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Forshmak
Roast Meat And Herring Soufflé
Forshmak
This is a mixture of minced cooked meats and herring, blended with eggs to make a pudding not unlike a heavy soufflé. As so often happens in cross-lingual borrowings, the German Vorschmack (a 'foretaste' or 'foreboding') has come to mean 'appetiser' in this Russian dish. Forshmak is substantial enough to serve for a luncheon. The herring needs soaking overnight.
Ingredients
½ salt herring (about 6 oz/170 g)
1 lb (450 g) roast meat (beef, veal or lamb in any combination)
1 large onion, chopped
2 oz (60 g) butter
3 potatoes, boiled and peeled
¼ pint (150 ml) soured cream
3 eggs, separated
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ oz (15 g) grated Parmesan cheese
¼ oz (10 g) fine dry breadcrumbs
Details
Serves: 10
Method
Soak the salt herring in milk or water to cover overnight. Next day, pat it dry and chop it coarsely, removing all fins and bones. It does not have to be skinned.
Fry the onion in half of the butter until golden. Then, in a mincer or food processor, finely mince together the roast meat, sautéed onion, chopped herring and boiled potatoes. Stir in the soured cream and the egg yolks. Season to taste, but be careful with the salt, as the herring is still rather salty.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6, and grease a 3 pint (1.7litre) ovenproof dish. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them into the meat mixture and turn the mixture into the greased dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and brown.
Variation:- To make Forshmak v kalache (forshmak baked in a loaf) scoop the soft insides out of a loaf of French bread, a ring-shaped one if possible. Fill the hollow with the prepared forshmak mixture. Bake as directed above.
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