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Sibirskie Pel'meni
Siberian Dumplings
Sibirskie Pel'meni
Almost every national cuisine boasts its own version of boiled dumplings wrapped around pockets of seasoned meat. No doubt many English kitchens are already familiar with won ton, kreplach and tortellini. Pel'meni are the Siberian version, now popular throughout the Soviet Union. Moscow alone has several pel'men-nayas, cafes specialising in these dumplings. Pel'meni are practical for the harsh Siberian winter. Prepared in large quantities, they can be buried in the snow where they keep for months on end, ready to boil up at a moment's notice. Siberians swear by a mustard and vinegar sauce for pel'meni: place a spoonful of hot mustard on the edge of each plate and mix it with concentrated vinegar to taste. Muscovites prefer a milder garnish, slathering butter and soured cream on the dumplings in lavish amounts. Pel'meni are most often served steaming hot, mounded high on a platter, but they may also be boiled in chicken broth and eaten with the soup. When making pel'meni, it's wise to make a lot. As one Russian saying goes, 'You can never have too many pel'meni.' And once you've tasted these wonderful dumplings, you're bound to agree.
Ingredients
Makes 8 to 10 dozen pel'meni, or enough for 6 servings.
Dough
1 teaspoon salt
12 oz (340 g) plain flour
4 tablespoons warm water
3 whole eggs
Filling
6 oz (170 g) melted butter
1 ½ lb (700 g) minced beef and pork, mixed
Hot mustard
Strong vinegar
1 medium onion
Soured cream
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
Mix together the flour and the salt in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs and water. Toss the mixture together and then knead by hand until the dough holds together. Form the dough into a ball and place it on greaseproof paper or a floured surface. Cover the dough with an overturned bowl and leave to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
In a food processor or mincer mince the beef, pork, onion, salt and pepper very finely, until there is a smooth mass with no lumps. Set aside for the flavours to blend while the dough is resting. Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out on a floured board as thinly as possible (1/16 in (1.15 mm) thick or less) and with a biscuit cutter or a glass cut out 2 in (5 cm) rounds. Place a heaped teaspoon of the meat filling on each round. Bring one edge of the round over to meet the other and seal the edges tightly, forming a half-moon. Then take the two pointed edges and bring them together in the centre of the half moon, along its straight edge. Lift these edges slightly so that a round ball is formed. Make sure that the edges are securely pressed together in the centre. As each ball is formed, place it on a clean tea towel.
If you are not going to boil the pel'meni right away, cover them with a tea towel so that they don't dry out. When ready to serve them, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the water to keep the dumplings from sticking to one another. When the water has reached a rolling boil, drop in the pel'meni and boil them gently for 5 minutes, or until they rise to the top of the water. Make sure not to crowd them in the pan; they may be cooked in several batches. Drain the pel'meni and immediately pour the melted butter over them. Bring them to table piled high on a platter and let each person choose his own garnish: mustard and vinegar, or soured cream and more butter.
Variations:-
1. To serve the pel'meni in chicken broth, boil them as directed above in salted water. When they are done, transfer them to hot chicken broth and serve each bowlful with a generous dollop of soured cream.
2. A delicious way to eat any leftover pel'meni is to fry them in butter until golden brown. Serve with the above garnishes.
3. In Central Asia pel'meni are made with a filling of fresh greens. Mix together spring onion, fresh coriander, sorrel and spinach in desired proportions. Chop the greens finely and season them with salt and pepper. Place a generous teaspoonful of the chopped vegetables on each round of dough. Shape the pel'meni as directed above and boil in salted water. Serve with plenty of melted butter.
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