3 recipes from pre-revolutionary Russia that have been passed down from generation to generation

3 recipes from pre-revolutionary Russia that have been handed down from generation to generation

The chef shared step-by-step preparation of dishes that will surprise guests on New Year’s Eve.

Chef, expert of the Farm Café at the City Farm at VDNKh

“In tsarist Russia, according to legends, many recipes were prepared and kept secret in very narrow circles, passed down from generation to generation. I propose to take a closer look at the cuisine of tsarist Russia and consider three dishes that may have been part of pre-revolutionary traditions.”

Okroshka

Based on the recipe in the cookbook “Model Kitchen” from 1892, everything meat was put into okroshka: fried or boiled beef, veal, lamb, ham. Also used to prepare their own homemade kvass and special dressing.

Ingredients:

• 300-400 g boiled beef;
• 2 eggs;
• 2 tbsp. fat sour cream;
• 2 tsp. mustard;
• 1 liter of kvass;
• 2 pcs. cucumber;
• 1/2 bunch of dill;
• 1/2 bunch of green onions;
• a pinch of salt and sugar.

Dressing recipe:

1. Boil two eggs and in a bowl, mash the cooked yolks with two teaspoons of mustard.
2. Add salt and sugar to taste and two tablespoons of full-fat sour cream.
3. Next, dilute the dressing with a bottle of kvass. Add chopped meat and finely chopped herbs.
4. Cut cucumbers and green onions into small cubes and serve in a separate plate.

Peter the Great’s favorite porridge

As is known, Peter I was a lover of simple Russian cuisine and dinners with exquisite European viands arranged only for foreign guests. Sometimes his wife, Catherine I, prepared a special porridge for the tsar – its recipe we will just share.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pearl groats;
• 3 cups of water;
• 1 liter of milk;
• 1 tsp. salt;
• 2 tbsp. of honey.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the groats, pour three glasses of cold water and leave for five to seven hours to swell.
2. Drain the water, add a liter of milk to the pearl and put on medium heat.
3. Bring the milk to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about five minutes.
4. Salt to taste and add honey.
5. Transfer the porridge into a mold or pot for baking and place in an oven heated to 150 degrees.
6. Leave the porridge to stew for about an hour until it has swollen considerably to the appearance of a pie.
7. Add a piece of butter to the finished dish and serve.

Beef Stroganoff-style

The dish owes its name to Count Alexander Grigorievich Stroganov (according to another version, Pavel Alexandrovich), for whom a personal chef, by origin French, and created a version of “beef with sauce”.

Ingredients:

• 350-400 g beef fillet;
• 1 cup of beef broth;
• 50 g of butter;
• 1 tbsp. flour;
• 1 tbsp. sour cream;
• 1 tsp. mustard.

Preparation:

1. Dice the beef, add salt and pepper to taste and fry in butter over medium heat for five minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove to the side.
2. In the same skillet over low heat, melt a piece of butter, pour in the flour, stir and cook until golden.
3. Pour the beef stock into the flour mixture and add the mustard, stir well and increase the heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
4. Add the sour cream, having previously stirred it with a little sauce to prevent it from curdling, and stir it in
5. Put the previously cooked meat into the skillet and mix with the sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.