Russian Cookbook

4 baby salmons , about 200-300 gr each, cleaned but with head and tail left on
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 gr flour

Roll the fish around in the flour and salt and then shake off any excess flour.

In a heavy skillet, heat your butter and oil.

Lower the heat to moderate and fry the salmons, 2 at a time, for about 5 minutes on each side, turning them carefully. When all salmons have been browned, keep them warm on a heat-proof dish in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you quickly make the sauce.

Pour off all the fat from the skillet and replace it with 1 ounce of fresh butter. Stir over a low heat, scraping up the brown pan drippings with a wooden spoon. Add the sour cream and continue stirring for about 3 minutes, without letting the cream boil. Stir in the lemon juice and pour the sauce over the hot fish. Garnish the dish with the chopped dill and serve at once.

5-6 codfish steaks, 2 -cm thick
3 bay leaves
Salt, to taste

Fill the narrow fish poacher with water, add salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly and gently slide the cod slices into the water. Lower the heat until the water is bubbling slightly, and simmer the fish for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the fish will disintegrate. Remove the slices and drain. Arrange the cod attractively on a heated dish and serve with sauce

Sauce

100 gr butter
1/2 cup hot fish stock
2 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon finely chopped dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, beat in the stock in which you poached the fish and stir in the chopped egg, tomato, parsley and dill.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

2 kg shoulder of lamb, cut into 3-5 -cm cubes
2 – 4 cups water
Bouquet of 1 bay leaf, 5 sprigs dill and 5 sprigs parsley, 1 root of parsley tied together
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a heavy casserole that is equipped with a cover, cover the lamb with water and bring it to a boil, uncovered, over a high heat.

Lower heat to moderate and with a large spoon skim off and discard the scum as it rises to the surface.

Add the bouquet and, salt and peppercorns to the pot.

Partially cover the pot and simmer the lamb very slowly for about 1 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove the lamb to a deep heated dish or casserole, cover with foil and keep warm in a 200°F (90°C) oven.

Dill Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups lamb stock (from above)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Dill sprigs
Lemon slice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Strain the lamb stock from the casserole through a fine sieve into a saucepan and boil it down rapidly over a high heat until it is reduced to 1 cup.

Meanwhile, saucepan, melt the 1 butter. Remove this pan from the heat, stir in the flour, then add all the reduced stock at once, stirring it rapidly with a wire whisk.

Return the pan to the heat and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, until it is smooth and thick. Simmer the sauce over a low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chopped dill, vinegar, pepper and salt.

Stir a couple of tablespoons of the hot sauce into the beaten egg yolk, then pour mixture slowly back into the sauce, beating constantly with a wire whisk.

Heat through again, but do not let the sauce boil.

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve over the lamb.

Suggestion:

Garnish the dish with additional sprigs of dill and lemon slices, and serve with boiled buttered new potatoes or rice.

4 tablespoons dark Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

In a small bowl mix the mustards, sugar, salt and vinegar to a paste.

With a whisk slowly beat in the oil until it forms a thick mayonnaise-like emulsion.

Stir in the chopped dill.

Suggestion:

The sauce may be kept refrigerated in a tightly covered jar for several days, but need to be shaken or beaten with a whisk to remix the ingredients before serving with grilled or fried fish or other seafood.