Cheese Fritters - Sirniki

by Daniel Rogov

Michael Romanov, the first tsar of Russia, claimed that he invented this dish somewhere about 1625. This makes for a nice story, but it simply is not true. Greeks have been dining on fritters made from an identical recipe at least since the time of Plato. However, most Russians remain steadfast in the belief that the dish is theirs.

4 cups cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. white pepper
3/4 cup flour, sifted
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
butter for frying
sour cream for serving, well chilled

Mix together the cottage cheese and the white pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Place the cheese in toweling or cheesecloth and carefully squeeze as much moisture from it as possible. Rub the dry cheese through a sieve. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, flour, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Knead together well and roll into 3" (7 1/2 cm) thick tubes. Refrigerate for about 1 hour and then slice the rolls into 2 1/2 cm. slices.

Melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a skillet and fry the slices until golden brown on both sides, adding butter only if the skillet becomes dry. Serve hot with sour cream. (May be served as an appetizer or a dessert).

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.