The name "Belarus" literally means "White Russian". I also read that many Belarusians treat common colds with vodka spiked with salt and pepper. These people know how to drink! And when I couldn't find a recipe from Belarus that didn't include potatoes, I realized that they also know how to eat...
I made a traditional potato pancake, known as draniki. The recipe I chose includes a mushroom stuffing. I rehydrated dried porcini mushrooms, boiled them, then diced them. I combined them with sauteed onions and a little of the reserved mushroom broth and set the mixture aside while I peeled and shredded several Russet potatoes. After squeezing the excess water out of the shredded potatoes, I took a spoon full and flattened it into my hand. I added a scoop of the mushroom mixture, then more potato, and flattened everything to make a cake. I fried the cakes in a large fry pan in vegetable oil and served them with sour cream. Delicious!
Draniki are a great side dish for a steak dinner. Smaller versions served with some kicked up sour cream would make an excellent passed hors d'oeuvre. I think they could also be very tasty incorporated into an eggs benedict dish.
We were big fans of this traditional Belarusian dish, and scored it a 3.5.
No comments:
Post a Comment