Belarus: Beef Zrazy Rolls, Potato Babka and Cucumber Caraway Salad

The landlocked Republic of Belarus  in Eastern Europe is special. It’s where the last fragment of the primeval old-growth woodlands that once stretched across Europe still exist. Hundreds of  animals and birds  call this ancient fairy-tale forest home including the  rare Europe bison that lived in the forest for millennia and  was hunted almost to extinct until a conscious effort was made a few decades ago to rescue and protect them.

 

There are interesting parallels between the Bison and Belarusian cuisine as  20th century political upheavals  virtually  wiped out 10 centuries of food traditions in Belarus. Recently a culinary reconstruction has occurred that reaches into Belarusian heritage to restore lost food culture. It is a complex yet subtle food tradition that is influenced by   bordering neighbours including the Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest,  and Russia in the east and north east.

Our Belarus menu included:

Beef Zrazy Rolls

Potato Babka 

and 

Cucumber Caraway Salad

 

BEEF ZRAZY ROLLS

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      500 gm beef braising steaks (eg Chuck)

·      200 gm beef liver

·      4 boiled eggs, peeled and quartered longways

·      8 cornichons - or 2 pickled gherkins cut in strips the size of a little finger

·      Splash of red wine

·      ½ cup rye bread crumbs

·      1 white onion, finely diced

·      2 tbs sunflower oil

·      2 tbs pork fat

·      Salt and ground black pepper

·      ½ tsp allspice

·      2 tbs wheat flour

·      2 bay leaves

·      1 cup chicken stock

 

METHOD:

1.    Begin by making the liver filling for the Zrazy

2.    Pour ½ tbs oil into a pan and  sauté the onions over a medium heat for a few minutes until they become glassy then put them aside

3.    Rinse the liver in water and pat dry with a clean towel

4.    Remove any film from around the liver and cut off any sinew

5.    Cut the liver into small pieces

6.    Add another tbs oil to the pan heat it to hot and sear the liver 

7.    Turn the heat back to medium, add salt and pepper and splash of red wine and cook the liver until it is brown on all sides; about 3 minutes

8.    Add the breadcrumbs and cook for a few minutes until the crumbs have absorbed the wine and pan juices

9.    Turn the liver mix into a bowl and set aside to cool

10.         Now prepare the beef

11.         It will depend on the size of the steaks what you do here

12.         If you have a whole piece of meat cut it into thin lockets across the grain

13.         Use a meat mallet to pound and flatten the steak pieces between sheets of greased baking paper

14.         The aim is to end up with flattened pieces of steak that are about 5 cm wide and 10 cm long (can vary either way)

15.         Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper and lay them out on the bench

16.         Now you are ready to assemble the Zrazy

17.         Put a tbs of liver filling onto the short end of each steak

18.         Top it with a cornichon and a ¼ boiled egg then roll the meat up into a cocoon shape and secure with toothpicks/short skewers

19.         Take a Dutch Oven pot or similar, add the pork fat and heat

20.         Sear the Zrazy rolls in the hot fat until brown on all sides then remove rolls from pan and set aside

21.         Pour the chicken stock into the hot pan and deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any crisp bits in the bottom of the pan

22.         Add the allspice, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the stock and bring to the boil

23.         Now add back in the Zrazy rolls, turn heat to low, cover and stew for 30 minutes

24.         Remove the beef rolls again and thicken the sauce by whisking the flour into the stock

25.         Add the Zrazy back into the sauce and cook for a further 15 minutes on low heat until the sauce is thick

26.         Remove skewers before serving

 

This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several found at:

https://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/cuisine/zrazy

http://www.talerka.ru/recept/belarus/zrazy

https://www.internationalcuisine.com/zrazy/

 

 

POTATO BABKA

Imagine a giant hash brown potato-bake laced with bacon and sour cream and you begin to see just how wonderful Babka is.

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      1.5 kg golden potatoes (or other starchy potatoes such as red potatoes or Dutch creams)

·      1 large white onion, chopped

·      1 small white onion, grated300 gm bacon, diced

·      1 large egg or 2 small eggs, beaten

·      3 tbs sour cream

·      Extra sour cream to serve

·      2 tbs wheat flour

·      1 ½ tsp salt

·      ¼ tsp ground black pepper

·      1 bunch chives, chopped

 

METHOD:

1.    Pre heat oven to 180 C

2.    Peel potatoes and grate on the smallest, finest holes of a grater, or use a food processor

3.    Cook bacon on medium heat in a fry pan until crisp and golden

4.    Remove the pan from the heat

5.    Put  a few tbs of the crisp bacon bits aside to top the Babka when serving

6.    Use a baking brush to take some of the bacon fat from the pan and brush it onto the inside of a ceramic baking dish

7.    Now put the pan back on the heat and sauté the chopped onion in the remaining bacon fat until tender and slightly golden then set aside to cool

8.    Mix raw grated potato together with raw grated onion then add the bacon, fried onion, egg, flour, 2 tbs sour cream, salt and pepper.

9.    Mix all ingredients well together to form a batter

10.         Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top

11.         brush/smear the top with 1 tbs sour cream

12.         Bake for 60 minutes

13.         When complete the Babka should be golden brown– if it is colouring up too quick    when cooking then cover with foil to prevent burning

14.         When cooked Babka will cut easily into squares for serving

15.         Serve with sour cream, chopped chives and reserved bacon bits sprinkled on top

 

This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several found at:

https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/recipes/main-course/belarussian-potato-babka/

https://www.missioneurovision.co.uk/recipe/babka/

https://steemit.com/food/@fersik/belarussian-potato-pie-babka

 

 

CUCUMBER AND CARAWAY SALAD

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 medium cucumber sliced

·      6radished, sliced

·      1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into match-stick/julienne

·      2 green onions/shallots, chopped

·      1 tbs fresh coriander, roughly chopped

·      an additional dozen or so sprigs fresh coriander (to top the salad)

·      salt and black pepper to taste

·      2-3 tbs sunflower oil

·      1 tbs apple cider vinegar

·      1 tsp chopped dill or parsley

·      2 tsp toasted caraway seeds (to top the salad)

 

METHOD:

1.    Place vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and dill into a jar, screw on the lid then shake vigorously to combine into the dressing

2.    Mix the cucumber, radish, carrot, green onion and coriander in a bowl

3.    Give dressing another shake then pour it over the salad

4.    Gently mix the dressing and salad ingredients together then sprinkle the caraway seeds and a few sprigs of fresh coriander over the top

 

This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several found at:

https://www.2foodtrippers.com/belarusian-food-dishes/

https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Crisp-Cucumber-Salad-4-2.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belarusian_cuisine

 

 

Note: Photo used under Fair Use Laws from: 

https://www.internationalcuisine.com/zrazy/