Russian Cookbook

5 cups white flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup mixed peel
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
7 gr easy-blend dried yeast
300ml milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1 pinch salt

For the icing:

1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of the beaten egg

Gently heat the milk and butter in a pan until melted. Allow to cool until tepid.

Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, raisins, mixed peel, almonds and dried yeast. Make a well in the center.

Add the egg to the dry ingredients with the milk and butter. Mix well to form a soft dough.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowland leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / Gas 5. Grease and line a tall cylindrical tin or a deep 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper. Turn the dough out and knead until smooth. Place in the tin, cover with oiled clear film and leave in a warm place until it has risen almost to the top of the tin.

Discard the cling film. Brush the top with the icing egg. Bake for about an hour until a fine skewerinserted into the middle comes out clean. Cover with foil if the kulich begins to brown too much. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix to make a thick icing. Drizzle over the top and leave to set.

700 gr carp, skinned and filleted
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 egg, beaten
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons sunflower oil, for frying
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

15 gr fresh horseradish, finely grated
150ml double cream
1 bunch of watercress, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 eggs, hard-boiled and finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the fish into strips, about 5 cm (long) by 1 cm (thick). Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dip the strips of fish in the flour, then in the beaten egg , and in the breadcrumbs.

Heat all oil in a frying pan. Fry the fish strips for 3-4 minutes and until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.

For the sauce, put the horseradish, cream and watercress in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the dill and eggs. Add salt and pepper.

Note:

You may also use cod, gurnard, monkfish, grouper, halibut, haddock, snapper.

1.5 kg eggplanta
2 garlic clove, minced
5 tablespoons olive oil
500 gr fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup natural yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas 4). Put the eggplants, tomatoes and garlic on an oiled rack over a roasting tin. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until soft and leave to cool.

Remove the baked aubergine flesh and puree it with tomatoes and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining oil and mix again.

Spoon into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, yogurt, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour hours.

Serve with flat breads, pita breads or tosted bread.