“The heart of Russian cuisine” - pelmeni, (dumplings) - most commonly beef and pork filling wrapped in thin dough. However these also can be made with game, chicken and even fish. They are hearty, filling and very tasty.
I used to make them with my grandmother and they’re always so much better than store bought. Not like you can buy any in the U.K.. It’s quite a time consuming process, but so much worth it.
The dough should be very elastic and thin. The longer you work it the thicker it becomes and more difficult to roll. Don’t overwork it.
Fatter pork and beef mince will make softer dumplings. Use fresh mince as it will have to be frozen when prepared.
This makes about 200 dumplings, about 9 portions so perfect for a few family weeknight meals.
INGREDIENTS:
For the dough:
500g good quality plain flour plus more for dusting and worktops
1 egg
4tbsp vegetable oil
200ml hot water
1/2 tsp salt
For the filling:
250g pork mince
250g beef mince
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
Salt & Pepper
METHOD:
Make the dough first. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until the mixture forms smooth dough but is still a little sticky. Leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
In a separate bowl combine pork and beef mince and salt and pepper. In a food processor combine onions and garlic. If you don’t have food processor you can chop the onions very finely and mince garlic. Chunky cut onion can break the dough. Mix well.
To make the dumplings, dust the worktop with flour. Take a small ball of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s about 2mm thin, but not see through. Take a glass with a thin rim about 6-7cm in diameter. Cut the dough using the glass (make little wrappers). Take about 1/2 tsp of mince mixture and place in the middle of each wrapper. Bring the edges together and press well with fingers. Connect the two corners and twist them together. Make sure the mince mixture is not sealed together with the edges, otherwise the dough will break when cooked.
Dust each dumpling well with flour, arrange so they don’t stick together, and store in the freezer in an air tight container.
Best cooked from frozen as they keep the shape better. To cook boil water in a saucepan, add salt or chicken/vegetable stock cube, a couple of bay leaves and cook for 15 minutes. Drain or serve with water it’s been cooked in. Serve with sour cream/cream fresh or cream cheese. Add some dill for a more authentic taste.
Comments