SIBERIAN PELMENI DUMPLINGS
Makes: about 200
For the dough:
■ 3 cups (750 ml) Italian “00” flour, plus extra for dusting (all-purpose flour can be used)
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
■ 2 eggs
■ Generous 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
For the meat filling:
■ 9 oz (250 g) ground pork
■ 9 oz (250 g) ground beef
■ 1 onion, very finely chopped
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
For the fish filling:
■ 12 oz (340 g) skinless salmon fillet, cut into small pieces
■ 12 oz (340 g) skinless trout fillet, cut into small pieces ■ 12 oz (340 g) skinless cod fillet, cut into small pieces
■ 1 onion, very finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, grated
■ Bunch of chives, finely chopped
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
For the mushroom filling:
■ 14 oz (400 g) mixed mushrooms (wild mushrooms or a mixture of white and cremini mushrooms)
■ 1 onion, quartered
■ 2 garlic cloves
■ Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil Dash of soy sauce
■ Generous 1 cup (250 ml) pine nuts
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
■ 1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
For the cooking broth (optional):
■ 1 bay leaf
■ 1 vegetable, fish or meat bouillon cube, according to your filling
To serve:
■ Unsalted butter (if serving without the cooking broth) Chopped fresh herbs
■ Sour cream
■ Freshly ground black pepper
1. For the dough: Sift the flour onto a clean, dry work surface. Make a well in the middle and add the salt, eggs and measured water, gradually mixing the flour into it with your hands to form a firm dough.
2. Knead well for 5-7 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare your fillings.
3. To make the meat and fish fillings, thoroughly mix the respective ingredients together in separate large bowls.
4. To make the vegetable filling, finely chop the mushrooms, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the vegetable mixture with the soy sauce for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the pine nuts, salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool before handling.
6. The dough should be ready by this point. Take it out of the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. For best results, use a pasta machine, since you need to make sheets that are about 1/16 of an inch
(1.5 mm) thick, which you will get by using a number 7 setting.
7. Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut out discs of dough about 1 1/2-2 1/2 inches (4-6 cm) in diameter.
8. Place 1 tsp (5 ml) of filling in the middle of each disc and fold in half to make a half-moon shape, then fold again so that the edges are stuck together.
9. The dumplings can be cooked immediately or frozen to be cooked at a later date using the same method as below, increasing the cooking time as necessary.
10. To cook, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, adding bay leaf and bouillon cube.
11. Add the pelmeni, in batches, to the broth and cook for 5 minutes per batch. You know they are ready when they float.
12. Ladle your pelmeni into soup bowls with the cooking broth, topping them with fresh herbs, sour cream and black pepper.
13. If you prefer to have them without the broth, transfer them to the bowls and add a generous dollop of butter as well as the rest of the serving ingredients.
14. Leftover dumplings freeze well kept in flat layers in a freezer bag.