Crush of dough: what kind of meat pies are made in restaurants
The appearance of meat pies on restaurant menus is largely due to a new gastronomic trend, the main principle of which is a return to uncomplicated dishes that allow you to maximize the taste of the products from which they are created. And although the technology of preparing such dishes is similar in general terms, different culinary traditions have developed their own characteristic features concerning the choice of dough, stuffing and other ingredients. "Izvestia" found out what exactly are the differences between meat pies, which today are most often prepared by masters of haute cuisine.
What meat pies Russian cuisine is famous for
One of the most famous meat pies in Russia is considered kurnik. The first mentions of it are found in the XVI century, and even then this dish was widespread in different strata of society and was perceived as a ceremonial home treat. Traditionally, the pie is prepared in the form of a circle, but its main feature is in the filling.
- The version of kurnik that we know today is made with chicken (which follows from its name), mushrooms, eggs and rice, as these ingredients are best combined with poultry meat," Vladislav Piskunov, historian of Russian cuisine and brand-chef of Matreshka restaurant (Moscow), told Izvestia. - Depending on its size, it can be layered inside with pancakes, with all the layers of stuffing remaining the same.
Kurnik
Usually Russian pies are made of sour sour yeast dough, but today this rule can vary, says our interviewee, and he himself more often uses the yeast-free version. These days, kurnik in restaurants is more often prepared for special events and is rarely found in the main menu. This is due to the fact that it is quite difficult to divide the dish into portions, because when cut, it can fall apart and will not look very beautiful. But kurnik looks great whole at festive banquets, and even formed a tradition to serve it during wedding feasts.
Another famous Russian pie - kulebyaka - is a little more common in restaurants nowadays. This is due to its convenient elongated shape, which makes it easier to cut into portions while maintaining an aesthetic appearance. And although historically in Russian cuisine this dish was prepared mainly with different types of fish or in a lean version (cabbage, mushroom and so on), today it can often be found with meat stuffing.
- In fact, the filling in kulebyaka can be absolutely any kind, because the most important thing is that it does not turn out too dry, - explained the chef of the restaurant "Voronezh" Sergey Volkonenkov. - For this purpose it is necessary to keep the right balance of filling and dough, i.e. the latter should not be too much, then the filling will be juicy and tasty enough.
Kulebyaka with stewed beef and pepper sauce
The dough for kulebyaka is better to use yeast and not fresh, continues our expert. The peculiarity of the cooking process is that the dish is assembled from several layers of different filling, each of which is separated by baked wheat pancakes. Also, to enhance the flavor of kulebyaka to it you can add different sauces depending on the filling. If the filling is made of fish, it is better to make a sauce based on white wine with the addition of red caviar or tobiko, and for meat - make a pepper sauce or something based on demiglace. This will make the whole dish more gastronomic.
What you need to know about English meat pie wellington
Beef wellington has been an almost integral part of English cuisine for over three hundred years. Today, this dish is especially common on the menus of restaurants specializing in meat preparation, as its classic recipe uses beef tenderloin, one of the most premium cuts. This treat is often served for holidays or particularly special occasions.
- "Wellington" is not just a meat pie, but a complex, exquisite and demanding dish that differs from other analogues not only in its composition, but also in the technique of preparation and special flavor, - says the chef of the meat restaurant Red. Steak&Wine (St. Petersburg) Nikolay Vasilenko. - Appearance plays a very important role in it, as its serving implies a beautiful cut, showing all the layers and the degree of roasting of the meat.
Wellington pie.
Other meat pies usually use chopped meat, minced meat or small pieces, while in the center of "Wellington" there is a whole piece of beef loin, pre-fried to crust, continues our interlocutor. In addition, the dish has a rather complex multi-layered structure, including a layer of duxelles - minced mushrooms fried with onions and spices, which allows the treat to remain juicy and moist. To enhance the flavor, a layer of thin ham is added as an additional layer, and the puff pastry not only creates a crispy and beautiful shell, but also gives the entire appetizer a subtle creamy flavor and aroma and protects the meat from direct exposure to heat, allowing it to bake evenly and reach the ideal degree of browning.
For those who plan to cook beef wellington on their own, Chef Vasilenko advises that the first thing to do is to quickly and thoroughly fry the tenderloin on a very hot pan on all sides (to seal in the juices), and then let the meat cool completely. As spices, in addition to salt and pepper, you can add some garlic powder or thyme. Try to prepare as dry a duxelle as possible, carefully evaporate the moisture from the mushrooms - this will help prevent the dough from soaking. For more flavor saturation, use a mixture of different types of mushrooms (mushrooms, chanterelles, porcini mushrooms), and choose butter for frying them. Wrap the meat tightly in layers of duxelles, ham and puff pastry so that there are no voids. Before baking, chill the assembled "Wellington" in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. It is better to bake the pie in a convectomized oven at 180-160 °C. Before cutting the dish after baking, let it rest for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to spread evenly over the meat.
What are the differences between French pies
French cuisine is famous for various dishes with puff pastry. And a prominent place among them is occupied by pithivier pie, named in honor of the city in the department of Loire, where it was first prepared in the XVII century. Since then, this treat has gradually spread throughout Europe and is now found in Russian restaurants.
- Essentially, it is a baked puff pastry pie filled with meat or fish, - explained to our edition the chef of Grace Bistro restaurant (Moscow) Mikhail Gerashchenko. - There are also sweet variants, which are made with almond cream like galette de rua. This is one of those dishes in which it is easy to preserve the pure flavor of the products from which it is prepared - separate dough, separate meat (in our case quail) and separate sauce.
Pitivier with quail
In the opinion of our interlocutor, for cooking pithivier at home will be suitable version of a simple French puff pastry, something reminiscent of the one that people of the older generation used to use in recipes for cake "Napoleon". It takes the same ingredients as the classic puff pastry: flour, salt, sugar and not very cold, already plastic butter, cut into cubes. You make a simple knead, combine all the ingredients into a ball and let it stand for a while. This dough is then rolled and folded several times, these manipulations stretch the cubes of butter and result in a fat and flavorful puff pastry that remains airy and brittle.
In recent years, another famous French puff pastry - paté en croute - has been gaining popularity in Russian restaurants. This dish can be confidently called fashionable.
- It is also sometimes called 'meat bread', as it is made in the shape of a brick, resembling the loaf we are used to," adds Chef Gerashchenko. - Pate an croute is made with a filling of several types of meat. It is served open, cut into slices, as a cold appetizer, and often accompanied by mustard or pickles. It's almost like our cholodets, but not as greasy.
What kind of meat pie is made in Georgia
Many fans of Georgian cuisine are probably familiar with kubdari pie. It is traditionally prepared for holidays and family celebrations, it is considered one of the symbols of Svan cuisine. In Russia, this subspecies of khachapuri can be found in many Georgian restaurants.
- The main peculiarity of kubdari is that it uses fresh lamb or pork, which is finely chopped with a knife instead of being twisted through a meat grinder," explained Gaik Yeghiazaryan, brand-chef of the Erti restaurant (Moscow). - This method helps to preserve the texture of the meat and makes the stuffing more juicy and rich. Svan spices play a special role in his recipe, which give the stuffing a unique flavor. Fresh onions, garlic and cilantro are often added to khachapuri.
According to our expert, to enhance the flavor palette of the pie, you can also add poached spinach or soft Georgian cheese to the filling for a creamy texture. And the finished kubdari is good served with a matsoni-based sauce to balance the juiciness of the meat.
Kubdari with tomato salsa
To prepare the dough for kubdari, you will need top-grade wheat flour, warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. All ingredients should be at room temperature, they should be mixed, after which the dough should be left in a warm place to rise, and then kneaded and left to rest for 10-15 minutes. The assembled pie with the filling is sent to an oven heated to 200 °C for 10 minutes. When the kubdari is ready, brush with melted butter and serve not immediately, but let the pie stand for five minutes. This is to allow the broth that has formed inside to spread throughout the filling.
