Kotlety

Kotlety are the Soviet home and canteen cutlet, the most everyday main dish of the Russian table. Unlike the French cotelette from which the name comes, the Russian kotleta is made from minced meat, not a whole cut of meat. Ground pork, beef or a mix is combined with soaked bread (for moisture and to stretch the meat), grated onion, garlic, egg and seasoning, shaped into oval patties, dredged in flour or breadcrumbs, and pan-fried until golden. The soaked bread is the defining Soviet touch: it makes the cutlets lighter, cheaper and more moist than a pure meat patty. Served with mashed potatoes or buckwheat and a pickle, kotlety were the standard hot main in every Soviet canteen, from factories to schools, and they remain the first thing a Russian cook learns to make.

Golden, crisp-edged patties of juicy minced meat, soft and moist within from the soaked bread, the onion and garlic warm beneath. Eaten with mashed potatoes and a sour pickle, they are the simplest, most comforting Russian dinner.

The technique is a minced-meat patty with bread filler. Ground meat is mixed with bread soaked in milk or water (squeezed out before mixing), grated onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper. The bread, about 100g per 500g of meat, absorbs moisture and fat, keeping the cutlets juicy and lightening the texture. The mixture is shaped into oval patties, dredged in flour or breadcrumbs, and pan-fried in oil over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. The oil should be hot enough to brown the exterior but not so hot that the inside stays raw. Rested 5 minutes before serving. The bread is not a cost-cutting measure alone; it genuinely improves the texture.