COSSACK KRUG - Tatyana Leonov

celebrate
CELEBRATE
COSSACK
KRUG
We join the Sydney-based Russian Zabaikal
Cossacks celebrating a krug (circle), where
members come together to debate, drink and
dine on hearty, home-style traditional food.
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celebrate
Previous page: Zabaikal Cossack
Alexey Piatkov. Clockwise from far
left: there is a religious element to
the krug, with a short moleben,
or prayer service, conducted by
a Russian Orthodox priest; Maria
Portnagina prepares the dough for
the dumplings on today’s menu;
five-year-old Michael Vlasoff leaves
the meeting to join the women in the
kitchen; the Zabaikal Cossack banner.
The Russian Cossacks here today,
gathered at the Russian Sports and
Social Club in the Sydney suburb
of Kemps Creek, are from the
Zabaikal region east of Lake Baikal,
bordering Mongolia and China.
Some have moved to Sydney
recently, others are Australianborn sons and grandsons of the Zabaikal Russian Cossacks.
Cossacks are, and have always been, a deeply patriotic bunch.
In the past they inhabited sparsely populated areas and travelled by
horse. Those here today live in Sydney and drive a mix of cars; the
parking area fills up quickly with family cars, a few sports cars, and
a Lexus with a numberplate that simply reads ‘Baikal’.
“Cossacks are people of free will who share a unique history,
culture and traditions arising from their historical role as settlers and
protectors of the frontiers of the Russian Empire as it expanded its
borders,” explains George Vassilevski, the secretary of the Zabaikal
Cossack Society of Australia Incorporated. It’s an official business
name, and today there’s an official krug meeting before the feast.
Krug, which translates to ‘circle’, is a time when all the Cossacks from
a geographical region gather to discuss and settle administrative issues.
Today’s topics include an upcoming youth fundraiser dance, and they
hear from a delegate about his recent trip to the Zabaikal region.
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After the official part of the day is over, the Zabaikal Cossacks sit
down for a festive meal – a time for family and friends to catch up and
reminisce about a land they come from or feel a connection with.
George stresses that this organisation is the only one in Australia
directly affiliated with the Cossacks of the Zabaikal region in Russia,
who are officially recognised by the Russian government.
“In this diaspora, Cossack activities are limited to the
preservation of culture and traditions,” explains Simeon Boikov,
the Ataman (Cossack leader) of the society. “However, in Russia
the Cossack movement has revived after 90 years, and today’s
Cossacks have their own schools and academies where the next
generation of Cossacks are preparing for service to their country.”
You can count the number of women on one hand, and they don’t
attend the meeting, instead spending the day crafting the traditional
specialties that will be eaten. They spend most of the day skilfully
assembling dishes, such as pelemeni (small, boiled dumplings), piroshki
(fried cabbage buns) and pouzy (large, meat-filled steamed dumplings) –
their hands moving swiftly as they chat together.
Sophia Boikov is clearly the head of the kitchen. She shouts orders
and occasionally shares a story with whoever is listening. Born in a tiny
village located not far from Yakeshi, a town in the Inner Mongolia region
of China, she was one of eight children, and moved to Sydney in 1965
where she now lives in Cabramatta. Alongside her, Maria Portnagina and
Nadejda Lavrova are working hard. Maria is half-Russian, half-Chinese,
Zabaikal-style
mutton
noodle soup
Pouzy (large
steamed meat and
cabbage dumplings)
Pelemeni
(meat and cabbage
dumplings)
Piroshki (fried
cabbage buns)
Hugubsha
(fried liver
with onions)
Mikada
(home-style
layer cake)
Piroshki (fried
cabbage buns)
Stuffed with a cabbage
filling, these yeast buns are
fried until golden here,
but are also commonly
served steamed.
recipe page 56
and grew up as Sophia’s childhood neighbour and closest confidante,
but came to Australia much later in the 1980s. Nadejda made the move
to Australia from Oryol in Russia in 1995 and likes to involve herself
in Russian activities, helping out with cooking at the Cossack krugs.
Five-year-old Michael Vlasoff, a son of one of the Cossacks and the
youngest ‘man’, joins the women in the kitchen after growing bored of
the meeting. He unsuccessfully tries to assemble a pelemen. Looking at
his clumsy hands and flour-drenched clothes, Sophia cracks a smile and
mumbles something about having to milk 20 cows when she was his age.
Victor Ubugunov takes a break, too, and joins the women. He
moved to Sydney two years ago from the Buryatia region in Russia, and
is known among the community for his authentic country-style dishes.
Everyone laughs as he brandishes a large sheet of caul fat. He’ll use it to
wrap mutton liver before frying it, a Buryatian dish known as hugubsha.
When the feast is served, there is no hesitation. The men dig into the
food, and bottles of homemade pomegranate liqueur, vodka and whisky
appear. Cossacks live a simple life and their celebrations reflect their
cultural ethos. The food is hearty, there are no unnecessary decorations;
it’s simply about being together and sharing a meal – and a story.
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From left to right: at the presentation
of the banner the Russian Federation
national anthem is played and the
Cossacks salute the Russian flag;
Ataman Simeon Boikov, Nikolai
Chubakoff and George Vassilevski
share a drink; Michael Vlasoff helps
to make the pelemeni.
Uniforms
Although very different to the
depiction of Cossack dress in
films and history books, presentday Cossacks throughout Russia
have a standardised uniform
and a system of ranks. These
are closely modelled on their
Russian military and police force
counterparts, but also retain
traditional elements, such as the
names of the various ranks and
the distinguishing coloured stripe
running down the side of the
pants. Cossacks from different
regions in Russia have different
colours – the Zabaikal colour is
yellow. Today, Cossack Ataman
General Sergei Bobrov (who is
based in Chita, a city in Russia’s
Zabaikal region) presents a new
banner to the group, and Cossack
Russian Orthodox priest Reverend
Alexander Filchakov conducts
a short moleben (prayer service).
Each Cossack region in Russia
has a representative banner, and
this one was brought from Russia
especially for the occasion.
Pouzy
(large steamed
meat and cabbage
dumplings)
These dumplings are
characterised by their large
size and thick casings.
recipe page 56
Pelemeni (meat and
cabbage dumplings),
recipe page 56
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Kuzma Rodionov serves up
the Zabaikal-style mutton
noodle soup, recipe page 55.
Clockwise: the krug (meeting)
taking place; pouzy (large
steamed meat and cabbage
dumplings), recipe page 56,
and a carrot salad, one of
the other dishes served on
the day; the men sit down to
eat; Sophia Boikov leads the
women in the kitchen.
A blend of cultures
Hugubsha (fried
liver with onions)
Hugubsha★
fried liver with onions
Makes 12 • Prep 15 mins • Cooking 15 mins
You will need 12 toothpicks for this recipe.
500g mutton or lamb livers
200g pig or sheep caul fat*, cut into
12 x 10cm squares, remainder discarded
60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
1 Slice liver into 12 pieces and place in
a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and
toss to coat. Place a piece of liver in the centre
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of a square of caul fat. Fold in edges and
roll up to enclose liver, skewering at an
angle with a toothpick to secure. Repeat
with remaining caul fat, liver and toothpicks.
2 Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan over medium
heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 8 minutes or
until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
3 Add remaining 1 tbs oil to pan and,
working in batches, fry parcels in a single
layer for 7 minutes or until cooked through.
Remove and sprinkle with onions, to serve.
* Caul fat is the thin, fatty membrane
surrounding the intestines of an animal
and is available from specialist butchers.
Because of the region’s close
proximity to Northern China, the
food that the Zabaikal Cossacks
eat and the menu today is a
blend of Russian, Chinese and
Mongolian cooking styles. Pouzy
(pictured left) look very similar
to buuz, the Mongolian version
of dumplings. The smaller
pelemeni are not too dissimilar to
Chinese dumplings, and mutton is
the most commonly eaten meat in
Mongolia. Russian Cossacks like to
eat pouzy and pelemeni with both
soy sauce (an Asian influence)
and sour cream. A traditional
Russian meal is usually composed
of three dishes – an entrée, which
will often be a soup or something
simple like selyodka (cured
herring), followed by a main, such
as pouzy, pelemeni or piroshki,
and also a beverage or dessert.
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Zabaikal-style mutton
noodle soup
Serves 6 • Prep ½ hr, plus overnight chilling
• Cooking • 1 hr 45 mins
Clockwise from left: pouring a glass
of homemade pomegranate liqueur;
Ataman Simeon Boikov; Sophia
assembles the many layers of the
mikada (home-style layer cake);
selyodka, a cured herring dish that
was also served on the day.
250g (1⅔ cup) plain flour
1kg boneless mutton* or lamb shoulder,
trimmed, cut into 3cm-pieces
300g mutton or lamb bones*
Soy sauce, to serve
Mikada
(home-style
layer cake)
This cake can also be
finished with more elaborate
toppings, such as berries,
but this is a simpler,
home-style version.
recipe page 56
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1 Place flour, 125ml (½ cup) water and
a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix to form a
dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work
surface and knead for 8 minutes or until
dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in
a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight.
2 The following day, place mutton and bones
in a large stock pot over high heat and cover
with 3L water. Bring to the boil. Reduce to
medium heat and simmer for 1½ hours or
until mutton is tender.
3 Meanwhile, divide dough into thirds
and dust each portion with flour. Using
a rolling pin, roll out each portion to
2mm thick. Slice lengthwise into 1cm strips,
then cut each strip into 10cm lengths.
4 Remove bones from soup and discard.
Increase heat to medium-high, season
with salt and pepper and add noodles.
Cook for 2 minutes or until noodles float
to the surface and are cooked through.
Serve with soy sauce.
* Mutton and bones are available
from select butchers.
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piroshki
fried cabbage buns
Makes 25 • Prep 45 mins, plus 2½ hrs resting
• Cooking 25 mins
600g (4 cups) plain flour
2 tsp (1 x 7g sachet) dry yeast
2 tbs vegetable oil, plus extra, to shallow-fry
Cabbage filling
1 small (1.2kg) cabbage, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ onion, finely diced
1 tbs olive oil
1 carrot, finely grated
2 hard-boiled eggs, grated
1 Place flour, 1 tsp salt, yeast, oil and 400ml
warm water in a bowl and mix to form a dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface
and knead for 6 minutes or until smooth and
elastic. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place
for 1½ hours or until dough doubles in size.
Punch down dough. Set aside for a further
1 hour or until risen.
2 Meanwhile, place cabbage, garlic and onion
in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Heat
oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat.
Add cabbage mixture and cook for 3 minutes
or until wilted. Add carrot and cook for
3 minutes or until cooked through.
3 Remove pan from heat and gently stir in
grated eggs. Season then set aside to cool.
4 Dust dough with flour and shape into a
large 6cm-thick log. Slice into 25 rounds and
roll out each piece into a 10cm-long oval,
about 3mm thick. Place 3 tbs cabbage mixture
in the centre of each oval, fold in sides
and pinch edges together to enclose. Flatten
slightly to make ovals a uniform shape.
5 Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third
full with vegetable oil and heat over medium
heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread turns
golden in 10 seconds). Working in batches,
gently drop ovals into oil and fry, turning
halfway, for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on
paper towel. Serve immediately.
pelemeni
meat and cabbage dumplings
Makes 30 • Prep 1 hr, plus 15 mins resting
• Cooking 20 mins
160g minced beef
160g minced pork
⅓ bunch chives, finely chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
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275g wombok cabbage, thinly shredded
1 tsp sesame oil
400g (2⅔ cup) plain flour
Soy sauce and sour cream, to serve
1 Combine beef, pork, chives, spring onions,
garlic, cabbage and sesame oil in bowl.
Refrigerate until needed.
2 Place flour, a pinch of salt and 200ml water
in a bowl and mix to combine. Turn out onto
a lightly floured work surface and knead for
8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with
plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
3 Divide dough in half and shape into
2 x 6cm-thick logs. Slice logs to create
30 rounds in total and roll out each piece
into a 2mm-thick round.
4 Place a heaped teaspoonful of filling in the
centre of each round, fold in half to enclose
filling, then pleat edges, pressing to seal.
5 Working in batches, place dumplings in
a pan of salted, boiling water and cook for
8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove
from pan with a slotted spoon and serve
immediately with soy sauce and sour cream.
Pouzy
large steamed meat and
cabbage dumplings
Makes 35 • Prep 1 hr 20 mins, plus 3 hrs
resting • Cooking 1 hr
200g (1⅓ cups) self-raising flour
400g (2⅔ cups) plain flour
¾ tsp (½ x 7g sachet) dry yeast
Soy sauce and sour cream, to serve
Meat and cabbage filling
150g cabbage, thinly shredded
250g minced veal
250g minced pork
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 chive sprigs, chopped
1 tbs soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 Place flours, yeast and 275ml warm water
in a bowl and mix to combine. Turn out onto
a lightly floured work surface and knead for
8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with
plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free
place for 3 hours or until dough doubles in size.
2 Meanwhile, to make filling, place cabbage
in a bowl, season with 1 tsp salt and set aside.
Place veal, pork and 125ml (½ cup) cold
water in a separate bowl and mix to combine.
Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic,
onion, chives, soy sauce, sesame and vegetable
oil and stir to combine. Squeeze cabbage dry
with paper towel, add to meat mixture and
combine. Refrigerate until needed.
3 Halve dough and shape into 2 x 5cm-thick
logs. Slice logs to create 35 rounds in total, and
roll out each piece into a 5mm-thick round.
4 Place a heaped tablespoonful of filling in
the centre of each round and bring edges
together to form a parcel. Pinch to seal then
twist to enclose.
5 Line a steamer with baking paper with
holes punched through, and place over a large
saucepan of water. Place pan over medium
heat and bring water to a simmer. Working
in batches, steam pouzy for 30 minutes or
until cooked through. Serve immediately
with soy sauce and sour cream.
Mikada
home-style layer cake
Serves 15 • Prep 40 mins • Cooking 1½ hours,
plus 10 mins assembling and overnight chilling
You will need a 24cm cake pan for this recipe.
300ml sour cream
3 eggs
330g (1½ cups) caster sugar
750g (5 cups) self-raising flour
1L thickened cream
150g plain biscuits, crushed
1 Place sour cream, eggs, 110g (½ cup) sugar
and flour in a food processor and pulse until
combined. Turn mixture out onto a lightly
floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes
or until mixture forms a smooth dough.
2 Preheat oven to 180C. Cut dough into
7 equal pieces and roll each piece into a
24cm round. Trim to fit in cake pan. Working
with one round at a time, place dough round
in pan and bake for 12 minutes or until golden,
then remove and cool completely.
3 Using an electric mixer, whip cream,
gradually adding remaining 220g (1 cup)
sugar, to soft peaks.
4 Place a cake round on a serving plate.
Spread a 5mm-thick layer of cream on top,
then top with another round. Repeat layering
and spreading process, finishing with a layer
of cream and reserving some cream to serve.
Cover cake with a piece of baking paper,
sit an oven tray on top and weigh down
with a heavy object. Refrigerate overnight.
5 The following day, spread remaining
cream on top of cake, sprinkle over crushed
biscuits and serve.
words tatyana leonov photography TOM DONALD Recipes Sophia Boikov, Nadejda Lavrova, Victor Ubugunov Translation Tatyana Leonov & Marina Lobastov.
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