Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 61
SOUR CHERRY
Fried hand pies
Smazheni pyrizhky
SERVES 4–6 AS A SNACK (MAKES 14–16)
When my babushka, Liana, emigrated from
Ukraine to join us in Sydney, she brought
family recipes with her, including these
pyrizhky – which she remembered making
with her mum, Zinaida. Serve them hot
off the pan just as they are, or alongside
a borscht or vegetable and bean soup.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the
oil, yeast, sugar and 3 generous pinches of
salt. Pour in 500ml lukewarm water and mix
through. Add the flour and mix to a sticky,
rough-textured dough. (Alternatively, you
can do this in a stand mixer fitted with
a dough hook.)
Generously flour a work surface. Transfer
the dough mixture on to the surface and
sprinkle plenty of flour over the top. Flour
your hands and then knead the dough for
about 5 minutes. You may need to add a bit
more flour: the consistency of the dough
should be soft, but not sticky.
Form the dough into a smooth round shape
and place it into a lightly floured bowl. Cover
with a plate or cling film and place in the
fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the
eggs in a small saucepan of cold water over
a medium heat. Cover with a lid and bring
to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer the eggs for about 9 minutes. Strain
the hot water and refill the pan with cold
water. Leave the eggs to cool.
Put the spinach, onions and herbs in a large
mixing bowl. Peel then roughly chop the
cooled eggs and add to the greens. Season
with lots of salt and mix thoroughly.
Remove the dough from the fridge and use
a knife to cut it into pieces each weighing
around 65g. Lightly flour the work surface
again and flour a rolling pin and your hands.
Roll the pieces out into long oval shapes
about 3mm thick.
Place about 2 heaped tbsp of the filling
into the centre of one of your rolled dough
pieces. Bring the opposite edges of the dough
together, pinching them to press the edges
together. Shape to form an oval bun. Flip it
and place on a lightly floured surface. Repeat
until you have made at least three and then
begin to cook them while you continue to fill
and shape the rest.
To cook, heat a large frying pan with
a generous amount of sunflower oil over
a medium-high heat. Cook each batch of
pyrizhky for a few minutes on each side
until golden, adjusting the heat slightly as
needed, then remove them from the pan
to a plate lined with kitchen paper. They are
best served hot.
For the dough
50ml sunflower oil, plus extra
for frying
●
14g fast-action dried yeast
●
50g caster sugar
●
550g plain flour, sifted, plus
extra for kneading and dusting
●
For the mixed greens and egg filling
●
4 large eggs
●
Large bunch spinach, washed
and trimmed
●
Large bunch spring onions,
roughly chopped
●
Large bunch dill, soft fronds
only, roughly chopped
●
Large bunch parsley, leaves
only, roughly chopped
Everyone has their own way of making pyrizhky, with tips and tricks passed down through generations
TA S T E B O U N D
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