This menu is politically volatile. I wanted to include some Russian dishes in the book because my paternal grandfather was from Russia, and I have always loved Georgian food. But I have a limited number of pages, so I decided to combine Russia and Georgia in a single chapter in the hope that they will coexist happily here despite their tumultuous history.
Sadly, I have never been to Georgia, though I have long studied its cuisine, which is a heady mix of influences from the kitchens of the Middle East, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Europe. I first went to Russia when I was in college and found myself in a world totally different from the Midwest of my childhood. Some of those days are a blur now, but I do remember eating smoked sturgeon every night and thinking that maybe it was the only way to use up all of the fish caught to sustain the country’s profitable caviar industry.
Choosing just four dishes from my large cache of recipes from these two great cuisines was difficult. Sorrel is a popular soup green in Russia, and while the soup recipe in this chapter acknowledges that tradition, it was also inspired by the need to use up the sorrel that threatens to overtake my garden each spring. The Georgian “pressed” chicken, known as tabaka, after the traditional pan (tapha) in which it is cooked, was a relatively easy choice because it is so well known in both Georgia and Russia. In fact, it is so popular in Moscow that it is sometimes mistakenly identified as a Russian dish. Pancakes rolled around a savory or a sweet filling and mushrooms in countless guises are both common on the Russian table, so I decided to combine them here. And the pudding made from dried sour cherries and black bread was such a big hit with the Supper Club crowd one winter that I knew it had to be on this menu.
Russian Potato, Spinach, and Sorrel Soup
RUSSIAN POTATO, SPINACH, AND SORREL SOUP
This light, bright green soup is similar to French and English sorrel soups but made with a meat broth. It is best prepared in early spring when sorrel is at its tenderest. You can also use nettles, if you are lucky enough to find them in the forest or at a farmers’ market. The base of the soup may be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated, and then the sorrel, spinach, spring onions, cream, and dill added just before serving. The cream is optional; leave it out if you want a lighter, brighter broth. Sometimes I like to whip the cream and add a dollop to every portion. If you are making the soup the day of serving, do not add the sorrel until the last minute, as it darkens once it is cooked. Serve the soup hot or chilled; it is delicious either way. | SERVES 6
2 OR 3 LEEKS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, SLICED
4 CUPS
CHICKEN STOCK OR BEEF STOCK OR STORE-BOUGHT REDUCED-SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH
2 POTATOES, PEELED AND DICED
2 POUNDS MIXED SORREL AND SPINACH, PREFERABLY IN EQUAL PARTS, TOUGH STEMS REMOVED AND CHOPPED
3 OR 4 SPRING ONIONS OR GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, MINCED
¼ TO ⅓ CUP HEAVY CREAM (OPTIONAL)
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH DILL, 2 TEASPOONS DRIED DILL, OR 3 TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH CHERVIL
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
In a soup pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, stir in the leeks, decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook slowly for 5 to 8 minutes, until the leeks are beginning to soften. Pour in the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring just to a boil. Add the potatoes, adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Add the sorrel and spinach and cook for a few minutes, just until wilted and tender. Stir in the onions, cream, and dill, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve right way. Or, let cool, cover, and refrigerate and serve in chilled bowls. For an alternate garnish, reserve the cream and whip it, then spoon it over each serving.
GRATINÉED PANCAKES FILLED WITH MUSHROOMS
Despite the name, these Russian pancakes are not like the thick flapjacks served in American diners. Instead, they are delicate like French crepes, although they are a bit thicker. I grew up eating crepes, which I attribute to my dad’s Russian heritage; I didn’t have my first pancakes until I was a teenager. For the mushrooms, use a combination of your favorite wild and cultivated varieties, keeping in mind that you need some rich, flavorful mushrooms in the mix. I have included some dried mushrooms along with the fresh to intensify the overall flavor of the filling. And be sure to overseason the stuffing slightly, as the crepes will absorb some of the flavor. Depending on how many you snack on while making them, you’ll probably have extra crepes. I always like to make extras for breakfast or to use for dessert later in the week. | SERVES 6
2 EGGS, SEPARATED
1½ TEASPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED, PLUS MORE FOR COOKING, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (OR PAN SPRAY FOR COOKING)
½ TEASPOON SEA SALT
½ TEASPOON SUGAR
3 CUPS WHOLE MILK
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
UNSALTED BUTTER, FOR SAUTÉING
1 POUND MIXED WILD AND CULTIVATED FRESH MUSHROOMS, TRIMMED AND CUT SMALL
ABOUT ¼ OUNCE DRIED MUSHROOMS (SUCH AS PORCINI OR MOREL),
SOAKED IN HOT WATER TO COVER FOR 5 MINUTES, DRAINED, AND MINCED
1 YELLOW ONION, CUT SMALL
2 TEASPOONS FRESH THYME LEAVES, COARSELY CHOPPED
1 CARROT, PEELED AND FINELY GRATED
2 TABLESPOONS DRY SHERRY
½ CUP COOKED WHITE RICE
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN
½ CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
3 TO 4 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED
3 TABLESPOONS FINE DRIED BREAD CRUMBS
¼ CUP GRATED PARMESAN OR OTHER AGED CHEESE
SOUR CREAM, FOR SERVING
MINCED FRESH CHIVES, FOR SERVING
To make the crepe batter, in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, salt, and sugar until smooth. Add the milk and flour and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the yolk mixture just until no white streaks remain.
To cook the crepes, heat an 8-inch crepe or sauté pan over medium-high to high heat and coat with butter or spray with pan spray. Fill a 2-ounce (4-tablespoon) ladle with batter, lift the pan off of the heat, and starting at the side opposite the handle, slowly pour the batter into the pan, tilting and rotating the pan as you go to get a thin, even layer across the bottom. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the batter is set and the crepe is golden brown on the underside. Using a thin metal spatula, turn the crepe and cook for 30 seconds on the second side, until golden brown. Transfer the crepe to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the crepes as they are finished. Cover the stack with a tea towel to keep them warm until you fill them. You should have 12 crepes.
To make the filling, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add just enough butter to coat the bottom liberally. Wait until the butter has foamed and is beginning to brown and then add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes, until they begin to release their juices. Stir in the onion and thyme and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the carrot and cook for just 1 minute more, then pour in the sherry and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the rice, mixing well, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let cool for just a bit. Mix the egg into the cooled filling and then fold in the Parmesan.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a baking dish just large enough to accommodate the rolled crepes in a single layer.
To fill the crepes, lay a crepe in front of you. Spoon about ⅓ cup (3 heaping tablespoons) of the filling in a line across the crepe, positioning it about one-third of the way above the edge nearest you and keeping it away from the left and right edges. Working from the crepe edge nearest you, roll up the crepe around the filling and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling. The crepes should fit in a relatively snug single layer but not be too crowded.
In a bowl, drizzle the bread crumbs with the butter and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle over the crepes then sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and crisp. If the crepes are bubbly but are not browned and crisp, pop them under the broiler (make sure the baking dish is broiler safe) for a few minutes. Transfer to individual plates and serve right away, with the sour cream and chives on the side.
Classic Georgian “Pressed” Chicken
CLASSIC GEORGIAN “PRESSED” CHICKEN
WITH WALNUT AND BEET SAUCES
I made this with poussins, but it could easily be made with chicken thighs or breasts, boneless half chickens, or Cornish hens. If you use poussins or Cornish hens, you will need one bird per person, unless you are doing the whole menu, in which case, half a bird per person will be plenty. The parchment paper keeps the skin of the birds from sticking to the pan you are using as a weight. If you don’t have a pan to use as a weight, use a couple of bricks wrapped in aluminum foil. You can also skip the pressing step, though the dish won’t be authentic. If you opt not to press, make sure the skin still gets very crispy.
The pan juices are finished with a little water or stock and parsley. You can use the backbones and wing tips that you removed from the birds to make a quick stock to use for the liquid. The
walnut sauce and the
beet sauce are delicious with these birds, but it is fine to make just one of them. Both of them may be made a day ahead and refrigerated, saving you time on serving day. You can also serve the walnut sauce on other types of poultry and on fish and vegetables. If you only have sweet paprika on the shelf, add a touch of cayenne pepper along with the paprika. The sauce needs a little heat to counter the richness of the nuts. I love the beet sauce on grilled fish as well.
| SERVES 6
1 CUP WALNUTS
1 OR 2 CLOVES GARLIC
1½ TO 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CORIANDER
1 TEASPOON HOT PAPRIKA
2 TO 3 TEASPOONS CIDER VINEGAR
UP TO 1 CUP WATER
SEA SALT
2 BEETS, BOILED OR ROASTED, PEELED, AND FINELY GRATED
1 SMALL CLOVE GARLIC, MINCED
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OR WALNUT OIL
2 TABLESPOONS CIDER OR RICE VINEGAR
¾ CUP SOUR CREAM, OR 6 TABLESPOONS EACH GREEK-STYLE PLAIN YOGURT AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE
SEA SALT
1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH CILANTRO
6 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
2 OR 3 CLOVES GARLIC, MASHED IN A MORTAR
SCANT 1 CUP WATER OR STOCK
3 TOMATOES, CUT INTO WEDGES AND LIGHTLY SALTED
To make the walnut sauce, in a blender, combine the walnuts, garlic, coriander, paprika, and 2 teaspoons of the vinegar. With the motor running, slowly add the water, stopping when the sauce is the consistency of thick cream. It should be thinner than mayonnaise but thicker than a rich broth. Taste and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar and coriander, if needed, and with salt. Set aside.
To make the beet sauce, in a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill before serving.
To prepare the poussins,
remove the backbones and wing tips from each bird or ask your butcher to do it for you. Turn each bird breast side up, and using both hands, press firmly on the breast to break the breastbone and flatten the bird.
Place 2 very large sauté pans (big enough to hold all of the birds with a little space left over) over medium-low heat and add the butter (dividing it if using 2 pans). While the butter melts, season the birds on both sides with salt and pepper. When the butter is nice and foamy, place the birds, bone side down, in the pan(s). Cover just the birds, not the pan, with parchment paper, and place a second pan on top of the parchment. Fill the top pan with water (or a weight) to press the birds down, and then “fry” the birds slowly for 25 minutes. Remove the top pan(s), being careful not to slosh any water into the cooking pan(s), flip the birds over skin side down, and replace the parchment and the top pan(s) and the weight. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes to crisp the skin and finish cooking the meat.
If you don’t want to be bothered with pressing the birds on both sides, you can add the birds, bone side down, to the melted butter and cook for about 10 minutes, until seared. Then flip the birds skin side down, cover with parchment paper, top with a weighted pan, and cook for 10 to 15 mintues, until done (no additional turning needed).
When the birds are ready, pull them out of the pan(s), put them on a large platter, and keep them warm. Add the garlic and water to the pan juices (dividing them if using 2 pans), increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom(s), until reduced by two-thirds. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat.
Spoon the pan sauce over the birds and place the tomatoes wedges here and there around the platter. Serve the walnut and beet sauces on the side.
1 TO REMOVE THE BACKBONE, TURN THE BIRD BREAST SIDE DOWN. USING POULTRY SHEARS OR A SHARP KNIFE AND STARTING AT THE NECK, CUT ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE BACKBONE.
2 GENTLY OPEN THE BIRD UP, CUT ALONG THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BONE, AND THEN LIFT THE BONE AWAY FROM THE BODY. TO REMOVE EACH WING TIP, PULL THE WING OUT FROM THE BODY AND CUT RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE EXTENDED JOINT WITH THE KNIFE OR SHEARS.
RUSSIAN SOUR CHERRY PUDDING
This is a great dessert for a party. Both the pudding and the sauce may be made earlier in the day and warmed just before serving. The puddings can be warmed in a 375°F oven for about 8 minutes and the sauce can be reheated over low heat.
Hearty, dense Russian black bread is made from a mix of wheat and rye flours and includes coffee and cocoa powder. It can often be found in specialty food stores and in some bakeries, or if you are an adventurous baker, you can try to make a loaf. If you cannot find black bread, you can substitute a dark pumpernickel, made without caraway seeds. | SERVES 8
10 EGGS, SEPARATED
5 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
½ CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
3 SLICES STALE BLACK BREAD (ABOUT 3 OUNCES), FINELY CRUMBLED
1 CUP GROUND ALMONDS
¾ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
¾ TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON
2 LOOSELY PACKED CUPS DRIED SOUR CHERRIES (12 OUNCES), SOAKED IN HOT WATER TO COVER FOR 30 MINUTES AND DRAINED
2 CUPS DRIED SOUR CHERRIES
⅔ CUP WATER
½ CUP DRY RED WINE
¼ CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS CORNSTARCH
1 CUP HEAVY CREAM
¼ CUP CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR
½ TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, FOR DUSTING
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Liberally butter eight ¾-cup soufflé dishes or similar molds. Place the molds on a large rimmed baking sheet.
To make the pudding, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and butter on medium speed until well mixed and foamy. On low speed, beat in the bread crumbs, almonds, flour, and cinnamon until well combined.
In a separate bowl, using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer or clean beaters on the handheld mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, mixing just until no white streaks are visible.
Pour a thin layer of the batter, about ½ inch deep, into the bottom of each mold. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm. Remove from the oven. Divide half of the cherries evenly among the molds, top with another thin layer of the batter, and return the molds to the oven. Bake again for 10 to 12 minutes, until firm. Remove from the oven. Divide the remaining cherries evenly among the molds and top with the remaining batter, dividing it evenly. (Each mold should have 3 layers of batter and 2 layers of cherries, ending with batter.) Return the molds to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The puddings are ready when they crest about the rim of the molds a bit, like a soufflé, and the tops are a little crispy. Remove from the oven.
While the puddings are baking, make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine the cherries and ⅓ cup of the water and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the wine and granulated sugar, decrease the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the cherries are plump. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the remaining ⅓ cup water until the cornstarch dissolves. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the cornstarch is thoroughly combined and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
To make the chantilly cream, in a bowl, whisk together the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until thickened to the consistency of smooth whipped cream. Be careful not to overmix; it should be firm but not dry.
To serve, using a small spoon, poke a hole in the top of each warm pudding and push down the top a bit. Place a spoonful of the sauce into the opening in each pudding. Top each pudding with a healthy dollop of the cream and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
