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COSSACK KRUG We join the Sydney-based Russian Zabaikal Cossacks celebrating a krug (circle), where members come together to debate, drink and dine on hearty, home-style traditional food.

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celebrate Previous page: Zabaikal Cossack Alexey Piatkov. Clockwise from far left: there is a religious element to the krug, with a short moleben, or prayer service, conducted by a Russian Orthodox priest; Maria Portnagina prepares the dough for the dumplings on today’s menu; five-year-old Michael Vlasoff leaves the meeting to join the women in the kitchen; the Zabaikal Cossack banner.

The Russian Cossacks here today, gathered at the Russian Sports and Social Club in the Sydney suburb of Kemps Creek, are from the Zabaikal region east of Lake Baikal, bordering Mongolia and China.

Some have moved to Sydney recently, others are Australianborn sons and grandsons of the Zabaikal Russian Cossacks.

Cossacks are, and have always been, a deeply patriotic bunch.

In the past they inhabited sparsely populated areas and travelled by horse. Those here today live in Sydney and drive a mix of cars; the parking area fills up quickly with family cars, a few sports cars, and a Lexus with a numberplate that simply reads ‘Baikal’.

“Cossacks are people of free will who share a unique history, culture and traditions arising from their historical role as settlers and protectors of the frontiers of the Russian Empire as it expanded its borders,” explains George Vassilevski, the secretary of the Zabaikal Cossack Society of Australia Incorporated. It’s an official business name, and today there’s an official krug meeting before the feast.

Krug, which translates to ‘circle’, is a time when all the Cossacks from a geographical region gather to discuss and settle administrative issues.

Today’s topics include an upcoming youth fundraiser dance, and they hear from a delegate about his recent trip to the Zabaikal region.

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After the official part of the day is over, the Zabaikal Cossacks sit down for a festive meal – a time for family and friends to catch up and reminisce about a land they come from or feel a connection with.

George stresses that this organisation is the only one in Australia directly affiliated with the Cossacks of the Zabaikal region in Russia, who are officially recognised by the Russian government.

“In this diaspora, Cossack activities are limited to the preservation of culture and traditions,” explains Simeon Boikov, the Ataman (Cossack leader) of the society. “However, in Russia the Cossack movement has revived after 90 years, and today’s Cossacks have their own schools and academies where the next generation of Cossacks are preparing for service to their country.”

You can count the number of women on one hand, and they don’t attend the meeting, instead spending the day crafting the traditional specialties that will be eaten. They spend most of the day skilfully assembling dishes, such as pelemeni (small, boiled dumplings), piroshki (fried cabbage buns) and pouzy (large, meat-filled steamed dumplings) – their hands moving swiftly as they chat together.

Sophia Boikov is clearly the head of the kitchen. She shouts orders and occasionally shares a story with whoever is listening. Born in a tiny village located not far from Yakeshi, a town in the Inner Mongolia region of China, she was one of eight children, and moved to Sydney in 1965 where she now lives in Cabramatta. Alongside her, Maria Portnagina and Nadejda Lavrova are working hard. Maria is half-Russian, half-Chinese,

Zabaikal-style mutton noodle soup Pouzy (large steamed meat and cabbage dumplings) Pelemeni (meat and cabbage dumplings) Piroshki (fried cabbage buns) Hugubsha (fried liver with onions) Mikada (home-style layer cake)

Piroshki (fried cabbage buns)

Stuffed with a cabbage filling, these yeast buns are fried until golden here, but are also commonly served steamed. recipe page 56

and grew up as Sophia’s childhood neighbour and closest confidante, but came to Australia much later in the 1980s. Nadejda made the move to Australia from Oryol in Russia in 1995 and likes to involve herself in Russian activities, helping out with cooking at the Cossack krugs.

Five-year-old Michael Vlasoff, a son of one of the Cossacks and the youngest ‘man’, joins the women in the kitchen after growing bored of the meeting. He unsuccessfully tries to assemble a pelemen. Looking at his clumsy hands and flour-drenched clothes, Sophia cracks a smile and mumbles something about having to milk 20 cows when she was his age.

Victor Ubugunov takes a break, too, and joins the women. He moved to Sydney two years ago from the Buryatia region in Russia, and is known among the community for his authentic country-style dishes.

Everyone laughs as he brandishes a large sheet of caul fat. He’ll use it to wrap mutton liver before frying it, a Buryatian dish known as hugubsha.

When the feast is served, there is no hesitation. The men dig into the food, and bottles of homemade pomegranate liqueur, vodka and whisky appear. Cossacks live a simple life and their celebrations reflect their cultural ethos. The food is hearty, there are no unnecessary decorations; it’s simply about being together and sharing a meal – and a story.

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celebrate From left to right: at the presentation of the banner the Russian Federation national anthem is played and the Cossacks salute the Russian flag; Ataman Simeon Boikov, Nikolai Chubakoff and George Vassilevski share a drink; Michael Vlasoff helps to make the pelemeni.

Uniforms

Although very different to the depiction of Cossack dress in films and history books, presentday Cossacks throughout Russia have a standardised uniform and a system of ranks. These are closely modelled on their Russian military and police force counterparts, but also retain traditional elements, such as the names of the various ranks and the distinguishing coloured stripe running down the side of the pants. Cossacks from different regions in Russia have different colours – the Zabaikal colour is yellow. Today, Cossack Ataman General Sergei Bobrov (who is based in Chita, a city in Russia’s Zabaikal region) presents a new banner to the group, and Cossack Russian Orthodox priest Reverend Alexander Filchakov conducts a short moleben (prayer service).

Each Cossack region in Russia has a representative banner, and this one was brought from Russia especially for the occasion.

Pouzy (large steamed meat and cabbage dumplings)

These dumplings are characterised by their large size and thick casings. recipe page 56

Pelemeni (meat and cabbage dumplings), recipe page 56

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celebrate Kuzma Rodionov serves up the Zabaikal-style mutton noodle soup, recipe page 55.

Clockwise: the krug (meeting) taking place; pouzy (large steamed meat and cabbage dumplings), recipe page 56, and a carrot salad, one of the other dishes served on the day; the men sit down to eat; Sophia Boikov leads the women in the kitchen.

A blend of cultures

Hugubsha (fried liver with onions)

Hugubsha★ fried liver with onions Makes 12 • Prep 15 mins • Cooking 15 mins

You will need 12 toothpicks for this recipe.

500g mutton or lamb livers 200g pig or sheep caul fat*, cut into 12 x 10cm squares, remainder discarded 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil 1 onion, sliced 1 Slice liver into 12 pieces and place in

a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place a piece of liver in the centre

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of a square of caul fat. Fold in edges and roll up to enclose liver, skewering at an angle with a toothpick to secure. Repeat with remaining caul fat, liver and toothpicks.

2 Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

3 Add remaining 1 tbs oil to pan and, working in batches, fry parcels in a single layer for 7 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove and sprinkle with onions, to serve. * Caul fat is the thin, fatty membrane surrounding the intestines of an animal and is available from specialist butchers.

Because of the region’s close proximity to Northern China, the food that the Zabaikal Cossacks eat and the menu today is a blend of Russian, Chinese and Mongolian cooking styles. Pouzy (pictured left) look very similar to buuz, the Mongolian version of dumplings. The smaller pelemeni are not too dissimilar to Chinese dumplings, and mutton is the most commonly eaten meat in Mongolia. Russian Cossacks like to eat pouzy and pelemeni with both soy sauce (an Asian influence) and sour cream. A traditional Russian meal is usually composed of three dishes – an entrée, which will often be a soup or something simple like selyodka (cured herring), followed by a main, such as pouzy, pelemeni or piroshki, and also a beverage or dessert.

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Zabaikal-style mutton noodle soup Serves 6 • Prep ½ hr, plus overnight chilling • Cooking • 1 hr 45 mins

Clockwise from left: pouring a glass of homemade pomegranate liqueur; Ataman Simeon Boikov; Sophia assembles the many layers of the mikada (home-style layer cake); selyodka, a cured herring dish that was also served on the day.

250g (1⅔ cup) plain flour 1kg boneless mutton* or lamb shoulder, trimmed, cut into 3cm-pieces 300g mutton or lamb bones* Soy sauce, to serve

Mikada (home-style layer cake)

This cake can also be finished with more elaborate toppings, such as berries, but this is a simpler, home-style version. recipe page 56

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1 Place flour, 125ml (½ cup) water and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate overnight.

2 The following day, place mutton and bones in a large stock pot over high heat and cover with 3L water. Bring to the boil. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 1½ hours or until mutton is tender.

3 Meanwhile, divide dough into thirds and dust each portion with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out each portion to 2mm thick. Slice lengthwise into 1cm strips, then cut each strip into 10cm lengths.

4 Remove bones from soup and discard.

Increase heat to medium-high, season with salt and pepper and add noodles.

Cook for 2 minutes or until noodles float to the surface and are cooked through.

Serve with soy sauce. * Mutton and bones are available from select butchers.

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piroshki fried cabbage buns Makes 25 • Prep 45 mins, plus 2½ hrs resting • Cooking 25 mins 600g (4 cups) plain flour 2 tsp (1 x 7g sachet) dry yeast 2 tbs vegetable oil, plus extra, to shallow-fry Cabbage filling 1 small (1.2kg) cabbage, grated 1 garlic clove, crushed ½ onion, finely diced 1 tbs olive oil 1 carrot, finely grated 2 hard-boiled eggs, grated 1 Place flour, 1 tsp salt, yeast, oil and 400ml

warm water in a bowl and mix to form a dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1½ hours or until dough doubles in size.

Punch down dough. Set aside for a further 1 hour or until risen.

2 Meanwhile, place cabbage, garlic and onion in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat.

Add cabbage mixture and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted. Add carrot and cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through.

3 Remove pan from heat and gently stir in grated eggs. Season then set aside to cool.

4 Dust dough with flour and shape into a large 6cm-thick log. Slice into 25 rounds and roll out each piece into a 10cm-long oval, about 3mm thick. Place 3 tbs cabbage mixture in the centre of each oval, fold in sides and pinch edges together to enclose. Flatten slightly to make ovals a uniform shape.

5 Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 10 seconds). Working in batches, gently drop ovals into oil and fry, turning halfway, for 6 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve immediately.

pelemeni meat and cabbage dumplings Makes 30 • Prep 1 hr, plus 15 mins resting • Cooking 20 mins 160g minced beef 160g minced pork ⅓ bunch chives, finely chopped 1 spring onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed

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275g wombok cabbage, thinly shredded 1 tsp sesame oil 400g (2⅔ cup) plain flour Soy sauce and sour cream, to serve 1 Combine beef, pork, chives, spring onions, garlic, cabbage and sesame oil in bowl.

Refrigerate until needed.

2 Place flour, a pinch of salt and 200ml water in a bowl and mix to combine. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.

3 Divide dough in half and shape into 2 x 6cm-thick logs. Slice logs to create 30 rounds in total and roll out each piece into a 2mm-thick round.

4 Place a heaped teaspoonful of filling in the centre of each round, fold in half to enclose filling, then pleat edges, pressing to seal.

5 Working in batches, place dumplings in a pan of salted, boiling water and cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and serve immediately with soy sauce and sour cream.

Pouzy large steamed meat and cabbage dumplings Makes 35 • Prep 1 hr 20 mins, plus 3 hrs resting • Cooking 1 hr 200g (1⅓ cups) self-raising flour 400g (2⅔ cups) plain flour ¾ tsp (½ x 7g sachet) dry yeast Soy sauce and sour cream, to serve Meat and cabbage filling 150g cabbage, thinly shredded 250g minced veal 250g minced pork 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 large onion, finely chopped 5 chive sprigs, chopped 1 tbs soy sauce ½ tsp sesame oil 1 tbs vegetable oil 1 Place flours, yeast and 275ml warm water

in a bowl and mix to combine. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 3 hours or until dough doubles in size.

2 Meanwhile, to make filling, place cabbage in a bowl, season with 1 tsp salt and set aside.

Place veal, pork and 125ml (½ cup) cold

water in a separate bowl and mix to combine.

Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, onion, chives, soy sauce, sesame and vegetable oil and stir to combine. Squeeze cabbage dry with paper towel, add to meat mixture and combine. Refrigerate until needed.

3 Halve dough and shape into 2 x 5cm-thick logs. Slice logs to create 35 rounds in total, and roll out each piece into a 5mm-thick round.

4 Place a heaped tablespoonful of filling in the centre of each round and bring edges together to form a parcel. Pinch to seal then twist to enclose.

5 Line a steamer with baking paper with holes punched through, and place over a large saucepan of water. Place pan over medium heat and bring water to a simmer. Working in batches, steam pouzy for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately with soy sauce and sour cream.

Mikada home-style layer cake Serves 15 • Prep 40 mins • Cooking 1½ hours, plus 10 mins assembling and overnight chilling

You will need a 24cm cake pan for this recipe.

300ml sour cream 3 eggs 330g (1½ cups) caster sugar 750g (5 cups) self-raising flour 1L thickened cream 150g plain biscuits, crushed 1 Place sour cream, eggs, 110g (½ cup) sugar

and flour in a food processor and pulse until combined. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes or until mixture forms a smooth dough.

2 Preheat oven to 180C. Cut dough into 7 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 24cm round. Trim to fit in cake pan. Working with one round at a time, place dough round in pan and bake for 12 minutes or until golden, then remove and cool completely.

3 Using an electric mixer, whip cream, gradually adding remaining 220g (1 cup) sugar, to soft peaks.

4 Place a cake round on a serving plate.

Spread a 5mm-thick layer of cream on top, then top with another round. Repeat layering and spreading process, finishing with a layer of cream and reserving some cream to serve.

Cover cake with a piece of baking paper, sit an oven tray on top and weigh down with a heavy object. Refrigerate overnight.

5 The following day, spread remaining cream on top of cake, sprinkle over crushed biscuits and serve.

words tatyana leonov photography TOM DONALD Recipes Sophia Boikov, Nadejda Lavrova, Victor Ubugunov Translation Tatyana Leonov & Marina Lobastov.

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