Cuisines

Russian recipes

Root vegetables, soured cream and preserving.

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Russian cooking is shaped by a short growing season and a long winter, which is the honest explanation for the preserving, the sour cream, the rye, the pickles and the fermented everything. It is a cuisine of the pot and the oven rather than the pan, and of dishes that improve on the second day — which is a practical property rather than a boast, and is why so many of these recipes say to make them ahead. Soups are a course rather than a starter and are meant to be substantial. The recipes here include the everyday things, the celebratory ones, and the baking, which is the part of the tradition least known outside it and arguably the best of it.

45 recipes

Vinegret — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Vinegret

Beetroot, potato, carrot and sauerkraut dressed with oil rather than mayonnaise, with the beetroot oiled first to hold the colour.

PotatoesRussianSide dishes

Vatrushka — shot from directly overhead: yeasted buns pressed into a ring around a well of sweetened curd cheese

Vatrushka

Yeasted buns pressed into a ring around a well of sweetened curd cheese, baked until the filling sets to a soft custard.

2 hr 25 minServes 10

BreadRussianVegetarian

Ukha — shot from directly overhead: clear freshwater fish broth

Ukha

Clear freshwater fish broth, never thickened and barely seasoned, so what you taste is the fish and the water it cooked in.

1 hr 10 minServes 4

PescatarianPotatoesRussian

Smetannik — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Smetannik

Soft honey-scented sponge layers stacked with a whipped soured cream filling and left overnight to soften.

9 hr 35 minServes 12

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Shashlik — shot from directly overhead: cubed lamb marinated in grated onion and vinegar

Shashlik

Cubed lamb marinated in grated onion and vinegar, then grilled on flat skewers over embers until charred at the edges.

8 hr 55 minServes 6

Main coursesRussianGeorgian

Rassolnik — shot from directly overhead: barley and pickled cucumber soup

Rassolnik

Barley and pickled cucumber soup, sharpened at the end with the pickle brine itself rather than with vinegar.

2 hr 55 minServes 6

PotatoesRussianSoups

Quick Salted Cucumbers — shot from directly overhead: small cucumbers held a day or two in a dill and garlic brine

Quick Salted Cucumbers

Small cucumbers held a day or two in a dill and garlic brine, salted right through but still raw and crunchy.

26 hr 20 minServes 8

RussianSide dishesVegan

Ptichye Moloko — shot from directly overhead: an agar-set soufflé of whipped egg white

Ptichye Moloko

An agar-set soufflé of whipped egg white, sugar syrup and butter on thin sponge, sealed under dark chocolate.

2 hr 20 minServes 12

ChocolateDessertsRussian

Pelmeni — shot from directly overhead: small meat dumplings in thin dough

Pelmeni

Small meat dumplings in thin dough, boiled until they float and served with smetana or with butter and vinegar.

2 hr 12 minServes 4

Main coursesRussianYoghurt

Paskha — shot from directly overhead: sweetened curd cheese beaten with butter

Paskha

Sweetened curd cheese beaten with butter, egg yolks and candied fruit, then drained overnight in a pyramid mould.

12 hr 55 minServes 10

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Olivier Salad — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Olivier Salad

Potato, egg, pea and pickle in mayonnaise, cut to an even dice and dressed only once everything is properly cold.

9 hr 10 minServes 8

PotatoesRussianSide dishes

Okroshka — shot from directly overhead: a cold soup of raw vegetables

Okroshka

A cold soup of raw vegetables, ham and egg poured with sour kvass at the table, so nothing in the bowl goes soft.

PotatoesRussianSoups

Medovik — shot from directly overhead: honey layer cake of thin baked discs

Medovik

Honey layer cake of thin baked discs, filled with soured cream and left overnight until the layers soften into cake.

10 hr 40 minServes 12

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Kvass — shot from directly overhead: a lightly fermented drink made from dried dark rye bread

Kvass

A lightly fermented drink made from dried dark rye bread, sugar and yeast, sour and faintly sweet.

42 hr 40 minServes 8

BasicsRussianVegan

Kulich — shot from directly overhead: tall enriched Easter bread coloured with saffron and studded with raisins

Kulich

Tall enriched Easter bread coloured with saffron and studded with raisins, finished with a white glaze that runs down the sides.

7 hr 55 minServes 12

BreadRussianVegetarian

Kotlety — shot from directly overhead: everyday Soviet-era mince patties bound with milk-soaked bread

Kotlety

Everyday Soviet-era mince patties bound with milk-soaked bread, which keeps them tender rather than springy.

1 hr 10 minServes 4

Main coursesRussian

Kissel — shot from directly overhead: fruit cooked with sugar and thickened with potato starch

Kissel

Fruit cooked with sugar and thickened with potato starch, served thin enough to drink or thick enough to eat with a spoon.

30 minutesDessertsPotatoes

Holodets — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Holodets

Pork trotters and beef simmered for hours until the broth sets to a firm savoury jelly around the shredded meat.

18 hr 15 minServes 10

Side dishesRussian

Guryev Kasha — shot from directly overhead: semolina baked in layers between the skins lifted from scalded cream

Guryev Kasha

Semolina baked in layers between the skins lifted from scalded cream, with nuts, preserved fruit and caramel.

2 hr 52 minServes 8

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Forshmak — shot from directly overhead: salt herring chopped fine with apple

Forshmak

Salt herring chopped fine with apple, hard-boiled egg and onion into a spread for dark rye bread.

3 hr 45 minServes 8

JewishPescatarianRussian

Zharkoye — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Zharkoye

Beef, potato and root vegetables braised slowly in one pot until the meat pulls apart under a fork.

3 hr 15 minServes 4

Main coursesPotatoesRussian

Zapekanka — shot from directly overhead: curd cheese baked with semolina

Zapekanka

Curd cheese baked with semolina, egg and raisins into a light set pudding, eaten warm with soured cream.

1 hr 25 minServes 6

BreakfastRussianVegetarian

Vareniki — shot from directly overhead: larger Ukrainian dumplings filled with potato and fried onion or with sweetened curd

Vareniki

Larger Ukrainian dumplings filled with potato and fried onion or with sweetened curd, boiled and dressed in butter.

1 hr 55 minServes 4

Main coursesPotatoesRussian

Tvorog — shot from directly overhead: fresh curd cheese drained from gently warmed soured milk

Tvorog

Fresh curd cheese drained from gently warmed soured milk, the base several Russian sweet and baked dishes are built on.

13 hr 15 minServes 6

BasicsRussianVegetarian

Syrniki — shot from directly overhead: fried curd-cheese fritters made from drained tvorog

Syrniki

Fried curd-cheese fritters made from drained tvorog, crisp at the edge and soft in the middle, eaten with soured cream.

3 hr 5 minServes 4

BreakfastCheeseRussian

Solyanka — shot from directly overhead: a thick sour-salty soup of mixed cured meats

Solyanka

A thick sour-salty soup of mixed cured meats, brined cucumbers, olives and lemon, built on their brine as much as stock.

1 hr 10 minServes 6

RussianSoupsTomatoes

Shchi — shot from directly overhead: cabbage soup simmered in meat broth

Shchi

Cabbage soup simmered in meat broth, made sour with sauerkraut in winter and with fresh cabbage in summer.

3 hr 30 minServes 6

PotatoesRussianSoups

Sharlotka — shot from directly overhead: apple sponge with far more fruit than batter

Sharlotka

Apple sponge with far more fruit than batter, the eggs whisked to a foam that just holds the apples in place as it bakes.

1 hr 10 minServes 8

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Semolina Kasha — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Semolina Kasha

Manka, a milk semolina porridge cooked by raining the grain into moving liquid so that it thickens without lumps.

30 minutesBreakfastRussian

Salat Mimosa — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Salat Mimosa

Tinned fish, egg, cheese and onion layered with mayonnaise and topped with sieved yolk that looks like mimosa blossom.

4 hr 50 minServes 8

CheesePescatarianRussian

Pryaniki — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Pryaniki

Spiced honey biscuits with a soft crumb and a thin white sugar glaze that dries to a matt shell as they cool.

1 hr 45 minServes 24

DessertsRussianVegetarian

Pozharsky Cutlets — shot from directly overhead: breaded minced-chicken cutlets enriched with butter and cream-soaked bread

Pozharsky Cutlets

Breaded minced-chicken cutlets enriched with butter and cream-soaked bread, fried until the crust is deep gold.

1 hr 30 minServes 4

Main coursesRussian

Plov — shot from directly overhead: rice steamed over lamb

Plov

Rice steamed over lamb, carrot and cumin in a heavy pot, left unstirred so the grains stay separate.

2 hr 55 minServes 6

Main coursesUzbekRussian

Pirozhki — shot from directly overhead: small yeasted buns filled with cabbage and egg

Pirozhki

Small yeasted buns filled with cabbage and egg, baked or fried, sized to be eaten out of the hand in two or three bites.

2 hr 45 minServes 8

BreadLeafy greensRussian

Oladyi — shot from directly overhead: small thick pancakes raised with kefir and bicarbonate of soda

Oladyi

Small thick pancakes raised with kefir and bicarbonate of soda, fried in a shallow film of oil until the edges set crisp.

BreakfastRussianVegetarian

Mushroom Julienne — shot from directly overhead: mushrooms baked in a bechamel-style sauce under grated cheese

Mushroom Julienne

Mushrooms baked in a bechamel-style sauce under grated cheese, in individual dishes, browned under the grill.

CheeseMain coursesRussian

Kulebyaka — shot from directly overhead: an enriched pastry loaf layered with salmon

Kulebyaka

An enriched pastry loaf layered with salmon, rice, egg and dill, baked until the crust sounds hollow.

3 hr 10 minServes 6

Main coursesPescatarianRussian

Herring Under a Fur Coat — shot from directly overhead: layers of salted herring

Herring Under a Fur Coat

Layers of salted herring, onion, potato, carrot and beetroot under mayonnaise, left overnight so it sets firm enough to cut.

9 hr 55 minServes 8

FishPescatarianPotatoes

Golubtsy — shot from directly overhead: cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned mince and rice

Golubtsy

Cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned mince and rice, then braised slowly in tomato and soured cream.

2 hr 30 minServes 4

Leafy greensMain coursesRussian

Chicken Kiev — shot from directly overhead: crumbed chicken breast sealed around garlic-and-herb butter

Chicken Kiev

Crumbed chicken breast sealed around garlic-and-herb butter, chilled hard so the filling stays in until cutting.

2 hr 25 minServes 4

ChickenMain coursesRussian

Buckwheat Kasha with Mushrooms — shot from directly overhead: buckwheat toasted dry

Buckwheat Kasha with Mushrooms

Buckwheat toasted dry, then cooked pilaf-style with onion and mushrooms so the grains stay separate.

Main coursesRussianVegetarian

Borscht — shot from directly overhead: beetroot and cabbage soup built on beef broth

Borscht

Beetroot and cabbage soup built on beef broth, with the grated beetroot added late and with acid so it stays red.

3 hr 35 minServes 6

Leafy greensPotatoesRussian

Borodinsky Rye Bread — shot from directly overhead: dark sourdough rye scalded with red rye malt

Borodinsky Rye Bread

Dark sourdough rye scalded with red rye malt, sweetened with molasses and finished with a crust of coriander seed.

15 hr 15 minServes 12

BreadRussianVegan

Blini — shot from directly overhead: thin yeasted pancakes of buckwheat and wheat flour

Blini

Thin yeasted pancakes of buckwheat and wheat flour, cooked in a hot pan and served with soured cream, butter or salted fish.

1 hr 45 minServes 4

BreakfastPescatarianRussian

Beef Stroganoff — shot from directly overhead, the table surface filling the frame

Beef Stroganoff

Strips of beef seared fast and finished in a soured-cream and mustard sauce that is warmed through rather than boiled.

BeefMain coursesRussian

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Russian + Vegetarian Russian + Yoghurt Russian + Main courses Russian + Potatoes Russian + Desserts Russian + Side dishes Russian + Pescatarian Russian + Soups Russian + Vegan Russian + Tomatoes Russian + Breakfast Russian + Bread

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