with fruits or berries, if desired.
Enjoy!

Jam Cake with plums

Perfectly Simple Cabbage Pie

 I have made a puff pastry! Can you believe?! 😀 And it was a classic recipe, not a cheat one. Though it has turned out not really good as I expected, I think I put a bit much of butter, or it wasn’t very cold.. But I’m still proud of myself, and the pastry is hundred times better then the store-bought. Moreover, puff pastry in stores is usually made from margarine or palm oil, which are trans-fats, the worst type of fat you can consume.

Cabbage Pie

 The below recipe is a classic recipe of Russian cabbage pie. This time I used puff pastry, the pie turned out crispy, buttery, comforting and so tasty! When I lived in Russia, usually we made a good quantity of this dough (which I used in koulebyaka-pie), and made one huge pie with savory filling; if we’d had some remaining dough we made small pirogki (small pies) with jam or sweet tvorog (cottage cheese).
 There is no filling recipe, because it’s hard to count grams of cabbage if you don’t know how big or small will be the pie. One loves when the dough is thick, another when the filling is falling out from the pie. You can have a look ‘the guide how to’ below, but the quantity of ingredients adjust to your own taste.
For the cabbage filling, shred some fresh cabbage, and slightly braise it along with chopped onion and spices. Then add coarsely chopped hard-boiled eggs, and season with salt, that’s it! The lovely cabbage filling is ready!
 I know, the pie is very simple, but it’s so comforting, that after first bite you begin to feel like you are at home.. Sweet home! ❤ I’m bringing the pie to all party-people over there; I truly hope you will enjoy it!

Russian Cabbage Pie

The pie is equally good reheated for lunch or dinner next day! 
Ingredients
Cabbage filling
Fresh cabbage, shreded
1 small or medioum onion, finely chopped
1-2 tsp cumin
2-4 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, optional
sea salt, to taste
2-3 Tbsp sunflower oil
2-3 eggs, hard-boiled
Puff pastry
300g flour
50g chilled butter
a pinch of salt
150ml very cold water
220g chilled butter for layering
Glazing
1 egg  yolk + 1 Tbsp milk or only milk
sesame seeds for decoration, optional
 
Method
 In a big frying pan, add onion, cumin, cabbage and fry on a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the heat, add salt, some water (if the cabbage begins to burn), cover and braise for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Season with salt, add chopped dill, if desired. Mix with chopped eggs.
 Brush the pie with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated 180C/360F oven for 25-35 minutes (the mentioned time is enough even for a big pie).
 Let it cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy with a glass of milk! 
Russina Cabbage Pie

Transformer Pie

 Transformer movie is now showing in cinemas here, I’ve already watched it, and you? I know it’s totally not girly film, but all those metal giants.. Don’t you want to be friends with one of those robots? 😀                                                                                The below pie is also like transformer. Why don’t you invite friends for a dinner and make a surprise for them, say that you had time to prepare only sugary pie with meringue top.. They didn’t guess until you begin to cut it.. Surprise! You’ve got a slice full of savory filling!

Chicken Pie
 I used chicken and brown button mushrooms, but you can add some potatoes instead of mushrooms. The pie can be easily turned into sweet; use sliced apples or pears along with a handful of raisins, nectarines and blueberries are great too, and don’t forget to beat egg whites with icing sugar. Small disadvantage in sweet option are unused egg yolks, which should be used somewhere; put them in a small cup, cover with cling-wrap and next morning prepare scrambled eggs, or much better – make khvorost.

Transformer Pie

Ingredients (for 20cm/8inch round baking dish)
400-500g puff pastry, preferably homemade (with butter, not margarine)
2 small chicken breasts, around 350g
150g mushrooms, washed, sliced or cut into halves
1 leek or onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, optionally
1 whole egg
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 tsp strong mustard, like English
2 Tbsp fatty creme fraiche or sour cream
50g grated Parmesan or any hard cheese, optionally
salt, pepper to taste
1 Tbsp oil + 1 tsp butter
Preparation
  1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry (4mm/0.15inch thick) and cut a 28cm/11inch disc. Line a baking dish, pop into the fridge for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cut chicken into small cubes or strips; put in a bowl, add 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp sour cream, salt, pepper, tarragon (optionally), cover and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
  3. In a medium pan, melt butter and oil, add onion and mushrooms, fry on a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes. Add mushroom mixture to the chicken and combine.
  4. Beat whole egg and egg yolk with remaining sour creme.
  5. Take out the baking dish. Spoon the chicken mixture in, pour over beaten eggs.
  6. Bake in preheated oven 180C/360F for 40-45 minutes.
  7. Beat egg whites with a good pinch of salt until firm peaks. Optionally, you may gently fold in cheese.
  8. Take out the pie. Spread the meringue mixture over the pie, bake for 20 minutes more or until slightly brown.
  9. Allow pie to cool for 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Chicken Pie/SliceCheck out another recipe – Kournik, Russian chicken pie!

Chicken Meringue Pie

Draniki

 Draniki – thin and round potato pancakes, are often pan-fried and served with sour cream. The word ‘draniki’ originates from the verb ‘drat’ (soft t), which means grate, rub. It was originally a common breakfast, and today we stick with this tradition, but in some restaurants it’s served all day long. Draniki are so beloved and popular in our country, that not even every Russian knows, that it is Belarus dish.
 Potato was brought to Russia in the end of 17th century, when it was served as an exotic dish only at royal banquets, and potatoes were sprinkle with sugar, not salt and pepper as nowadays. At that time in Belarus, potato had been known for 80 years. Today potato became the main vegetable in Belarus, and now over 200 potato dishes are known.
  Similar potato pancakes can be found in many countries, like hash browns in the USA, kartoffelpuffer in Germany, Swiss rösti, or Jewish latkes, and etc.
Draniki
 This is a simple recipe that is easy to prepare and produces great results! 🙂 Enjoy!

Draniki - Russian potato pancakes

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print
Ingredients
4 large potatoes
1 egg
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2-3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
a good pinch of salt
a good pinch of pepper
2-3 Tbsp sunflower oil, for frying
sour cream, for serving
Preparation
  • Peel potatoes and grate (using medium or large holes of a box grater), transferring to a bowl of water. Soak potatoes for 10-15 minutes, then drain well in a colander, and squeeze grated potatoes with hand, extracting as much liquid as possible.
  • Transfer potatoes back to a bowl and stir in egg, salt, pepper and dill. Add flour and mix until well-coated. The mixture should be wet and thick (not soupy!).
  • In a heavy-based or iron skillet heat the oil until hot, but not smoking.  Place the large spoonfuls of the mixture into pan, pressing down and spreading into cm/inch rounds with a fork or spoon. Reduce heat to moderate. Brown draniki on one side about 5 minutes, turn over and brown on the other. Let drain on a paper towels.
  • Serve warm with sour cream or raw.
  • Draniki are also good with creme fraiche, herb cream cheese and ricotta.
The remaining draniki can be kept in a refrigerator up to one day. Reheat in a 160C/320F oven, about 10 minutes.
Russian Draniki
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