Isn’t it strange how we just can’t get enough of the Russians? As one of their military ships cruises off the Georgia coast as we speak, they are still in the news 30 odd years later. We do love some of the food. We promised the recipes from our Russian nite entry in October and are just now finding them to publish… what great timing.

And, you will thank us for finally finding them! So Feast & Frolic.

We enjoyed Iced Vodka, but also a drink called Uncle Vanya’s (this recipe is per glass)

1 ounce Vodka, 2 ounces Blackberry liquer, 1/2 tsp lime juice and serve over ice after shaking.

Piroski (24 of them) appetizer course

Pastry – 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup unslated butter, 4 Tbsp lard, 1 tsp salt, 4tsp ice water

Filling – 1 med. onion finely chopped, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 large clove garlic minced, 2 cups shredded cabbage, 2 cups cooked pork cubed, 1 large potato peeled-diced-cooked, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp caraway seed, 2 Tbsp fresh snipped dill weed, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Egg Glaze– 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water

Saute onion in oil add garlic and cook 1 min. Stir in cabbage cook 10 minutes stirring until done. Remove from heat then stir in remaining ingredients and cool. Preheat oven to 375 and roll your pastry into a 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 2 1/2 inch circles. Put 2 Tbsp of filling in center and fold pastry in half and seal edges and crimp with tines of a fork. Place them on a buttered baking sheet and glaze with egg wash. Pierce them with 1 or 2 small holes and bake for 20-30 minutes and serve warm…you can prepare these ahead of time and freeze them unbaked.

Borscht ( serves 8) soup course

4lbs beets

1/2 cup wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter

3 Tbsp oil

1 small head green cabbage

3 large onions sliced

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 green or red peppers sliced thin

1 lb zucchini unpeeled sliced thin

1 lb carrots sliced thin

16 cups chicken stock and salt & pepper to taste/ (garnish with a dollop of sour cream per serving)

Peel and grate beets put 1/4 in bowl w/vinegar and sugar set aside.

Slice cabbage thinly and chop.

In a heavy stockpot melt the butter with the oil and saute onions and shallots until soft add the other veggies except beets and cabbage and cook covered for 10-15 min. Add remaining beets and cabbage pour in the stock bring to a boil and reduce to simmer cover partially and cook 2 hours. Skim off any fat and strain then add salt & pepper. Reheat the borscht with the reserved beets in vinegar and sugar along with any liquid from them cook gently for 15 minutes DO NOT BOIL! Serve hot in goblets with a dollop of sour cream.

Chicken Pojarsky (16 cutlets) main dish

4 chicken breasts skinned and boned

3/4 lb unsalted butter

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup flour

2 eggs lightly beaten

3-4 cups fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup veggie oil

Chill the chicken then chop finely in a food processor. Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter and stir into the ground chicken season with slat & pepper and nutmeg. Chill this mixture until very cold. use 1/2 cup of the mixture to form a cutlet shape3/4 inch thick and place on waxed paper and chill until breaded. Dip each cutlet into flour then egg mixture then bread crumbs place them on wax paper and chill again.

Heat remaining butter and oil in skillet and cook on each side until lightly brown, which should be 8-10 minutes then keep them warm in a 200 degree oven turned off.

Make the sauce which is comprised of:

1 large onion chopped

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 tsp hot paprika

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp Brandy

1 1/2 cup sour cream

Cook onion in butter add paprika, flour, thyme and stock simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, cream salt & pepper along with Brandy. Strain mixture. Right before serving over the cutlets, reheat with the sour cream then spoon over the cutlets and serve.

Serve red potatoes and or red cabbage as a side dish

 

Kulich dessert course

Bake in two one pound coffee cans (this makes 2 cakes)

¼ cup milk

2Tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup all purpose flour

1 egg

1 pkg. dry yeast

1 cup sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter

½ tsp salt

8 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean finely minced

¼ cup candied citron finely chopped

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup currants

¼ cup blanched slivered almonds

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp saffron

¼ cup milk

1 Tbsp vodka

3-4 cups all purpose flour

 

Royal Icing for topping

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 egg white

lemon juice

Heat the milk and butter until butter melts add ¼ cup flour and stir in egg. Let cool.

Proof the yeast for 5 min. in ¼ cup water at 105 degrees then add 1tsp sugar to flour mixture and let sponge rise for 30 min. covered in a warm place.

Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy add slat, egg yolks and beat well. Add vanilla, fruit, nuts, flavorings and liquids to this mixture then add it to the sponge. Using a mixer with a dough hook, add enough of the flour to make it smooth and an elastic dough. Put dough in a well greased bowl and cover loosely until it rises and doubles in size…about 5 hours.

Butter 2 coffee cans and line bottom and sides with waxed paper, then butter the linings. Divide the dough in half and place each half in a can and let them rise to the tops of the cans…about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake cakes 45-60 min. Cool slightly then remove the cakes from the cans, tear off the paper and cool them upright on a rack. After they are cool then make the icing a little runny and pour over the cooled cakes when the icing dries add a flower to the top and enjoy.

If the Russians are still on the GA. coast at Christmas 2019, invite them in for this meal…may we start 2020 on better terms all of us.