SPECIALITIES OF RUSSIAN CUISINE
According to Russian tradition, a meal begins with the appetizers, for example a variety of salted, fermented and pickled cucumbers, cabbage and mushrooms, also soaked apples and cowberry to be followed by cold dishes. Also popular are soaked cranberry and marinated garlic.
The routine feature of any Russian feast is the Olivier salad. It consists of potatoes, green peas and cold veal or chicken and dressed with mayonnaise.
More than a century ago a Frenchman by the name of Olivier kept the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. He was the author of the salad.
Vinaigrette, another Russian-style salad, is based on boiled beetroot diced. To this are added boiled carrots and potatoes, salted cucumbers, finely chopped onions and sauerkraut. The salad is dressed with mayonnaise and sunflower oil.
Jellied Dishes. Jellied dishes are very popular in Russia. Boiled fish, meat or poultry is covered with aspic and decorative pieces of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and spices are addedto make the dish more attractive and flavoury. Many Russian-cuisine restaurants offer jellied sturgeon, jellied calf’s tongue and a jellied assortment of turkey, ham and ox tongue. Horseradish is a routine dressing for jellied dishes.
Studens. Studen is the name of Russian dish made of veal, beef or pork boiled to a soft and tender state. The resulting thick broth is mixed with finely chopped meat and cooled until it jellies. The dish is eaten with horse radish.
Pancakes. Pancakes (bliny) is a popular hot dish in Russia. They are made of wheat, buckwheat or millet and served with black and red caviar, cream butter, lightly-salted fish and sour cream. Pancakes come not only as appetizers but also as desserts with strawberries, jams or honey.
Traditional Russian Desserts. Many Russian desserts are prepared with fruits and berries, for example, baked apples with vanilla and vodka sauce or apples baked with honey. Also popular are forest berries with whipped cream; cranberry kissel with ice cream and raspberry liqueur.
The old recipes include the Guryevskaya kasha, a dish based on semolina. Boiling milk and cream are poured over semolina and the mixture is left to stand for 15 minutes. Then the semolina is sliced, milk skins are sandwiched in between layers. The whole is then covered with jam or honey and sprinkled with nuts, candied fruits and spices, and pieces of fresh fruit are put on top. The more layers and ingredients, the more delicious is the dish. This dessert dish was made in honour of the victory over Napoleon in the war of 1812.