Russia GP 2020: Zakuski

In case I haven’t mentioned it, Russia is not my favorite race. Nor, generally my favorite cuisine. But, this year proved me wrong on both accounts. The race turned out to have some pretty decent overtakes and point scorers, and this meal had some winners!

Inspired by an article by Deb Perleman (Smitten Kitchen) about Zakuski, I was inspired to make a few different “small bites” dishes. Zakuski is essentially a Russian tapas, meze, or smorgasbord, but with vodka. The translation apparently means “something to bite after”, as in “something to eat after taking shots of vodka with your friends or family”. This is a meal I can get behind.

So for this tapas /meze /smogasbord / zakuski meal I made:
Pickled Tomatoes & Salted Mushrooms
Russian Black Bread
Feta & Sour Cream Pot Cheese
Georgian Kidney Bean Salad
Salad Olivier
Piroshki with Egg and Spring Onion filling
And served it all with a local vodka!

I made this Black Bread recipe a couple years ago for the Russian GP and have dreamt about it ever since. It is dense but has a lovely crumb, it is soo flavorful, and it is soft and delicious for days. We had it with the Zakuski Pot Cheese (recipe below), with cream cheese, with butter and jam, with avocado, it is great in so many uses! I updated the recipe on this site after making it again, to clarify a few steps, so I hope it is even easier to follow!

A meal like this thrives on multiple textures and flavors, and little pops of tangy pickled vegetables are a great addition. I tried Deb’s salted mushroom recipe, and pickled some cherry tomatoes using a Kitchn recipe that is great for end of season produce. The flavors played really nicely with the savory and sweet black bread and fried piroshki. You could easily cut back or add more quick salads and savory dishes to this menu. I enjoyed the variety, and since most of the dishes can (or need to be) made ahead, it is great for parties (whenever we can have parties again!)

Feta & Sour Cream Pot Cheese

Adapted from Splendid Table

3.5oz (100g) feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup sour cream or thick greek yogurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or a mixture fresh dill and tarragon)

1. Mash the feta, sour cream, garlic and cayenne pepper until you have a mostly smooth mixture.
2. Add the fresh herbs and stir to combine.
3. Chill for at least an hour to let flavors combine and solidify the mixture before serving. 

Serve with bread or crackers.