Hot And Cold Russian Food

Do you want to be a hit at your next dinner party? Why not step outside your comfort zone and try something new and exciting. International cuisine is great way to show off your cooking talents and today we are going to talk about hot and cold Russian dishes that anyone can prepare.

Russian Blini – Hot Pancakes

The French might have invented the crepe but it does not mean other countries don't have their own version they think is better. Russia is no different and they have the Blini:

Ingredients:

½ cup plain flour (sifted)
2 eggs
2 ½ cups of milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 teaspoon of baking soda (optional if you want a lighter mixture)

Steps:

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk with the sugar and salt. Combine with the flower and stir in the milk (if mixing by hand add the milk in slowly to avoid lumps). Mix well or blend in a food processor. Your batter should be fairly runny at this stage.

Optional – Add the baking soda to make the mixture more light (porous). You can also stand the batter in the fridge for half an hour to let it rest. If the mixture is too thick, add water/milk. If the mixture is too thin, add in flour.

Heat a pan over medium heat and lightly coat the cooking surface with oil or butter. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter (or more if you want) onto the pan and spread the batter out evenly. Make it as thin as you can for traditional Blini. When bubbles appear in the center or it starts to look dry, flip it over to cook the other side.

Move the cook Blini to a plate and butter one side and stack them. Serve them by putting jam in the center and folding them. Fold them again to make a triangle. They are best enjoyed with hot black tea with lemon.

Russian Salads

If you are use to salads of tossed lettuce, fresh vine ripened tomatoes and a light vinaigrette, then you are in for a bit of a shock with Russian salads. Russia is a cold country, so hardy root vegetables tend to feature on the dinner table instead of delicate spring salads.

This is gives us the Russian salad – a salad with some grunt. A typical salad is the Dressed Herring Under Fur Salad

Ingredients:

2 salted herring
5 potatoes
4 carrots
4 beets
5 eggs
1 lb mayonnaise

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the potatoes, carrots and beets. Boil until just soft and then drain.

Skin the herring and remove any bones. Cut the fish into small bit size pieces. Take a large serving bowl and spread the herring on the bottom. Cover with a thin layer of mayonnaise.

Take the potatoes and mash. Spread the potato as the next layer and cover with a thin layer of moyonaise. Repeat the process for the beets and 3 of the eggs. Top the dish with the remaining egg and put in the fridge (covered) for one hour before serving.

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