Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Belyashi

I made belyashi yesterday and I decided to share my technique with you. Because the recipe is simple, it's all in technique. But first, I have to warn you: this dish is far from healthy, it's time-consuming and difficult to make, but if you are a meat lover - this could easily be the highest point of your life. Because this is the ultimate special occasion meal.

Basically, belyashi (it's plural form) are meat-filled doughnuts, made on a frying pan. I use a store-bought pizza dough and for filling I mix ground beef and ground pork 50/50. Add finely chopped onion and garlic, ground black pepper and salt the stuffing generously, it should be just a tiny bit oversalted compare to, for example, for a meatloaf.

Then I form round flats from dough, put about a table spoon of the filling on it and form triangles, looking like this:

It is absolutely necessary to leave the opening in the center. Many people make round belyashi, but I feel that my triangle model are easier to make and they fit into a pan very nicely, nesting in it like this:
Now, please read this very carefully:
BELYASHI ARE COOKED IN THE BOILING VEGETABLE OIL. THE OIL BECOMES VERY VERY HOT. IF THE WATER GET INTO THE OIL IT WILL SPLASH HEAVILY. YOUR PAN AND UTENSILS HAVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY DRY. WEARING AN APRON AND LONG PANTS IS NECESSARY. THERE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO RUNNING CHILDREN AND PETS IN THE KITCHEN. THIS RECIPE IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS, IT TAKES SKILLS AND DEXTERITY.
Sorry for yelling, but I hate to think that some of you could hurt themselves trying to repeat my recipe.
So I pour the vegetable oil in the deep pan - there should be an about half inch deep layer of oil. PUT THE BELYASHI IN THE PAN OPENING DOWN FIRST - this is very important. During the cooking, there will be a tasty broth accumulating inside. If it spills, the oil will get bonkers. So you have to cook the side with the opening first, before the broth is formed.
Now see: I cook belyashi under the lid, which many people considering a suicide mission. See how water condenses on the lid? It is accumulating quickly and if it starts dripping in the oil - well, you already know what happens. That is why I keep and eye on the condensate and wipe it out with a paper towel. Every minute. Again: this is not the recipe you can make while watching TV.
Why I do it? Because we have a raw meat inside, and in the open pan belyashi could undercook. I usually cook them on "6" - "7" and my stove is marked from 1 (low) to 9 (high). It take about 5 min on every side. Don't overheat the oil, your belyashi will turn out burned outside and raw inside. And wipe the lid.
And then I carefully fry them on each of the three sides. If you do it, be very carefully, because at this stage they are filled with liquid and - you know the drill. Be very careful not to squeeze, not to flap over and not to drop each one while manipulating. If you create the oil-and-water madness - don't panic and don't jerk, keep calm and focused. And I remind you again: there will be no cats under your feet at this time.
And this is how the product look like: very hot and heavenly tasty.

Eat them with some nice red wine, or do like me: mix the cheep Chili wine with carbonated water and drink twice as much!

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