Russia on a Plate

Celebrated food writer Karina Baldry will bring Russian culture and customs to life at SamarQand Restaurant, near Oxford Street, on Tuesday 21 February as she weaves the stories and legends surrounding the creation of traditional Russian dishes into a special evening exploring Russian cuisine. (7.30pm, tickets £45. To book call SamarQand Restaurant direct on 020 7935 9393;

Russia on a Plate forms part of the week-long programme of special events leading up to the London Maslenitsa Festival (26 February, Trafalgar Square, FREE entry) – the biggest celebration of Russian culture outside Russia itself. Supported by Major of London, Boris Johnson, the event sees the London landmark transformed into a bustling bazaar offering traditional Russian foods and handicrafts while performances from some of Russia’s most acclaimed dance, theatre, folk, pop and jazz artists entertain the audience from the Festival’s main stage.

Other events taking place alongside the culinary evening include a fashion show at the Victoria & Albert Museum, showcasing designs by up-and-coming as well as established Russian designers, a photography exhibition at the GLA of images of London through the eyes of the city’s many diverse Russian residents and a one-off performance of ‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ at Shaftesbury Theatre by the renowned Gogol Theatre

‘Russia on a Plate’ will take visitors on a remarkable journey through Russian culture and history – as well as cuisine - as guests are served the stories connected to traditional Russian dishes alongside a variety of courses; each introduced by Karina together with the methods used to make them. To mark the forthcoming Maslenitsa spectacular in Trafalgar Square there will be a special focus on delicacies of Maslenitsa week.

Russian-born Karina Baldry is the author of “Russia on a plate” and the co-founder of Russian Revels, an exciting new project to revolutionise the image of Russian food in the UK. With her team she forages though pre-revolutionary cookbooks, re-invents communist classics and creates radical interpretations of recipes from across the ex-USSR with the ultimate aim of unearthing and promoting luscious and original Russian dishes to a new audience.

Karina Baldry, author of ‘Russia on a Plate’ says: “Russian delicacies extend far beyond the stereotypical pickle and starchy dough; caviar and vodka. The food we’ll be covering for Maslenitsa takes in flavours from all around the former Soviet Union, from hearty dishes from the west, to spicy dishes from the south. This event will be a fresh and exciting opportunity for adventurous foodies to explore the unknown territory of true Russian cuisine, and a chance to finally dispel the myth of Russian food of being boring, uninspiring and bland!

About SamarQand Restaurant

Located in the heart of London, SamarQand (18 Thayer Street London, Greater London W1U 3JY) is the Capital’s only restaurant offering Central Asian cuisine, including traditional recipes from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia.

The Restaurant is jointly owned by Iska and Bek Narzibekov, who have used their knowledge of Central Asian cuisine and culture, as well as their expertise in the restaurant and hospitality industry, to create an authentic, fine dining experience that is popular with Londoners and Russians alike.



Maslenitsa on the menu: traditional Russian recipes

Pancakes

As well as making up a traditional Russian breakfast these pancakes are also associated with Russian Maslenitsa

Ingredients (makes about 8 pancakes

4oz (100g) plain flour.

Half a Pint (250ml) of milk.

1 Standard Egg (Size 2)

Pinch of Salt (half teaspoon)

Extra Ingredients to finish the pancakes

2oz (50g) Lard or Fat - for the frying pan.

Sugar, Lemon, Orange etc to add flavour.

Method:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
Make a well in the middle and crack in the eggs.
In a separate bowl mix together the milk and the water.
Beat the eggs into the flour with a wooden spoon and gradually beat in the milk and water mixture to get a smooth liquid the consistency of cream.
Stir in the oil and allow standing for 10 minutes before using. Serve with honey, jam or caviar


Pelmeni

Though popular across Russia, most people associate pelmeni with Siberia, where hundreds of these dumplings could be made, and then frozen and stored outside during the long winters.

Ingredients:

Dough: 210 ml cold water; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon salt; 400 g flour

Filling: 0.5 lb beef ground, 0.5 lb ground pork; 1 medium-sized onion, salt, pepper, spices to taste

Method:
Grind beef and pork twice in meat chopper.
Add the chopped onion, salt and pepper and a little milk to make the mincemeat juicy
Reserve.
To make the dough, mix the flour with the eggs and milk, salt and oil until a soft dough
Knead on floured surface until dough is elastic.
Take some dough and make a "sausage" (1 inch in diameter).
Divide into pieces (1 inch thick).
Roll each piece into a circle
Place the mixture in the centre and cover with another layer of dough.

Pelmeni can be frozen to be cooked later
To cook, boil the dumplings for 10-12 minutes in a pan of full, salty water, dropping each carefully in the water and stirring from time to time.
serve with sour cream, vineagar or ketchup