Zakuski - Celebrating Vodka Ukrainian Style
Strange how one culinary thing can lead to another. This week I was talking to a woman whose family makes the famous Cove Vodka from the potatoes they grow above Hope Cove in the South Hams, and our chat led me to remember how, years ago, I used to drink ice-cold shots of that particular spirit during a long hot summer spent in Finland. I also recalled a famous art-critic friend who once took me to The Polish Hearth - a club in London where it used to be almost compulsory to have a shot of vodka accompanied by a fillet of salty pickled herring. For all I know, it still is. The punchy morsels eaten with vodka in Poland are called zakąski - while just over the border in the Ukraine they’re known as zakuski.
Thinking about this perfect marriage between vodka and salty or pickled foods inspired me to think about one way we Brits can continue to support the citizens of Ukraine. We must not let the appalling state of affairs in that beleaguered country slip down the news-agenda and be forgotten - and one way I am now keeping the Ukraine issue alive is by inviting friends around to experience the art of toasting with vodka Ukrainian-style while consuming delicious zakuski - which are a kind of northern version of tapas or mezze.
If you haven’t experienced the absolute pleasure of sampling a nibble of something salty - or, even better, pickled and salty - washed down with a slug of ice-cold vodka then, I promise, it is one of the great and mighty culinary pleasures which can visit a person’s palette.
“In Ukraine the plural we have for these snacks is zakuska - which sounds Russian, but it’s just that they use the same word,” said my friend, a Ukrainian travel journalist, when I spoke with her online in Kyiv this week.
I could tell she didn’t even like to utter the name of that hostile country where they also partake of these northern-style tapas while drinking (sometimes copious amounts of) vodka - instead she went on to mention a Ukrainian cookbook which has just been launched in the UK…
“I’d like to share with you a wonderful book by Olia Hercules, a Ukrainian woman, who now lives in UK,” said Sasha. “It has now been launched in the UK and can be found at https://oliahercules.com/books/... Also, if you are interested in the Ukrainian way of cooking, please take a look at the Ukrainian Cuisine Charity Class by Anastasia Vorger - professional chief from Ukraine: https://shop.madamevorger.com/supportukraineeng..."
See the panel below for some fantastic zakuska ideas, all of which are ideal for sampling with a nip of good quality vodka. Talking of which, let’s find out more about that vodka-making family down in Hope Cove…
The motto for these pages is always “Buy Local When You Can” - but that only works if the local product is good enough. I can assure you that Cove Vodka hits all the right spots - a statement some might query because, to them, vodka can represent nothing more than an almost taste-free spirit which you mix with more flavoursome ingredients.
That might be true with some cheap brands, but it misses out on the pleasure which a good raw vodka can provide - especially when consumed with assorted zakuska. Whether it’s because of the properties afforded by the King Edward potatoes grown above Hope Cove, or the distilling process which is carried out by experts based just across the county border in Cornwall, I do not know (probably a bit of both) - but Cove Vodka really does hit the spot when it comes to the required smoothness, rounded flavour and a mouthfeel. And it definitely does not shout ‘firewater!’ on the palette.
The Lidstone family have been growing potatoes in the South Hams for more 50 years, but it was daughter Leanne Carr (founder of Devon Cove Produce with husband Ben) who came up with the idea of turning the crop into something with a little more kick than a chip.
Leanne Carr of Cove Vodka, photographed at Hope Cove in Devon
She told me: “Lidstone potatoes have enjoyed a good reputation in Devon since the 1960s - they’re well-loved throughout the county and beyond and can be spotted on many local restaurant menus. After endless discussions around the dinner table about the different ways potatoes can be enjoyed we decided, back in December 2017, to take things a step further and use the crop to make vodka. It took a couple of years to develop the idea and get everything right - we actually began selling vodka made from our potatoes in August 2019.
“The concept really did fall into place. The basic idea was to use the finest Devon potatoes grown here above Hope Cove with views of South Milton Sands and Burgh Island, by my stepdad Dave and brother Adam. We also decided to use the famous Devonia Water which comes from a spring just a few miles away. Using a small batch traditional copper pot distillation process, we’ve created a distinctly smooth vodka which, we believe, captures the essence of South Devon.”
Leanne continued: “Of course, I needed to do a lot of research. Potato vodka was made centuries ago - it’s not a new thing by any means - in Russia and Poland it was what they would do. Which is not surprising because potatoes give vodka a clean taste and a creaminess. We believe - and customers have told us - our vodka is exceptionally smooth. Added to that, we don’t use carbon filters (a process carried out by many industrial brands) so you still get a bit of sweetness from the potatoes.
“For us that is important,” said Leanne. “That sweetness captures the essence of our potatoes and the red soils they are grown on. You want that, because vodka can have a bit of a bad reputation. But that’s cheap vodka made from industrial spirit. People taste of ours and they say: ‘Wow! That’s not how I remember vodka - it’s lovely, smooth and creamy’.”
Anyone who knows anything about the spirits industry will know that the art of distilling is extremely precise and highly technical. Which is why Leanne made the wise decision to hand the job over to a multi-award-winning company in Cornwall - English Spirit Master Distillers are based at Treguddick Manor, near Launceston - whose ethos is: “We believe everyone should enjoy truly fine spirits; that’s why we craft ours to be sipped neat.”
The company, led by Dr John Walter, says: “We pay an extraordinary amount of attention to harness the best flavours from the alcohol vapours. We are proud to be an independent distillery, having received a plethora of national and international awards. We love working with the best, which is why we carefully select our suppliers, and work with like-minded contract clients.”
So here am I, with my bottle of Cove Vodka and also a bottle of Cove Damson Liqueur, a smooth fruity creation made with ripe West Country damsons… All I need now is some pickled herring, some gherkins in brine and other salty morsels along with a selection of best Devon charcuterie and cheeses - and I will be toasting my friends in the Ukraine on Zoom and assuring them that we will not be forgetting their plight anytime soon…
Homemade gherkins in brine are a favourite to go with ice cold vodka
Zakuska - or nibbles the Ukrainians love to serve with ice cold vodka
Having talked with Ukrainian and Polish friends I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s quite an easy way to go about creating this delightful little tapas or mezze style dishes. A sip of straight ice-cold vodka goes very well indeed with shop-bought items like salty cheese or charcuterie - so I’ve been enjoying mine with a quality cracker topped with Quickes’ vintage clothbound cheddar or some good West Country charcuterie.
But to these I’ve added various forms of easy-to-make pickles. You simply put some red or white wine vinegar in a steel pan and warm it through adding sugar, salt and aromatics (such as dill or coriander seeds) to taste. Allow to cool and then add thinly sliced red onions, cubes of slightly unripe supermarket peach or fresh red cherries which you’ve de-stoned.
I promise, the latter are a sensation when placed on a cheese topped cracker and washed down with Cove Vodka. You can also pickle green tomatoes, plums and slightly unripe apples.
Homemade rollmops - another favourite with vodka
And you can really go to town experimenting with zakuska recipes - such as blinis topped with butter and caviar, or smoked fish such as salmon, mackerel or sprats. Pickled salted mushrooms are another treat. The Polish has a dish called “herring under a fur coat” which is actually herring fillet in tomato sauce - but I prefer my own rollmops when the ‘silver darlings’ are in season. Hot zakuski include piroshki - stuffed cabbage leaves and a form of blini filled with will mushrooms or soft cheese.
Leanne Carrr’s Favourite Vodka Based Cocktails for Summer
Cove Royale - Devon’s take on a Kir Royale
Pour 25ml Damson Liqueur into a Champagne glass and top up with chilled Prosecco or sparkling English Wine. Garnish with a fresh berry
Sea Breeze
Pour Cove Vodka, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with a thin slice of lime.
Pineapple ‘Pornstar’ Martini
Scoop the seeds from the passion fruit into a cocktail shaker, add 50ml Cove Vodka, 10ml vanilla syrup, 20ml passionfruit syrup, 30ml pineapple juice plus and the juice of half a lime. Add a handful of ice and shake. Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with half a passion fruit. Serve with a shot of chilled Prosecco to sip alternately with your cocktail.
French Martini
Pour 100 ml of Cove Vodka, 20ml Chambord Liqueur or Cove Damson Liqueur and 80ml pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker. Add a large handful of ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with fresh pineapple or a raspberry.
