KULEBYAKA
A Russian Pie
1500s and up
Kulebyaka (A Russian Pie)
Documentation for an entry presented at Pentathlon in Caid
2007
Entrant # 115
It seems that medieval Russians
were really determined to prevent anyone in
their future from reliably recreating their
way of life. They knew no secular
portraiture, preserved for posterity very few
items of clothing, and didn’t bother to write
cookbooks. Thus, we have very few sources
for discovering what people of Moscovite or
Kievan Rus’ ate, and even fewer for
learning how they cooked it.
First, there is archeological record of petrified foodstuffs, such as grains of
buckwheat, peas, or raspberry seeds found in Novgorod or bones found in Moscow and
Novgorod. Then, there are chronicles that sometimes, when talking about grand feasts or
trade agreements mentioned particular foods. Some of these contain miniatures with
images of such feasts, or very rare images of food preparation. Unfortunately, like the
16th century miniature on the right, the images tend to have very little food in them. In
addition to the chronicles, written period sources include Novgorod birchbark letters,
various ledgers, and, most importantly, the 16th century text known as Domostroi
(Homebuilder). The Domostroi, while not an actual cookbook, contains recipes, menus,
and other food-related advice among its housekeeping and gentle behavior
recommendation for the upper classes. Russian-origin records are supplemented by notes
and diaries of foreign visitors to Rus. These include the early 16th century Ambassador of
the Holy Roman Empire, Baron von Herberstein (Dmytryshyn, 1966), the Duke of
Holstein’s ambassador in 1630s Adam Olearius (Kaiser & Marker, 1994), and a French
knight Gilbert de Lannua who visited Novgorod in 1413 (Artsihovskii, 1969). Finally,
there are post-period recipes for archaic dishes, which Russian food historian Pokhlebkin
(2003) believes to be very close to medieval versions. Since pies, including pies with
layered bliny, stuffed with buckwheat kasha and/or mushrooms, are frequently mentioned
in a number of these sources and Domostroi in particular, it seemed appropriate to
recreate a kulebyaka pie based on Pokhlebkin’s recipe with appropriate modifications. A
kulebyaka is a rectangular pie that is filled with ingideients separated by bliny (Russian
crepes.
Utensils
One important consideration is the use of modern kitchen utensils and
equipment. In Russia, up to 20th century, cooking was done primarily using the Russian
stove, “pech.” Archeological finds show that in medieval Russia every home had such a
stove, made of clay or (rarely) of stone, in a corner (Rabinovich, 1969). It served as a
heating source and for cooking, and usually doubled as a bed for the children or the
infirm (Oleairius, in Kaiser and Marker, p. 216). Early (9th-13h cc.) pech was built of clay
and rounded, and clay pots fit on top, dipping towards the heat source. From 13th century
on pech becomes rectangular, with domed opening of the fire chamber and flat hearth
bottom. Most of these had no chimney, though by 17th century no family with means had
a “black” pech.
Pech was heated with firewood, and food cooked inside sometimes during and
usually after heating. This means that the food was typically prepared under conditions
of slowly declining temperature, resulting in cooking without boiling. Pech persisted in
Russian homes through 20th century, and some archaic examples could be found even
recently without a chimney. The methods of using pech for coking did not change much,
and required utensils similar to those used in Middle Ages.
Pech kurnaya (without a chimney, smoky)
Pech with a chimney
Vessels that were most
commonly used for
cooking inside of the pech
were gorshki (plural of
gorshok). They were
ceramic and only sparingly
ornamented jars that were placed in the pech and surrounded with hot coals for cooking.
A special tool called uhvat was used to carry a gorshok in and out of the stove, and
required the neck of the gorshok to be flared out at the opening. Gorshki are frequently
found in archeological digs of Novgorod, and show general consistency of shape from
10th century on. Gorshki shown above are drawings of Novgorod finds dated by 10th-13th
centuries, though the form remained stable into modern times. Domostroi instructs the
good wives and housekeepers to make sure that their gorshki are cleaned up right away
and kept in proper place where they would not break.
Another cooking
vessel was a latka
(plural: latki also known
as zharovnia), first
mentioned in the Russian Primary Chronicle (written in 12th c.), the Tale of Bygone
Years: ceramic, oval or round, with low sides and flat bottom with a pouring spout for fat
removal. Some had hollow clay handles into which long wooden ones fit. These were
used for frying or stewing in the Russian pech throughout
the Middle Ages, and in some areas through 20th century as
well. However, the process of frying using pech is different
from conventional frying, and even the Russian verb
“zharit” (“to fry”) did not exist before 16th century. The
technique was “pryazhenie” (verb: “pryazhit”), which
involved cooking in a thick layer of preheated oil
(Pohlebkin, 2003). Unlike in deep frying, the foodstuff to
be cooked was not floating in oil, but rested on the bottom
of the pan (latka). However, it was usually covered in fat on
all sides. This technique is still used in Russian cooking
today (though I keep trying to talk my mother out of it).
Bread or pies were placed directly onto the hot pod (hearthstone) of the pech,
after it was swept of the remnants of the fire and cleaned. Medieval miniatures in
chronicles and lives of saints show bread baking in this fashion (Artsihovskii, 1969,
showing a miniature from 16th c. Life of Saint Sergius above). Sour rye dough for
Russian traditional bread was prepared and left to rise in a kvashnia, a large wooden
barrel or ceramic bowl which was cleaned only once a year because soured remnants of
the dough were necessary to produce proper bread.
Thus, to make a pie with stuffing of mushrooms and kasha I would need a pech,
gorshok to make kasha, and a latka to prepare mushrooms and onions. I had to substitute
these with 350 degree oven with a baking sheet, a regular metal pot, and a hard anodized
sauté pan. I think that the baked result is pretty close to what would be achieved with
proper utensils, but I will never really know.
Ingridients
The primary bread grain of 15th-17th centuries Russia was rye, though wheat was
reasonably wide spread (Gorskiy, 1969; Artsihovskii, 1969) and was more likely to be
used for special pies than rye. Oats were very important in Russian agriculture (Gosrkiy,
1969; Gorskaya, 1976), though they were not usually used for cooking. Buckwgeat
appeared in 15th century (Artsihovskii), and by 17th century became quite widespread
(Gorskaya).
Onions and garlic were widely available in the period of interest. All these
staples were grown domestically, often in house gardens (Domostroi). Mushrooms were
collected from the forests and used fresh, dry, or salted (Domostroi).
Diary products were widely available though forbidden on numerous fast days.
Milk was used by itself as well as to produce cream, sour cream, cheeses soft and hard,
and butter. Butter is first mentioned in Novgorod in 13c century, while hard cheeses were
given as donations to monasteries in 15th century (Artsihovskii, 1969).
Pohlebkin’s Recipe for Kulebyaka Dough
600 g. flour
200g. butter
3 egg yolks
1 glass of milk (250 ml)
25 g. yeast
1 tsp. salt
From half of the flour, milk, and yeast prepare the dough and wait for it to rise. Then
knead with the rest of the flour, butter, yolks, and salt; wait until it rises, and divide for
pies.
Since there was nothing in the
recipe that appeared ipossible in 16th c.
(expect measurements), I followed it
exactly. The first attempt to make a pie
with this dough was satisfactory, so the
recipe was retained.
Bliny for Layering
Pokhlebkin recommends a bliny preparation for mushroom kulebyaka that
produces a dry dough layer that is not really a blin. Therefore, I tested my usual recipe for
bliny which was previously documented in the SCA context (Domostroi mentions blinki
or blintsy on multiple occasions (e. g., pp. 65, 71)). It worked, so the recipe for bliny,
adjusted for the amount, is as follows:
Blinki:
2 eggs
8 tablespoons flour per egg
1.5 cups of water
Some salt
Hazelnut oil (or other plant oil) for frying
Beat the eggs together while gradually adding flour, one tablespoon at a time. When the
consistency is between that of condensed milk, and hot oatmeal, add water, also
gradually. Add salt to taste. Preheat a skillet or a griddle on high and rub it with some
oil using a paper towel or a basting brush (a clean feather would work too, if available).
Pour some batter on the skillet and roll the skillet to spread the batter so that it covers the
bottom in thin layer. Fry on one side until the edges begin to separate. For blinki after
the first one, pour a drop of oil into the gap between the blinok and the skillet, and roll the
skillet to spread it. Flip the blinok over and fry briefly on the other side. This produces
4-6 blinky, depending on the pan. No more than two should be needed per kulebyaka.
Buckwheat Stuffing Layer
Kashi made of various cereals were eaten daily, and were considered Russian’s
main food (along with “shchi,” a soup) well into the modern times. History of buckwheat
is somewhat murky. It appeared in Novgorod in 13th century, and was prominently
featured in Domostroi’s housekeeping advice in the early 16th century. However,
Pokhlebkin argues that it was known in Russia much earlier than that.
Kasha prepared to be dry and fluffy could be eaten alone, or used to stuff sheep or
cow kidneys, pies, or bliny. Such kasha was cooked in a ceramic pot inside the Russian
pech’ stove. Kasha and the corresponding amount of water were placed into the pot and
sat in an oven hot from prior bread-making for 4 to 5 hours as the oven gradually cooled
down. It was nearly always served with butter or other fat, and could be mixed with
diced eggs, onions, cracklings, and other additions. In addition to dry, fluffy kasha, the
cereals could be made into porridges.
Buckwheat kasha (Pokhlebkin’s recipe)
This recipe was
designed to recreate on the
stovetop results previously
only achieved inside the
Russian pech’.
It is best to use a metal
pot or a casserole with thick,
rounded bottom and a tight-fitting lid. Combine precisely one part buckwheat
(large grains) to two parts water. Do not mix! Heat covered on high until boiling,
then reduce heat to medium. After 10 minutes reduce the heat to low and simmer
for 3 more minutes.
I added salt while cooking the kasha, and dill and onions fried in oil (walnut,
hazelnut was not available) after it was ready. Egg whites leftover from the three eggs
used for the dough were added as a binder before filling.
Mushroom Stuffing Layer
Mushrooms commonly available in Russian forest are either missing to very dear
at the stores here Caid. However, I believe that crimini mushrooms approximate the wild
mushroom flavor the best they can. I have previously used Golden Chanterelles in this
recipe, but it was not possible this time.
Mushroom Filling
30 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
2 large onions
4 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp sour cream
Salt
Fresh dill
2 tablespoons of nut oil (walnut oil here)
Because I needed the onions for kasha as well, I sautéed them separately.
Mushrooms were then sautéed for 5 minutes. I added onions and garlic, and continued
over medium heat for 2 minutes before adding salt and sour cream. After stirring, I
continued to sauté on lower heat sauté for 2 more minutes. Fresh dill was added off the
heat.
Assembly
The fillings had to be cool before assembling the pie. The dough was divided in
two portions. Each portion was rolled into a roughly rectangular shape.
Then, the first layer of filling (buckwheat) was placed in the middle and covered
with a blin:
The mushroom filling was layered on top of this assembly:
The pie was sealed and transferred seam-down onto a baking sheet, where dough
decoractions were added:
Finally, the pie was pierced with a toothpick, brushed with slightly watered egg yolk, and
transferred to 350 degree oven.
After about 30 minutes of baking, it is ready for you to enjoy!
References
Artsihovskiy, A. V. (1969). Pishcha I Utvar’ (Food and Untensils). ). In Artsihovskiy, A.
V. (Ed.) Ocherki Russkoy Kultury XII-XV v. (Narratives on Russian Culture of
13th-15th cc.). Moscow University: Mocsow, USSR.
Domostroi. Prepared by Kolesov, V. V., & Rozhdestvenskaia, V. V. Nauka: St.
Petersburg, Russia, 1994. [NOTE: English translation is available (by Pouncy), but it is
inadequate]
Gorskiy, A. D. (1969). Selskoe Hozaystvo i Promysly. (Agriculture and Crafts). In
Artsihovskiy, A. V. (Ed.) Ocherki Russkoy Kultury XII-XV v. (Narratives on
Russian Culture of 13th-15th cc.). Moscow University: Mocsow, USSR.
Ivanova, O. Y. (ed.) (2003) Rossia XVII Veka v Vospominaniyah Inostrantsev. (Russia of
17Th century in memoirs of the foreigners). Rusich, Smolensk.
Ivanova, O. Y. (ed.) (2003) Rossia XVI Veka v Vospominaniyah Inostrantsev. (Russia of
16Th century in memoirs of the foreigners). Rusich, Smolensk.
Kaiser, D. H., & Marker, G. (1994). Reinterpreting Russian History: Readings, 8601860s. Oxford University Press: New York, Oxford.
Pokhlebkin, V. V. (2003) The Great Encyclopedia of Culinary Art. Tsentpoligraf:
Moscow.
Rabinovich, M. G. (1978). Ocherki Ethnographii Russkogo Feodalnogo Goroda:
Gorozhane, ih Obshchestvennyy I Domashnii Byt. Nauka: Moscow.
Toomre, J. S. Classic Russian Cooking: Elena Molokhovets’ A gift to young
housewives/ translated, introduced, and annotated by Joyce Toomre. Indiana University
Press: Bloomington, Indiana, 1992.
Vdovina, L. N. (1979) Pishcha I Utvar’ (Food and Untensils). In Artsihovskiy, A. V.
(Ed.) Ocherki Russkoy Kultury XVII v. (Narratives on Russian Culture of 17th c.).
Moscow University: Mocsow, USSR.