| Description | The name of this kind of pie is often found in work of Russian writers. This superlative dish was developed by French Chefs in
Russia, shortly after the War of 1812, and henceforth served
to the gentry and nobility. It is a famous dish, and fully
deserves its acclaim. However, its preparation requires skill
and patience. |  | | Method | In a large, chilled bowl, combine the flour, butter, shortening and salt. Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and fat together until they blend and resemble flakes of coarse meal. Pout 10 tablespoons of water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather into a ball. If the dough seems crumbly, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water by drops. Divide the dough in half, dust each half with flour, and wrap them separately in wax paper. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until firm.
Combine 3 quarts of water, the milk, the coarsely chopped onion, celery, carrots, peppercorns, and 3 teaspoons of the salt in a 4-to 6-quart enameled or stainless steel casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the salmon into the liquid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch. With a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to a large bowl and separate it into small flakes with your fingers or a fork. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a heavy 10- to 12- inch skillet set over high heat. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to moderate and, stirring occasionally, cook for 3 -5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl and toss them with lemon juice, 0.5 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Melt 4 more tablespoons of butter on the skillet over high heat and drop in all but 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onions. Reduce the heat to moderate and, stirring occasionally, cook 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and with a rubber spatula, scrape into the mushrooms. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over high heat. Drop in the remaining tablespoon of chopped onion, reduce the heat to moderate and stirring frequently, cook for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but not brown. Stir in the rice and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until each grain is coated with butter. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cover the pan tightly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy. Off the heat, stir in the dill with a fork. Add the cooked mushrooms and onions, rice and the chopped hard-cooked eggs to the bowl of salmon and toss together lightly but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning.
Kulebiaka:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place one ball of dough on a floured surface and roll it into a rough rectangle about 1-inch thick. Dust with flour and roll until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick, then trim it to a rectangle 7 inches wide and 16 inches long. Coat a large cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons of butter, drape the pastry over the rolling pin and unroll it over the cookie sheet. Place the filling along the length of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border of dough exposed around it. With a pastry brush, brush the exposed rim of dough with the egg-yolk and cream mixture. Roll the other half of the dough into a rectangle about 9-inches wide and 18-inches long, drape over the pin and unroll over the filling. Seal the edges by pressing down hard with the back of a fork. Or use the fingertips or a pastry crimper to pinch the edges into narrow pleats. Cut out a 1-inch circle from the center of the dough. You may also gather the remaining pastry scraps into a ball, roll them out again, and with a cookie cutter or a small sharp knife, cut out decorative shapes such as leaves or triangles and decorate the top of the loaf. Coat the entire surface of the pastry with the remaining egg-yolk and cream mixture, place any pastry shapes on top, and refrigerate for 20-minutes. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter into the opening of the loaf and bake the kulebiaka in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown. serve at once, accompanied with a pitcher of melted butter or sour cream.
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| | Ingredients | | Pastry: 4 cups all-purpose flour.0.5 pound chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits.6 tbs chilled vegetable shortening.1 tsp salt.10-12 tbs milk.2 ea eggs.Filling: 1/2 c milk.1 c coarsely chopped onions.0.5 c coarsely chopped celery.1 c scraped, coarsely chopped carrots.2.5 pounds fresh salmon.8 tbs unsalted butter.0.5 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced.3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped.salt.pepper.1 c sour cream.0.5 cup unconverted, long-grain white rice. |
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