Authentic Russian Cuisine

Ingredients for 4:

8 pieces of white bread, or baguette
2 eggs
1 cup milk
8 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion
2 medium carrots
3 garlic cloves, pressed
¾ lb mushrooms
2 tbsp sour cream, or Mayonnaise, or plain yogurt
Salt on taste

Method:

Chop the mushrooms and, separately, chop the carrots with onions.

Stir-fry the mushrooms with 1-2 tbsp butter until they're ready, for about 10 minutes on medium heating.

Stir-fry the chopped carrots and onions with 1-2 tbsp butter on another skillet or saucepan until they turn gold colored.

Whip the eggs with milk using a fork, soak the bread in this mix, and fry on a pre-heated skillet with 1 tbsp butter for every 2 bread slices.

It should take about 3 minutes per side on medium heating.

Blend the mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, and 2 tbsp sour cream, or Mayonnaise, or plain yogurt, until you get a pate consistency.

Cover each bread slice with the pate evenly.

Serve hot with tea, coffee, or with vegetable dishes.

Note:

You can make a small canapé with the pate, and serve as a festive appetizer.

Ingredients:

2 lb pork fat from a top or side part with a thin skin
1 lb coarse salt
7-10 garlic cloves, pressed
0.5 cup paprika (hot or sweet)

Method:

Place the fat in a glass or enameled dish, cover it with a lid, and place in a refrigerator for 4 – 5 days.

Salt the fat with the coarse salt on all sides (press the salt into it).

Place the fat in the same dish as before (cleaned if necessary), skin on top.

Place in the refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.
Then, remove all salt with a knife.

Note:
The salt will be wet – this is supposed to happen.

Repeat the salting, then keeping it in refrigerator, then cleaning the salt off procedure 5 – 7 times in the following 2 weeks.

As a result, the fat will become much denser.

There are 2 alternatives for the ensuing preparation:

1.Smoke slightly with a cold smoke (or with liquid smoke), drain, and rub evenly with the pressed garlic and paprika.

2.Rub evenly with the pressed garlic and paprika.

Now the “Schpik a la Hungarian” is ready.
To serve, cut off a few very thin slices from the whole frozen piece.

Keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, covered tightly, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Note:

This dish was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.

Ingredients for 4:

2 Russian rye bread slices per portion (The Russian version of rye bread seems to be the best for this recipe)
8 cheese slices
1.5 lb champignons
1 onion
3 tbsp butter or margarine
8 tbsp whipping cream
8 tbsp Cherry
2 tbsp Italian parsley green cuts
Salt and pepper on taste

Method:

Cut bread crusts.
Grate mushrooms and onions together, and simmer them with butter or margarine, with medium heating, stirring occasionally.

When the liquid evaporates, add Cherry and whipping cream, then add salt and pepper, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Then, mix with parsley greens, and set aside.

Grease every bread slice with margarine or butter on both sides, and fry on a skillet for 1-2 minutes per side.

Put the hot mushroom-onions mix on every bread slice, cover with a cheese slice, and broil with high heating for 2-3 minutes, or fry under a lid on the skillet until the cheese melts.

Serve hot or warm, decorate with tomato slices (optional).

Ingredients:

1 brined herring fillet
2 boiled medium carrots
1 Philadelphia cream cheese (or other cream cheese)
1 stick butter (about 100 g)

Method:

Remove fish skin and bones.
Grate all ingredients, and then mix well.
Whip for 5 minutes.

Note:
This is very traditional spread for sandwiches.
You can make this spread with any salt, brined, or smoked salmon fillets.

Ingredients:

1 herring fillet
¼ lb butter
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small shallot onion.
Lemon juice on taste

Method:

Cut onions into very small cuts.
Cut fillet into small cuts.
Put them together in a mixer, then add warm butter, and blend well.
Then, add vegetable oil by the spoon continuing blending.
Optionally: add lemon juice, continuing blending.
Keep in a refrigerator.

This recipe is adapted to the modern products available in the United States and Western Europe.

Ingredients:
1 can of red (salmon) caviar (available in any East European or Russian ethnic food store for ~$6-8)
~1 dozen crackers (I prefer Breton Multi-grain or Original)
Butter or spread (optional)