Two Versions of Syrniki: Russian Fresh-Cheese Pancakes

Traditional Syrniki (Russian farmer’s-cheese pancakes)

Recipe adapted from Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow hotel

Makes about 10 three-inch pancakes (the recipe can be halved successfully)

Time: 45 minutes unattended; 20 minutes active work

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup hot tea (black or breakfast tea, not green tea; can be reheated leftover tea)

2 7.5-oz packages farmer’s cheese (not salt-free)

2 large eggs

3 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons cream of wheat or semolina

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Neutral oil for frying (a Russian might use sunflower oil)

1. Soak the raisins in hot tea to cover, for about 45 minutes. Drain well and lightly squeeze out surplus liquid. This may be done well in advance.

2. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, combine the farmer’s cheese and eggs. Blend in the flour, cream of wheat, sugar and salt, then add the raisins. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape; if it is too liquid, stir in a little more flour.

3. Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop blobs of the mixture onto a plate or cookie sheet, and hold this in readiness. This, while optional, will avoid a last-minute rush to get the syrniki from the mixing bowl into the pan.

4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat (a 12-inch skillet will hold five or six pancakes; use two or cook in two batches). Alternatively, heat a non-stick electric griddle to 300 to 325 degrees F. Add minimal oil, just to slick the surface, and if using a skillet, decrease the heat to medium-low or low: these need time to cook through as the surface browns.

5. Using a spoon or your fingers, add the portions of syrniki mixture to the hot pan or griddle; with the back of a moistened spoon, flatten them into three-inch discs a scant half inch in thickness. Cook slowly until golden brown on one side (five to six minutes), then turn and do the same for the other side (about five minutes), adding a teaspoon of additional oil if necessary – which it probably will not be. If using a skillet, adjust the heat as necessary to keep the pancakes gently browning, but not too quickly. If cooking in batches, hold the cooked syrniki in a 150-degree oven, loosely covered with foil, or, better, serve them as they come out of the pan.

Serve with sour cream, Russian style jam (see recipe) or honey. Place the toppings in bowls rather than directly on the pancakes so that everyone can choose the accompaniment they like for each syrnik – or for each bite. Remember: they’re good plain too.

Syrniki – “New Russia” style

Note: We ate modernized syrniki like these at Moscow’s Vogue Café, where they were cooked in circular molds to keep them evenly thick with perfectly vertical sides. At home, I gently placed the batter into the pan without spreading it; gravity did the rest, and the pancakes remained nice and thick, and lighter than traditional syrniki. If you want to modernize these even further, you could add a little grated lemon zest to the batter, but I prefer the clear flavor of the cheese to remain at the fore.

Makes about 10 three-to-four-inch pancakes (the recipe can be halved successfully)

Time: 25 minutes active work

4 large eggs

2 7.5-oz packages farmer’s cheese (not salt-free)

4 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Neutral oil for frying (a Russian might use sunflower oil)

1. Separate the eggs, being sure not to get any yolk into the whites (if you fail, use a piece of shell to fish out the errant yolk). Transfer the whites into a large bowl for whisking, or into the bowl of an electric mixer.

2. Add the farmer’s cheese, egg yolks, flour, sugar and salt to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until creamy smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula from time to time. It can a minute or more to purée the cheese thoroughly, so be patient. Scrape into a mixing bowl.

3. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk them (or beat them with an electric mixer) until they form stable peaks but still remain smooth and glossy. Stir about a third of the beaten whites into the cheese mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with a rubber spatula.

4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat (a 12-inch skillet will hold four or five pancakes; use several, or cook in batches). Alternatively, heat a non-stick electric griddle to 300 to 325 degrees F. Add minimal oil, just to slick the surface, and, if using a skillet, decrease the heat to medium-low or low: these need time to cook through as the surface browns.

5. Using a 1/4 cup measure or ladle, add portions of batter to the hot pan or griddle. Do not flatten them: they will spread into reasonably thick discs on their own. (If you have three-inch tart rings and feel like using them, you can confine the batter using these, lightly oiled.) Cook slowly until golden brown on one side (around five minutes), then turn and do the same for the other side (another five minutes or thereabouts). Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the pancakes gently browning, but not too quickly. If cooking in batches, hold the cooked syrniki in a 150-degree oven, loosely covered with foil, though these are best eaten fresh out of the pan.

Serve with the same accompaniments as for traditional syrniki (see recipe above).

In Paris, Astier and Les Enfants Rouges Serve Great €45 Dinners

A couple of months ago, Jackie and I spent a few days in Paris as a side-trip from London. Apart from one disappointingly flat (though not actually bad) dinner, we ate very well. There were two fancy meals, both of them terrific: a return visit to Shang Palace, the elegant Chinese restaurant in the Shangri-La Paris hotel; and an exciting evening at Alléno Paris, housed in the landmark Pavillon Ledoyen off the Champs Elysées.

 

At either of those places, you would spend a great deal of money – and you wouldn’t regret it. But we also had fine dinners at two highly appealing restaurants where the food bill per person came to €45 ($48 as of February 2017).

 

The first was new to us; we were taken there by friends who had been there a few times since it opened under its current chef-proprietor in 2013: Les Enfants Rouges on a quiet street in the Marais. In a typical restaurant in Japan, the impossibly perky staff sings out “Irrashaimase (Welcome)!” as each customer walks in the door, never losing a scintilla of that happy sparkle as the evening wears on. It is surprising to hear the French equivalent – a melodious “Bonsoir!” – in Paris, a city where perkiness is rare, indeed frowned upon. That’s the greeting, however, that brings a smile to your face as you enter Les Enfants Rouges (the restaurant is named for the red-uniformed children housed centuries ago in a long-gone orphanage near by). The French-trained chef, Dai Shinozuka, is himself Japanese, as are most of the women and men in the dining room; hence the exuberant welcome. Few menu items read as though they were overtly influenced by Asian flavors or techniques; it’s more subtle than that. For instance, cabbage stuffed with duck and foie gras sounds like it’s going to be a weighty affair, yet the savory filling is light and the cabbage roll is poached-steamed in a vegetable-rich broth rather than a dense gravy. Even Mr. Shinozuka’s take on wild hare (lièvre à la royale the night we were there) is streamlined: A classic version is thick with wine, hare blood and more foie gras; his has all the right flavors, but in cleaner form. The small restaurant is open on Sundays: a real plus (its days off are Tuesday and Wednesday).

 

Another €45 prix-fixe is offered at an old favorite of ours: Astier, which has been around since 1956. We started going there 15 or 20 years ago with our friend Richard, who moved to Paris when he retired and until his death lived a few minutes’ walk from the restaurant. Since we first knew Astier, it has changed hands and (somewhat) décor. The cooking is more interesting and varied than it used to be, but the basic formula remains: the cost of dinner includes access to the generous cheese tray – famous in its way – which after your main course is plopped down on the table with a few knives and a big smile (you’d be silly to skip the cheese, but €10 would be knocked off your bill if you did). The night we were there, dishes that stood out included a foam-topped soft-boiled egg on a bed of Jerusalem artichoke with wild mushrooms – the runny yolk creates its own sauce in this well-balanced starter; and another version of lièvre à la royale, which I couldn’t resist ordering, since it’s not something we in New York see every day (or every decade). This one was more classic, with denser game flavor and a more substantial, aromatic and savory sauce. Truth to tell, I preferred it to the lightened variant I’d eaten the night before: it was more what the winter weather called for. After we relinquished the celebrated cheese tray, the four of us shared a big Grand Marnier soufflé, which our host had had the foresight to order in advance (the soufflé triggers a supplement to the prix-fixe menu, as do a handful of other dishes). The wine list is notable, especially for a restaurant at this friendly price level. 

 

Les Enfants Rouges. 9, rue de Beauce, Paris 75003; +33 (0)1 48 87 80 61; https://www.les-enfants-rouges.fr/. Prix-fixe dinner €45; lunch €30 and €35; open Thursday to Monday for lunch and dinner.

 

Astier. 44, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Paris 75011; +33 (0)1 43 57 16 35; http://www.restaurant-astier.com/en/. Prix-fixe dinner €45 (€35 without a cheese course); open every day for lunch and dinner.

Beans With 'Nduja: Flavors of Calabria, via England's New Forest

Today's Cooking Off the Cuff over at Huffington Post is about a pot of beans spiced up with chili-rich 'nduja sausage. They were inspired by a tweet from Luke Holder, the chef at the Lime Wood hotel/spa in England's New Forest.