Siberian-style pelmeni

Equipment

• Bowl
• rolling pin
• 6 cm cutter
• tray
• wide pot
• slotted spoon and thermometer.

Before you begin

US cup = 240 ml; tablespoon = 15 ml; teaspoon = 5 ml. Use listed gram weights for consistency; weights are raw or dry unless described as cooked or drained.

• Use all beef or all pork of a similar fat level; the filling must still reach 71 C / 160 F.

Make it work

• Cook one test dumpling before shaping the whole batch to check seam strength and seasoning.

Ingredients

• 400 g / 14.1 oz All-purpose flour, for dough
• 200 ml / 6.8 US fl oz Water, room temperature, for dough
• 1 (about 50 g / 1.8 oz without shells) Large egg, for dough
• 6 g / 0.2 oz Fine salt, for dough
• 10 ml / 0.3 US fl oz Sunflower oil, for dough
• 25 g / 0.9 oz Flour for rolling
• 250 g / 8.8 oz Ground beef, about 15% fat
• 250 g / 8.8 oz Ground pork, about 20% fat
• 100 g / 3.5 oz Onion, very finely grated
• 50 ml / 1.7 US fl oz Cold water, for filling
• 6 g / 0.2 oz Fine salt, for filling
• 1/2 tsp / about 0.9 g Black pepper
• 3000 ml / 101.4 US fl oz Water, for boiling
• 2 tsp / about 12.0 g Fine salt, for boiling
• 30 g / 1.1 oz Unsalted butter, to serve
• 100 g / 3.5 oz Sour cream, 20% fat, to serve

Step-by-step method

1. Make a firm dough
   Mix dough flour and dough salt. Beat egg with the dough water and oil, add and knead 10 minutes until smooth and firm. Cover tightly and rest 45 minutes. Do not confuse the 200 ml dough water with the separate 50 ml filling water.
2. Mix and chill filling
   Combine both meats, finely grated onion, filling salt and pepper. Add cold filling water gradually and stir until cohesive. Cover and keep at 4 C / 40 F or colder while rolling; raw filling should never sit beside a warm stove.
3. Roll small circles
   Divide dough into four and keep unused portions covered. Roll about 1.5-2 mm / 1/16 inch thick, using rolling flour sparingly. Cut 6 cm / 2 1/2 inch circles. Gather scraps once, rest them covered 10 minutes and reroll.
4. Fill and fold rings
   Place about 8 g / a generous teaspoon filling in each circle. Fold into a crescent, expel air and pinch the dry edges firmly. Bring the two crescent tips together and pinch into a compact ring. Keep shaped pieces on a lightly floured tray.
5. Boil in batches
   Bring boiling water and its salt to a boil in a wide pot. Add about twenty dumplings, stir gently once and keep at a steady simmer. Cook 7-10 minutes after adding, allowing the pot to recover; floating alone does not prove meat is done.
6. Check and serve
   Probe the filling of a test dumpling from the side: it must reach 71 C / 160 F. Cook longer if necessary. Lift with a slotted spoon and toss with butter. Serve sour cream separately and warn guests that the juices are hot.

Cook’s notes

Cook one test dumpling before shaping the whole batch to check seam strength and seasoning.

Storage & reheating

• Freeze raw dumplings in a single layer, then bag for up to 2 months. Boil from frozen and verify 71 C / 160 F. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and use within 2 days; reheat to 74 C / 165 F.

Allergens

egg, milk, wheat/gluten. Check labels on packaged ingredients and any substitutes.

Approximate nutrition

Per serving: 565 kcal · Protein 23 g · Carbohydrates 54 g · Fat 27 g.

Approximate per serving of the complete recipe. Brands, substitutions, cooking losses and portion sizes affect the figures.