|
| |
Flaky Salmon Or Cabbage Loaf
(Kulebiaka)
|
|
|
| What You Need: |
|
|
PASTRY
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ pound chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits 6 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
10 to 12 tablespoons ice water
SALMON FILLING
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
½ cup coarsely chopped celery 1 cup scraped, coarsely chopped carrots
10 whole black peppercorns
4½ teaspoons salt
2½ pounds fresh salmon, in one piece
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ - pound stick)
½ pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh, strained lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups finely chopped onions
½ cup unconverted, long-grain white rice
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
1/3 cup finely cut fresh dill leaves
3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
CABBAGE FILLING
3-pound head of white cabbage, quartered, cored, then coarsely shredded
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
4 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
¼ cup finely cut fresh dill leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup melted butter, hot but not brown, or sour cream
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| How To Cook: |
|
|
|
PASTRY:
|
1. In a large, chilled bowl, combine the flour, butter, shortening and salt. Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and fat together until they blend and resemble flakes of coarse meal.
|
2. Pour 10 tablespoons of the water over the mixture all at once, toss together lightly and gather into a ball. If the dough seems crumbly, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water by drops.
|
3. Divide the dough in half, dust each half with flour, and wrap them separately in wax paper. Refrigerate 3 hours, or until firm.
|
|
SALMON FILLING:
|
1. Combine 3 quarts of water, the wine, the coarsely chopped onion, celery, carrots, peppercorns, and 3 teaspoons of the salt in a 4- to 6-quart enameled or stainless-steel casserole. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the salmon into the liquid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 8 to 10mmutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch.
|
2. Transfer the fish to a large bowl, remove the skin and bones, if any, and separate into small flakes with your fingers or a fork. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet set over high heat.
|
3. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to moderate, and, stirring occasionally, cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl and toss them with lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper.
|
4. Melt 4 more tablespoons of butter in the skillet over high heat and drop in all but 1tablespoon of the finely chopped onions. Reduce the heat to moderate and, stirring occasionally, cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown.
|
5. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and with a rubber spatula, scrape into the mushrooms. Now melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over high heat. Drop in the remaining tablespoon of chopped onion, reduce the heat to moderate and stirring frequently, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but not brown.
|
6. Stir in the rice and cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until each grain is coated with butter. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cover the pan tightly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy. Off the heat, stir in the dill with a fork. Add the cooked mushrooms and onions, rice and chopped, hard-cooked eggs to the bowl of salmon and toss together lightly but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning.
|
|
CABBAGE FILLING:
|
1. Over high heat, bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil in an 8- to 10-quart pot and drop in the cabbage. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook uncovered for 5minutes. Then drain the cabbage in a colander and set it aside.
|
2. Melt the butter over high heat in a deep skillet or 3- to 4-quart casserole. Add the chopped onions, reduce the heat to moderate, and cook 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and lightly colored. Drop in the cabbage and cover the pan. (The pan may be filled to the brim, but the cabbage will shrink as it cooks.)
|
3. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender, then uncover the pan, raise the heat to high and boil briskly until almost all of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
|
4. Drain the cabbage in a colander and combine it with the chopped eggs, dill and parsley. Stir in the salt, sugar and a few grindings of pepper and taste for seasoning.
|
|
TO ASSEMBLE:
|
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place one ball of dough on a floured surface and roll it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick. Dust with flour and roll until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick, then trim it to a rectangle 7 inches wide by 16 inches long.
|
2. Coat a large cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons of butter, drape the pastry over the rolling pin and unroll it over the cookie sheet. Place the filling along the length of the pastry, leaving a I-inch border of dough exposed around it.
|
3. With a pastry brush, brush the exposed rim of dough with the egg yolk and-cream mixture. Roll the other half of the dough into a rectangle about 9 inches wide and 18 inches long, drape over the pin and unroll over the filling. Seal the edges by pressing down hard with the back of a fork. Or use your fingertips or a pastry crimper to pinch the edges into narrow pleats.
|
4. Cut out a I-inch circle from the center of the dough. If you like you may gather any remaining pastry scraps into a ball, roll them out again, and with a cookie cutter or small, sharp knife, cut out decorative shapes such as leaves or triangles and decorate the top of the loaf.
|
5. Coat the entire surface of the pastry with the remaining egg-yolk-and-cream mixture, place any pastry shapes on top, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter into the opening of the loaf and bake the kulebiaka in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown. Serve at once, accompanied by a pitcher of melted butter or sour cream.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
