Sbs0513 russian easter lr

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CELEBRATE

Russian Orthodox Easter This Sydney Russian Orthodox family ends the 40 days of Lent with egg-cracking competitions, shots of vodka chased with pickled cucumbers, and a large gathering of friends and family under the one roof.

Marsha’s father Con helping out in the kitchen. Clockwise from left: Nick Tsitovitch (far right) makes a toast with family and friends; the dessert spread, including paskha (recipe page 68), a traditional Easter dish of sweetened cheese shaped in a mould; frying the kotleta po Kievsky (chicken Kiev), recipe page 70.

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The biggest Russian Orthodox celebration of the year is Easter (Paskha) – a time for friends, family, food and, of course, vodka.

For Marsha and Nick Tsitovitch, having a big party at their Strathfield home in western Sydney is a yearly occurrence.

If they don’t throw an extravagant Easter party, it will be Christmas, a birthday or another memorable event. “We love entertaining and having our friends and family over,” says Marsha, “and Easter is a really special time.”

Marsha and Nick were both born in Australia to Chinese-born Russian parents and Russian is their first language. Their sons, Michael, 20, and Leo, 18, also learned Russian before they learned English. “For us, it’s important to sustain the language and culture,” Nick explains.

Like all Christian Russians in Australia, they celebrate Orthodox Easter according to the Julian calendar (predominantly used in Europe until it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar). First and foremost, Easter is a religious festival. The spiritual preparation begins with 40 days of abstaining from meat, eggs and dairy produce.

Midnight mass is the highlight of the year’s religious calendar and, after the liturgy, families go home to break

Kotleta po Kievsky (chicken Kiev) recipe page 70

Lent together, eating krashenoye krutoye yaitso (dyed hard-boiled eggs) and kulich, a traditional Easter bread.

For Marsha, organisation is the key to the event’s success. Weeks before, she creates a colour-coded roster for party jobs and it’s still hanging on the fridge when family members start to arrive mid-morning to help.

The cooking is shared, with Marsha making the bulk of the festive banquet using recipes learned from her mum, grandmother, friends and cookbooks. “It’s always a surprise,” she laughs. “I just cook how I feel that day.”

Her culinary repertoire now includes Russian classics she’s tweaked, as well as recipes developed over the years.

Today she’s preparing a Russian feast and, with about 50 people attending, the food will be served as a buffet.

Her fingers swiftly dice the beetroot for the vinegret (beetroot carrot and potato salad) while she chats with her two sons. Leo is carefully topping the varyonye yaitsa s ikroy (boiled eggs with caviar) – a popular Russian delicacy – while Michael is helping his grandad Con with the befstroganof (beef stroganoff). Marsha’s mum, Mila, is setting the table while Nick greets guests. The first to arrive is Marsha’s cousin Tatyana and her husband Evan, who are in charge of the kotleta po Kievsky (chicken Kiev). Because of the size of the party, they’ve stuffed and crumbed the chicken breasts at home, but frying them will take at least a few hours, so they’re starting early.

The most time-consuming and complex dishes to prepare for the day are the two Vinegret must-have desserts: kulich and paskha, which (beetroot, carrot is a dessert made with tvorog (farm cheese). and potato salad) Every Russian household, from the very modest to the really lavish, will have these Kotleta po Kievsky two desserts on the Easter table. Traditionally, (chicken Kiev) the kulich and the paskha are decorated with the initials XB for or Kristos Befstroganof voskrese (Christ has risen). (beef stroganoff) Marsha has begun the two desserts in advance, and today she just needs to unmould Kulich (Easter bread) the paskha and glaze the top of the kulich.

Friends join in, garnishing the kulich with Paskha (sweetened bits and pieces they find around the kitchen.

Easter cheese) One adds some cherries, another attempts to make the XB symbol out of icing sugar. The kulich ends up looking rather interesting, but that’s how Marsha and Nick like things to be – casual, fun and traditional with a twist.

The Menu

Right: Marsha Tsitovitch preparing the vinegret (beetroot, carrot and potato salad), recipe page 66.

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Russian Easter eggs

Known as krashenoye krutoye yaitso, these eggs occupy a central role in Russian Orthodox Easter celebrations. Blessed during the Easter liturgy, they are often the first thing to be eaten to break Lent after the service. Families dye them with non-toxic food dyes, typically using a variety of colour combinations; some use oil to create a marbled effect, while others might use candle wax for a more structured result.

The popularly used red dye is thought to symbolise the blood of Christ.

These eggs have two purposes. Firstly, they decorate the house. Secondly, they are used to play a game where two players hit the eggs together to see which cracks first. The loser with the cracked egg always has to eat it, while the winner at the end of the game is believed to have good luck.

Befstroganof (beef stroganoff) recipe page 70

VINEGRET★ beetroot, carrot and potato SALAD Serves 8 • Prep 25 mins • Cooking 40 mins

1 Place carrots and potatoes together in

a saucepan, and beetroot in a separate saucepan. Cover each with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes or until tender. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, peel.

2 Cut carrots, potatoes and beetroot into 2cm dice and place in a large bowl. Add onion and pickled cucumbers, and toss to combine.

3 Combine mayonnaise sour cream and capers in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Add to beetroot mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve scattered with sprigs of dill.

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2 carrots 2 sebago potatoes 1 large beetroot 1 onion, finely chopped 75g (½ cup) diced pickled cucumbers 2 tbs mayonnaise 2 tbs sour cream 1 tbs capers, drained, chopped Sprigs of dill, to serve

Marsha with family friend Sasha Sarakin. Opposite: Nick’s goddaughter Anastasia Krivashev and her nephew Elijah Krivashev try their luck with their eggs; vinegret (beetroot, carrot and potato salad), recipe opposite.

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PASKHA Serves 8 • Prep 30 mins, plus overnight draining • Cooking 10 mins

Paskha, recipe opposite; enjoying a shot of vodka; from left, family friend Paul Lindsay and his son Elijah with Nick.

Marsha bought her mould from The Russian Club in Strathfield, Sydney, however, you could use a 1L flowerpot with a drainage hole.

1kg farm cheese* or ricotta, crumbled 5 egg yolks 440g (2 cups) caster sugar 200ml thickened cream 80g (½ cup) almond kernels, finely chopped 75g (½ cup) raisins, finely chopped 2 lemons, zested 2 tsp vanilla extract 150g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature

a bowl, ensuring there is enough room for cheese to drain. Refrigerate overnight.

Discard any liquid, then press the cheese through a metal sieve. Set aside.

2 Place yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl over a large pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and whisk until combined. Add cream and slowly whisk for 8 minutes or until mixture starts to simmer and thicken slightly; don’t overheat or eggs will curdle.

3 Remove from heat and add drained cheese, almonds, raisins, lemon zest and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add butter and stir constantly until butter is incorporated and mixture has cooled slightly; this prolonged stirring gives paskha its smooth velvety texture.

4 Line a paskha mould with a dampened double layer of muslin, allowing muslin to overhang.

Pour in cheese mixture and fold overhanging muslin to enclose.

Place a plate on top and weigh down with a heavy can. Place mould on a wire rack over a large bowl to drain. Chill overnight.

5 Unwrap paskha, run a knife around the inside of the mould and invert paskha on to a plate.

Serve immediately. * A soft cow’s-milk cheese that’s similar to cottage cheese, but drier. Available from select delis and greengrocers. Brancourt brand is stocked at most Harris Farm stores.

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1 Place cheese in a sieve suspended over

Paschal greeting

It is customary among Orthodox Russians to greet one another after midnight mass at Easter with or Khristos voskrese, meaning ‘Christ has risen’. The response is voistinu voskrese or, ‘Truly He has risen’. This exchange, known as the Paschal greeting, is accompanied by a triple kiss on alternating cheeks. The custom is also followed in a number of other Christian cultures.

Kulich recipe page 70

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Russian Drinks Serves 8 • Prep 40 mins, plus 1 hr 20 mins chilling • Cooking 20 mins

You will need toothpicks for this recipe.

125g butter, chopped, at room temperature 4 (about 1kg) small chicken breasts, trimmed, halved horizontally 150g (1 cup) plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten with 2 tsp water 70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from stale bread) Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry Sprigs of dill and lemon wedges, to serve 1 Place butter, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper

in a small bowl and combine.

2 Line an oven tray with foil, then spread

butter mixture into a 2cm-thick rectangle.

Place in freezer for 1 hour or until firm, then cut into 8 pieces.

3 Meanwhile, place chicken breast halves between two pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound until 1cm thick. Place a piece of butter in the centre of each breast.

Fold in short edges, then roll up from longer edge to encase butter. Secure with toothpicks.

4 Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dust chicken pieces with flour, shake off excess, then dip in egg and coat well in breadcrumbs, ensuring the ends are coated. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5 Fill a large deep frying pan 1.5cm deep with oil and heat over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken for 5 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve scattered with dill sprigs and lemon wedges.

Befstroganof★ BEEF STROGANOFF Serves 4 • Prep 10 mins • Cooking 15 mins 300g (1¼ cup) sour cream 1 tbs tomato paste 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil 1 small onion, cut into thin wedges

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Russian Easter is a wonderful celebration that joins families and friends around the table and gives us the perfect excuse to delve into the culture behind the national drink, vodka.

The concept of distilled alcohol is thought to have entered Russia in the 1300s and local monks soon applied this thinking to producing alcohol from grain. Initially intended as a medicine, vodka became so popular that many Czars, over several centuries, tried to ban it. Most vodkas these days are distilled from wheat, rye, barley malt or varying combinations of the three.

Of course, there is a ceremony to drinking vodka. Chill it (about 10C), then pour into shot glasses and down in one gulp. Do not mix it with beer, ice or in cocktails and never drink until someone proposes a toast. Afterwards, chase it down with a traditional snack, such as pickled cucumbers. There’s a good range of big brand Russian vodkas available in Australia: Russian Standard ($30) and Russian Standard Gold ($40), Stolichnaya ($30) and Tovaritch! ($32); all 700ml bottles.

500g beef sirloin or rump, cut into 5mm strips 35g (¼ cup) plain flour Buttered fettuccine and flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve 1 Combine sour cream, tomato paste, 2 tbs

water, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.

2 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium

heat and cook onion for 3 minutes or until light golden. Lightly dust beef with flour, shaking off excess, then add to pan and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to low, add sour cream mixture and cook for a further 4 minutes, stirring, until or warmed through. Add a little water if necessary. Be careful not to overheat or sour cream will curdle. Serve befstroganof on a bed of fettuccine, scattered with parsley.

KULICH Makes 2 loaves • Prep 35 mins, plus 3 hrs resting • Cooking 45 mins, plus 1 hr cooling

You will need 2 x 500g instant coffee tins for this recipe. Do not remove the lid or the

foil seal, instead remove paper label, turn tin upside-down and, using a can opener, remove the base and empty the contents.

Alternatively, use 2 x 18cm round springform pans. This is best eaten the day it is made.

3 x 7g sachets yeast or 40g fresh yeast 125ml (½ cup) warm milk 900g (6 cups) plain flour 4 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, beaten 250g unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly 100g (⅔ cup) raisins 1 tsp vanilla extract 175g (½ cup) honey 165g (¾ cup) caster sugar 2 tsp olive oil 215g (1⅓ cups) pure icing sugar 125ml (½ cup) pouring cream Chocolate or decorative Easter eggs, to serve 1 Dissolve yeast in 125ml warm water in

a large bowl. Add milk and 150g flour, and whisk until smooth. Cover and place in a warm, draught-free place for 1½ hours or until mixture doubles in size.

2 Combine eggs, yolks, butter, raisins, ½ teaspoon vanilla, honey, sugar, oil and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add to the yeast mixture and gradually beat in remaining 750g flour with a wooden spoon until combined.

3 Place dough in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

4 Line insides of tins (see recipe intro) with baking paper. Place dough evenly into each and cover. Place in a warm, draught-free place for 1½ hours or until dough doubles in size.

5 Preheat oven to 180C. Place tins in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until kulich is golden and a metal skewer inserted in centre comes away clean; cover with foil if browning too quickly. Cool for 10 minutes in tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6 Meanwhile, whisk icing sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla, cream and 2 tbs water until smooth. Pour over kulich, letting some drizzle down the sides. Serve with Easter eggs.

words tatyana leonov recipes marsha tsitovitch PHOTOGRAPHY ALAN BENSON (location) & derek swalwell (food) food preparation peta gray food styling georgia young drinks suggestions dan coward

Kotleta po Kievsky★ CHICKEN KIEV