What to eat today?

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Bublanina

Czech grandmothers make bublanina the moment cherries ripen in June, and again with apricots or plums later in summer, baking it in a big tray for afternoon coffee in the garden. The name comes from the bubbles that form as the fruit sinks into the batter. It is a light, buttery sponge, golden at the edges, with pockets of juicy, sharp fruit and a snowfall of icing sugar on top; children love it warm. A common mistake is folding in the flour too hard, which knocks out the air and makes a tough cake; mix until just combined. Pitted fruit is easiest for little eaters. Chef's tip: toss the fruit in a spoon of flour before scattering it over, so it sits in the sponge instead of sinking to the bottom.

50 min

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Jidáše

Maundy Thursday, "Green Thursday" in Czech, is the day for jidáše, sweet yeasted buns rolled into ropes and coiled into spirals or loose knots to recall the rope of Judas, which gives them their name. Families in Bohemia and Moravia bake them for breakfast that morning and brush them, still hot, with honey; eating one was once said to bring health for the year. They are soft and fluffy, lightly scented with lemon, with a sticky, shiny top. A common mistake is brushing the honey on cold buns, where it just sits; warm the honey and glaze them straight from the oven so it soaks in. Honey is not suitable for babies under one year old. Chef's tip: roll the ropes thinner than you think, about finger thickness; they double as they prove.

145 min

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Palt

Palt is the pride of Piteå on the Gulf of Bothnia in northern Sweden: large, dense dumplings of grated raw potato and barley flour wrapped around cubes of salted pork belly, simmered for an hour and served with melted butter and lingonberries, with cold milk to drink. This is a pork dish. Leftover palt is sliced and fried for breakfast the next day. A common mistake is using too little flour, which makes the dumplings fall apart in the pot. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated potato hard and test one dumpling before shaping the rest; it should hold together firmly when simmered.

100 minScandinavian Meat

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Větrník

Ask anyone in Prague about the old-fashioned cukrárna and they will mention větrník, the "windmill": a big, puffed choux bun split and filled with two creams, a caramel one below and a light vanilla one above, under a shiny caramel icing. It is the cake people order with coffee on a Sunday afternoon, or buy in a paper box for a name day. Crisp shell, soft clouds of cream and a deep, buttery caramel flavour make it rich but not heavy. The usual slip is pulling the choux out too soon: it must be dark golden and feel light and dry, or it collapses as it cools. Both creams start from one custard, cooked until it bubbles so the eggs are fully set. Chef's tip: make the custard and caramel the day before; on the day you only bake and fill.

150 min

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Fiskekaker

In Bergen, the fishmongers at the harbour fish market sell fresh fiskekaker made that morning: white fish such as haddock or pollock blended with milk, potato starch and nutmeg into a soft, pale paste, shaped into flat cakes and fried in butter. They are served with boiled potatoes, grated raw carrot and a white sauce or melted butter, or cold in a sandwich. A common mistake is adding the milk too fast, which makes the mix loose. Chef's tip: blend the fish with salt first until sticky, then add the cold milk a little at a time, so the cakes come out springy and smooth. They are cooked when firm and opaque in the middle.

40 minScandinavian Fish

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Laskonky

Laskonky are the chewy little meringue sandwiches in every Czech cake counter, from station cafes in Brno to the bakeries of small Bohemian towns. Two pale-gold discs of coconut and ground walnut meringue, crisp outside and chewy within, hold a thick layer of coffee butter cream. They are sweet and nutty, with the coffee keeping things grown-up, and they are naturally made without flour. A common mistake is baking them too hot, which browns the outside before the centre dries; low heat and patience give the right chew. Make the custard for the cream first so it can cool. The egg yolks in the cream are cooked until the custard bubbles. Chef's tip: spread a thin layer of the meringue on the paper rather than piping tall mounds; flat, even discs sandwich neatly.

90 min

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Chokladbollar

Chokladbollar are the first thing Swedish children learn to make: oats, butter, sugar and cocoa mashed together by hand, rolled into balls and coated in desiccated coconut or pearl sugar, then chilled. They sit in every café cabinet in Sweden for fika, and grown-ups add a spoon of strong coffee to the mix. This version uses milk, with coffee as an option for adults. A common mistake is using soft, melted butter, which makes a greasy mix that won't roll. Chef's tip: use butter at cool room temperature and chill the mix for 20 minutes before rolling.

20 minScandinavian Desserts

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Knäckebröd

Knäckebröd is the crispbread that Swedes have baked since the Vikings: rye flour and seeds rolled thin, pricked all over and baked until bone-dry, so it keeps for weeks; once it was baked with a hole in the middle and hung on poles under the kitchen ceiling. Today it is eaten at breakfast with butter, cheese and cucumber in every Swedish home. A common mistake is rolling unevenly, which leaves soft patches that go stale. Chef's tip: roll the dough directly on baking paper with a knobbled rolling pin or prick it heavily with a fork, then bake twice, the second time low, until completely dry.

60 minScandinavian Breads & Parathas

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Žloutkové věnečky

"Little wreaths" are the jewel of a Czech wedding cake table, where trays of sweet pastries are handed out to every guest, and they are a staple of old-style patisseries in Prague. Rings of choux pastry are split and piped with a yolk-rich custard cream that is golden, silky and buttery, then dipped in a white sugar glaze. They taste of vanilla, egg and butter and are best within a day. Where most people go wrong is a custard that is not cooked enough: it must bubble for a minute so it sets and the yolks are fully cooked. Beat the cream only once the custard and butter are both at room temperature, or it splits. Bake the rings until properly dry so they keep their crisp shape. Chef's tip: a large star nozzle gives the rings a ridged surface that holds the glaze beautifully.

120 min

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Bergen fish soup

Bergensk fiskesuppe is the soup of Bergen's rainy harbour: a creamy, slightly sweet-sour broth with julienned carrot, leek and celeriac, chunks of white fish and salmon, small fish dumplings and a spoon of sour cream, finished with chives. Bergen families make it on Saturdays, and every restaurant on the Bryggen wharf has its own. A common mistake is boiling the fish, which breaks it up and makes it dry. Chef's tip: add the fish at the end and poach it in barely trembling soup for 3–4 minutes, until just opaque and flaking.

55 minScandinavian Soups

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Žinčica

Hikers walking past a salaš, a Slovak shepherds' hut, are often offered a mug of žinčica, the cool, sour whey left over from making bryndza and hrudka cheese. Shepherds heat the whey until fine flakes of cheese float up, then leave it to sour, and drink it with boiled potatoes or on its own on a hot afternoon. It is thin, refreshing and tangy, a little like a light buttermilk. At the salaš it is often made from raw sheep's milk, so at home make it only from the whey of cheese made with pasteurised milk (the korbáčiky recipe gives you plenty) and vegetarian rennet. The common slip is leaving it to sour somewhere warm for too long, where it turns cheesy and harsh; a cool room and 12 hours is enough. Chef's tip: a spoonful of cultured buttermilk gives a clean, reliable sourness every time.

15 min

Czech Drinks

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Bratislavské rožky

Bakers in old Pressburg, today's Bratislava, have shaped these little horns for nearly three centuries, and the city still treats them as its own Christmas and wedding pastry. The walnut ones are bent into a horseshoe and the poppy seed ones into a crescent, so you can tell them apart on the plate. The dough is rich and short, almost like a pastry, and the shiny brown top is crazed with fine cracks from a double egg glaze. A common mistake is glazing the second time before the first coat is dry, which leaves a dull, smooth top instead of the famous marbling. Patience is the whole trick: a cool rest after the yolk, then a warm rest after the white. Old recipes add a splash of rum to the walnut filling; this version uses lemon and cinnamon instead. Chef's tip: keep the dough cold and work quickly, so the butter stays in tiny flakes.

150 min

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Skyr

Skyr has been made in Iceland since the Viking settlers arrived: skimmed milk soured with a spoonful of the last batch, set with a drop of rennet, then strained until very thick, high in protein and mildly sour. Icelanders eat it every day with milk or cream and berries, or whisked into a drink, and skyrkaka is a favourite cheesecake. You need a few spoonfuls of plain shop skyr with live cultures as a starter. A common mistake is skipping the long, slow set; rushed skyr is thin and grainy. Chef's tip: strain it in the fridge overnight and stir it smooth before serving. Rennet is traditionally animal; use vegetarian rennet.

50 minScandinavian Basics

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Poronkäristys

Poronkäristys is the dish visitors to Lapland eat first, and the one Lapland families make most: frozen reindeer meat shaved into paper-thin curls, fried in butter with onion and then simmered briefly in a splash of water or beer until tender, served with buttery mashed potato, lingonberries and pickled cucumber. Reindeer is sold ready-shaved and frozen in Finnish and Nordic shops; very thinly sliced beef or venison also works. A common mistake is thawing the meat first; shaved from frozen, it curls and cooks evenly. Chef's tip: fry the frozen curls in batches until browned before adding the onion, so they sear instead of stewing.

45 minScandinavian Meat

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Huzarensalade

Huzarensalade, 'hussars' salad', is the potato salad of Dutch birthdays and New Year's Day: diced potato, pickled gherkins, pickled onions, apple and boiled egg bound in mayonnaise, shaped into a mound and decorated with lettuce, tomato, egg and cucumber. It is normally made with cubes of cooked beef; this vegetarian version adds peas and a little extra egg. A common mistake is mixing warm potatoes with mayonnaise, which turns it greasy and loose. Chef's tip: let the potatoes cool completely and add a splash of pickle vinegar first, so they soak up flavour before the mayonnaise goes in.

50 min

Dutch Salads

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Vínarterta

Vínarterta, 'Vienna cake', is the Icelandic Christmas cake: six or seven thin layers of cardamom-scented biscuit dough sandwiched with thick prune jam spiced with cinnamon and cardamom, then left to mature for a few days before slicing into narrow strips. It is still baked by Icelandic families in Reykjavík and by the descendants of Icelanders in Manitoba, where it became a symbol of home. A common mistake is slicing it the same day; the layers are crisp until the jam softens them. Chef's tip: wrap it and leave it for 3 days in a cool place, so the biscuit softens into a fine cake.

110 minScandinavian Baking

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Demikát

Shepherds in the hills of central Slovakia needed only a kettle of water, a lump of bryndza and a loaf of bread to make demikát, a soup that comes together in a quarter of an hour at the salaš, the summer sheep hut. The soft, salty sheep's cheese is mashed with fried onion, paprika and caraway, loosened with boiling water and poured over chunks of bread, then finished with heaps of chives. It is tangy, creamy and very warming. Bryndza is traditionally made with animal rennet and sometimes from raw milk, so for a vegetarian, safer bowl choose a pasteurised sheep's cheese made with vegetarian rennet (a soft feta-style cheese mashed with a little cream cheese works well). The usual slip is boiling the soup after the cheese goes in, which makes it grainy; just bring it to steaming. Chef's tip: use day-old rye bread, toasted, so it soaks up the broth without falling apart.

20 min

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Korbáčiky

Korbáčiky (little whips) come from Orava in northern Slovakia, where cheesemakers pull hot, stretchy curd into long thin strings and plait them into braids. Sold at roadside stalls in the Tatra foothills, they are chewy, squeaky and salty, usually lightly smoked, and are pulled apart and eaten with fingers like a snack, often with a cold drink on a hike. At home you can make the curd yourself from pasteurised milk in under an hour. Traditional korbáčiky are set with animal rennet, so this recipe uses vegetarian (microbial) rennet; any shop-bought curd should say the same. Use pasteurised whole milk that is not UHT-treated, or the curd will not set. Where most people go wrong is stretching the curd when it is not hot enough: it tears instead of pulling into glossy ropes. Chef's tip: wear clean rubber gloves for stretching, so you can work with water hot enough to make the curd silky.

60 min

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Vdolky

In the Chodsko region around Domažlice in south-west Bohemia, vdolky are fried for fairs, pilgrimages and weddings, and they are the treat Czech children associate with grandmothers' kitchens. They are round, flat yeasted cakes with a pale ring around the middle, fried until golden and topped while warm with thick plum jam (povidla), sweetened tvaroh curd cheese and sour cream. Soft and pillowy, sweet, tangy and creamy all at once, they are eaten with a knife and fork or straight from the hand. Where most people go wrong is frying too hot, so the outsides darken before the middle cooks; keep the oil at 170 °C. Most tvaroh is made without rennet, but check the label if that matters to you. Chef's tip: press a hollow in the centre of each round with your fingers before frying; it holds the toppings.

120 min

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Vispipuuro

Vispipuuro, 'whisked porridge', is a Finnish childhood favourite: semolina cooked in lingonberry juice and water with sugar, then cooled and whisked hard until it turns pale pink, light and fluffy like a mousse. It is eaten for breakfast, as a dessert at school, or as a snack, with cold milk poured around it. Cranberries or redcurrants work too. A common mistake is whisking it while still hot, which never lightens it. Chef's tip: cool the porridge in a sink of cold water, then whisk with an electric mixer for 10 minutes; it will double in volume. Serve with oat milk to keep it vegan.

30 minScandinavian Desserts

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Maizes zupa

Maizes zupa, 'bread soup', is Latvia's way of using up dark rye bread: the bread is soaked and cooked down with dried fruit, sugar and cinnamon into a thick, sweet, deep-brown pudding, cooled and topped with whipped cream. It is on the menu in Riga's canteen-style restaurants and in school lunches, and every Latvian grandmother has her own version. A common mistake is using light rye; it needs dense, dark Latvian or German-style rye for its malty taste. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of cranberries; their sharpness lifts the sweet, heavy soup.

55 minBaltic Desserts

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Mølje

When the skrei, the big spawning cod, arrive in the Lofoten Islands and along the coast of northern Norway from January to March, families and fishing towns hold mølje feasts: thick steaks of fresh cod poached in salted water, served with the cod's liver and roe, boiled potatoes and flatbread. In Tromsø and Bodø restaurants serve it for the season, and people gather for mølje parties at home. Fresh cod liver and roe come from fishmongers in season; good fresh cod alone also works. A common mistake is boiling the cod hard, which makes it fall apart. Chef's tip: add the cod to salted water at a full boil, then turn off the heat at once and let it poach for 8 minutes; the flesh stays firm and juicy. The fish is ready when opaque and flaking.

40 minScandinavian Fish

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Vadas

The word vadas means in the manner of game, and the dish once was a way of treating venison; in Budapest it is now made with beef and is one of the great canteen and Sunday dishes. A joint of beef is browned and braised with carrots, parsley root and celeriac, then the vegetables are blended into a velvety orange sauce, sharpened with mustard, a little caramelised sugar, vinegar and lemon, and enriched with cream. Thick slices of beef sit in the sauce next to fluffy bread dumplings (zsemlegombóc) and a spoon of cranberry sauce. Some cooks marinate the beef in red wine; this version uses stock and vinegar, so it is alcohol-free. Where most people go wrong is serving the meat before it is truly tender; it should yield to a fork. Chef's tip: if you marinate the beef in the vinegar and spices overnight, always do it in the fridge, covered.

150 min

Hungarian Meat

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Žemlovka

Thrifty Czech kitchens never throw away a stale roll, and žemlovka is the delicious proof. Slices of yesterday's rohlíky or žemle are soaked in sweet vanilla milk and egg, layered with cinnamon apples and raisins, and baked until the top is crunchy and the inside set like a soft custard. It is a favourite Bohemian Sunday afternoon pudding in autumn, when the orchard apples are in, and it often appears in school canteens as a sweet main course. Serve it warm, dusted with icing sugar, with a glass of cold milk. A common mistake is drowning the bread in milk, which makes a soggy, heavy pudding; dip the slices quickly so they are moist but still hold their shape. Chef's tip: use tart cooking apples and keep the top layer bread, buttered, so it bakes to a golden crust.

60 min

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Škubánky

Škubánky (sometimes called šúlance or 'pulled ones') are what you get when a Bohemian farmhouse turns its potatoes into pudding. Potatoes and flour are steamed together in the same pot, mashed into a heavy, smooth dough, then torn into lumps with a spoon dipped in butter. They are rolled in ground poppy seed and sugar and doused with brown butter, and children in Czechia often eat them as a sweet main course on a weekday. They are soft and dense, with a nutty crunch from the poppy. The usual slip is lifting the lid while the flour steams, which leaves raw pockets of flour; keep it covered the whole time. Chef's tip: dip the spoon in hot melted butter before every scoop, and the lumps slide off clean and glossy.

50 min

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Frgály

At weddings and church fairs in Moravian Wallachia, in the hills around Rožnov and Vsetín, tables are stacked with frgály: yeast tarts as wide as a dinner plate, rolled so thin the filling seems to sit on a crisp, chewy disc. The classic toppings are dried pear mixed with plum butter, sweet tvaroh (Czech quark), or poppy seed, all scattered with a buttery crumble. This recipe makes four, two with each of the first two fillings. Tvaroh is usually set without rennet, but some brands use it, so check the label. The usual slip is leaving the dough thick in the middle, which makes a bready tart; roll right to the edge, about 3 mm thick. Chef's tip: bake on the lowest oven shelf on a hot tray, so the base browns before the filling dries.

150 min

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Nakládaný hermelín

Behind the bar of almost every Czech hospoda sits a big glass jar of cheeses sunk in oil with onion rings and chillies. Nakládaný hermelín is the classic beer snack: a soft white-rind cheese, split and spread with garlic and paprika, then left to mellow in spiced oil for about a week until it turns rich, tangy and spreadable. It is eaten with thick slices of dark bread (use gluten-free bread if needed) and a few pickled peppers. Hermelín and camembert-style cheeses are usually made with animal rennet, so for a vegetarian jar choose a white-rind cheese labelled as made with vegetarian or microbial rennet. Where it goes wrong is leaving cheese poking above the oil, where it can spoil: keep everything submerged and the jar in the fridge, and eat it within 10 days. Chef's tip: use a cheese that is not fully ripe; it holds its shape in the oil and softens to perfection as it marinates.

20 min

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Smažený květák

Order a vegetarian meal in a Czech pub and there is a fair chance you will get smažený květák: fat cauliflower florets in a crunchy breadcrumb coat, with buttery parsley potatoes and a dollop of tatarka, the pickle-studded tartar sauce. Children love it, and many families in Bohemia make it on Fridays. The florets are blanched first so the inside is tender and sweet under the crust. Where most people go wrong is breading wet cauliflower: the coating slips off in the oil. Dry the florets well on a towel and let them cool before you dip them. Chef's tip: press the crumbs on firmly with your palm, then rest the breaded florets for 10 minutes so the coat sets and fries up evenly.

40 min

Czech Vegetarian

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Topinky

Midnight in a Prague beer hall, a basket of topinky arrives: thick slabs of rye-wheat bread fried until shatteringly crisp and rubbed hard with raw garlic, so the rough crust grates the clove like sandpaper. Czech pubs serve them as a snack with beer, and at home they are a quick supper with a glass of buttermilk or a bowl of soup. Some old cooks used lard; frying in oil keeps them vegan. The crumb should stay soft inside the golden crust, and the garlic should be sharp and fiery. A common mistake is frying in oil that is not hot enough, which makes the bread greasy instead of crisp. Chef's tip: choose a dense, day-old rye bread with caraway seeds; fresh, airy bread soaks up oil like a sponge.

10 min

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Sockerkaka

Sockerkaka, 'sugar cake', is the everyday sponge of Swedish homes, baked in a tall fluted ring tin and served in slices with coffee, or with berries and cream in summer; nearly every Swedish child bakes one with a grandparent. It is light and buttery with a crisp, golden outside. A common mistake is opening the oven before 35 minutes, which makes the cake sink. Chef's tip: butter the tin and dust it with fine breadcrumbs, as Swedish cooks do, so the cake releases cleanly and gets a crisp crust.

60 minScandinavian Baking

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Čočka na kyselo

Brown lentils, a good splash of vinegar and a crisp-edged fried egg on top: čočka na kyselo is the Czech school-canteen and workers' lunch that people grow nostalgic about. Bohemian families also eat lentils around New Year, when the small round seeds stand for coins. The lentils are cooked soft, bound in a light roux with fried onion and finished sour and a touch sweet, then served with a sliced pickled gherkin and fresh bread. The texture should be spoonable, not soupy and not stiff. Where most cooks slip up is adding the vinegar too early: acid keeps lentils firm, so they stay hard however long you cook them. Season at the end instead. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of mustard stirred in with the vinegar rounds out the sourness without making it taste of mustard.

50 min

Czech Curries

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Houbový kuba

On Štědrý den, the Czech Christmas Eve, many families kept a meat-free fast until the evening carp, and houbový kuba was what filled the gap at lunch. Village cooks in Bohemia baked pearl barley with mushrooms picked and dried in autumn, plenty of garlic and marjoram, until the top went crunchy. The inside stays moist and chewy, almost like a mushroom risotto, while the edges crisp. It used to be made with lard; this version uses oil and is fully plant-based. Serve it on its own with sauerkraut or a sharp pickled salad, or as a side to roast vegetables. A common mistake is boiling the barley until soft right through, which turns the bake to paste; it should still have a little bite before it goes in the oven. Chef's tip: save the mushroom soaking water and cook the barley in it, for flavour all the way through.

75 min

Czech Rice & Grains

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Cougnou

Cougnou, also called cougnolle or bommetje, is the Christmas bread of Wallonia, given to children on Christmas morning: a soft brioche shaped like the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes, with a little clay or sugar medallion pressed into the middle, eaten with hot chocolate. Bakeries in Namur and Charleroi make them from early December. A common mistake is shaping them too small, which dries them in the oven. Chef's tip: make three balls, one large for the body and two small for the head and feet, pressed together tightly so they bake as one.

65 min

Belgian Baking

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Jamaican coconut drops

Coconut drops are the lumpy brown clusters sold beside grater cake at Jamaican roadside stalls and markets from Ocho Rios to Mandeville, made with coconut cut into small dice rather than grated, so every bite is chewy. Brown sugar and fresh ginger boil down around the coconut into a sticky, toffee-like glaze. The most common mistake is stopping before the syrup is thick enough, which leaves the drops wet and runny; it must coat the spoon heavily. Chef's tip: dice the coconut very small and even, about 5 mm, so the drops hold together.

45 min

Jamaican Desserts

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Kyselo

High in the Krkonoše, the Giant Mountains on the Polish border, poor mountain families made a whole meal from a jar of rye sourdough starter, a handful of dried mushrooms and potatoes from the cellar. Kyselo still turns up in chalet restaurants around Špindlerův Mlýn and at local food festivals. It is pleasantly sour and creamy from the fermented rye, scented with caraway, and poured over boiled potatoes with softly scrambled egg spooned on top. The usual slip is boiling the soup hard after the starter goes in, which makes it catch on the bottom and turn lumpy; keep it at a lazy simmer and stir often. If you can, mix the starter with water the night before and leave it covered at room temperature, for a deeper sourness. Chef's tip: a mature, bubbly rye starter that smells like yoghurt gives the best flavour; a sleepy one makes a flat soup.

60 min

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Kmínová polévka

Few soups are as cheap or as old as this one. Kmínová polévka was the Bohemian peasant's breakfast long before coffee arrived, and Czech mothers still make it for an upset stomach or a hangover. The roux is cooked until it smells of toasted hazelnuts, the caraway is fried in butter until it pops, and the hot soup is poured straight onto crunchy toasted bread so it softens at the edges. Where most people go wrong is taking the roux off the heat while it is still pale: you get a floury, raw-tasting soup instead of a nutty one. A beaten egg trickled in at the end makes it more filling. Chef's tip: crush half the caraway in a mortar first, so the flavour spreads through the broth while the whole seeds give little bursts.

25 min

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Koprovka

Summer in a Czech garden means dill gone wild between the cucumbers, and koprovka is where most of it ends up. This pale green, gently sour cream sauce is a staple of Bohemian home cooking and of workplace canteens, where it is served over boiled potatoes with halved hard-boiled eggs (or with bread dumplings). It should be smooth, silky and only lightly thick, balanced between cream, a little vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Where it usually goes wrong is boiling the dill: it turns grey and loses its fresh smell, so stir it in at the end, off the heat. Chef's tip: keep the dill stalks, chop them very finely and simmer them in the sauce, then add the soft fronds at the end for a double hit of flavour.

30 min

Czech Vegetarian

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Zelňák

Out in the Moravian wine villages, when bread was baked in the communal oven, the last of the dough went into zelňák: a flat yeast base spread with sour cabbage and fried onion and baked until the edges blister. It is still sold in bakeries around Brno and Hodonín and eaten warm in slices with a glass of buttermilk or new wine. Old recipes fry the onion in lard or add crackling; this version uses oil and butter and is vegetarian. The topping is tangy, sweet from the onion and scented with caraway, over a soft, bready base. Where it often goes wrong is using wet sauerkraut straight from the jar, which turns the base soggy. Squeeze it well and fry it first. Chef's tip: a thin layer of sour cream under the cabbage keeps the base moist and stops the topping drying out.

120 min

Russian Snacks & Starters

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Red caviar butterbrods

When the Soviet festive table had one luxury, this was it: little slices of white bread, thick with cold butter and topped with glistening orange salmon roe, set out for New Year's Eve, birthdays and the first course of a wedding. The pleasure is in the textures, the bead-like eggs bursting with a salty sea taste against sweet butter and soft bread. Salmon roe is salted and cured, not cooked: buy pasteurised roe in a chilled jar or tin from a good fishmonger, keep it in the fridge and eat it the day it is opened; it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. A common mistake is spreading the butter thin; you need a proper layer to anchor the roe. Chef's tip: spoon the roe with a plastic or bone spoon rather than metal, and add it at the last minute so it stays plump.

10 min

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Kama

Kama is a uniquely Estonian food: a fine flour of roasted barley, rye, oats and peas, sold in every Tallinn supermarket, stirred into kefir, buttermilk or yogurt with a little sugar or honey and berries. It was once farmers' food for the fields; today it is a fast, filling breakfast and the flavour of Estonian ice creams and sweets. If you can't find kama, roast equal parts barley, rye and oat flour with a little pea flour in a dry pan until nutty. A common mistake is eating it at once; give it a few minutes to thicken. Chef's tip: stir in the kama, leave for 5 minutes, then add the berries, so it thickens like a mousse.

5 minBaltic Breakfast & Brunch

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Seledka pod shuboi

No New Year's Eve table in Russia is complete without this magenta-topped salad, made on the 31st of December and left overnight so the layers settle and turn soft and creamy. Salted herring sits at the bottom under onion, then potato, carrot, egg and finally grated beetroot, each coat spread with mayonnaise; the herring's salt seeps up through the vegetables. Herring here is cured, not cooked: use ready-salted fillets bought chilled from a good fishmonger or deli (made from previously frozen fish), keep everything in the fridge, and note it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Use shop-bought mayonnaise, which is made with pasteurised egg. Where most people go wrong is grating the vegetables while warm, they turn to mush. Chef's tip: grate the beetroot last and squeeze it lightly so the top stays bright without bleeding everywhere.

90 min

Russian Salads

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Pinaattiletut

Pinaattiletut are thin, bright green spinach pancakes that every Finn remembers from school lunches, served in stacks with a spoon of lingonberry jam on the side; at home they are a quick, cheap family supper, and children like them more than they will admit. A common mistake is using fresh wet spinach without squeezing it, which makes the batter thin and the pancakes tear. Chef's tip: rest the batter for 30 minutes, so the flour swells and the pancakes flip without breaking.

40 minScandinavian Vegetarian

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Mimosa salad

Named for the fluffy yellow mimosa flowers sold on every Moscow street corner for Women's Day on 8 March, this Soviet-era party salad is crowned with a snowfall of grated egg yolk. Underneath are layers of tinned salmon or saury, potato, carrot, onion and egg white, each with a little mayonnaise, so a spoonful is soft, rich and gently fishy. It is made ahead for birthdays and holidays and served chilled. Use shop-bought mayonnaise, which is made with pasteurised egg. A common mistake is mashing the fish with all its oil, which makes the bottom layer soggy. Chef's tip: grate the yolk straight over the salad at the very end, on the finest side of the grater, for the fluffiest flowers.

60 min

Russian Salads

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Kholodets

Kholodets is winter food, made in big batches before New Year and Orthodox Christmas when the cold balcony doubles as a fridge. Pork trotters and beef shin are simmered for hours until the broth is rich enough to set on its own, no added setting agent; the meat is shredded, layered with garlic and covered with the strained stock to set into a trembling, clear jelly. It is eaten cold, cut into squares, with sharp horseradish and mustard and hot boiled potatoes. This dish uses pork (trotters and knuckle) as well as beef. Where most people go wrong is letting the pot boil hard, which makes the jelly cloudy and greasy. Chef's tip: spoon a little broth onto a cold saucer after 5 hours; if it sets firm in the fridge in 15 minutes, the stock is ready.

480 min

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Fyddzhyn

In North Ossetia, pies come in threes, for the sun, earth and sky, and the meat pie in that stack is fyddzhyn: a thin, soft yeast crust wrapped around juicy minced beef, onion, garlic and a little chilli, with a small hole in the middle to let out steam. The Ossetian people serve it at every family gathering and feast, hot and dripping with butter brushed on as it leaves the oven, cut into wedges and eaten with the hands. A common mistake is rolling the crust thick; good fyddzhyn is all filling and the dough should be barely 4 mm. Chef's tip: add a few spoons of cold stock to the mince; it turns to steam in the oven and keeps the filling juicy.

105 min

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Kurze

Every mountain people of Dagestan, Avars, Laks and Dargins among them, has its own kurze, but all share the beautiful plaited seam that runs along each teardrop dumpling like a braid. The lamb filling is chopped with plenty of onion and a little fat, then the dumplings are boiled and served in their broth with a sharp garlic and tomato dressing. In mountain villages they are made in big batches for guests, and in summer the same dough is filled with pumpkin or young nettles. The usual slip is overfilling, which makes the pleats burst in the pot. Chef's tip: practise the plait on a few pieces without filling first; once your fingers know the rhythm it goes quickly.

105 min

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Smoked omul

On the shingle beaches of Listvyanka, at the edge of Lake Baikal, women sell omul still warm from the smoke, the fish split open, threaded onto alder sticks and set around a fire until the skin turns bronze and the flesh pulls away in moist, salty flakes. Omul lives only in Baikal, so at home use small whitefish, trout or mackerel, gutted and split. A short brine in the fridge seasons the fish, then it is hot-smoked in a kettle barbecue or a lidded smoker until cooked right through. Serve it warm or cold with boiled potatoes, black bread and spring onions. The usual slip is smoking over flames rather than smouldering chips, which chars the skin before the inside is done. Chef's tip: let the brined fish dry in the fridge, uncovered, for an hour: the tacky surface takes the smoke far better.

120 min

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Pomor-style cod

Along the White Sea coast near Arkhangelsk, the Pomors lived on cod, and this is how a fisherman's household turned a fillet into a whole supper: fish laid over sliced potatoes and buttery onions, then covered with beaten egg and milk and baked until set and golden, like a savoury fish custard. It is soft, mild and filling, and is eaten with pickled mushrooms, sauerkraut or a green salad. Where most people go wrong is using raw potato slices, which take far longer than the fish; par-boil them first. Chef's tip: salt the cod lightly 15 minutes ahead in the fridge, it firms up and does not leak water into the egg.

50 min

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Herring with potatoes

This is the simplest and best-loved Russian zakuska, on every table from a Moscow kitchen to a Siberian railway compartment: fillets of salted herring with steaming boiled potatoes, rings of raw onion, dill and a drizzle of unrefined sunflower oil that smells of toasted seeds. The contrast of cold, silky fish and hot, floury potato is the whole point, and black bread goes alongside. Salted herring is cured but not cooked, so buy ready-salted fillets from a good fishmonger or deli (made from previously frozen fish), keep them in the fridge, and note that it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. A common mistake is serving the herring straight from very salty brine; taste it and soak it in milk or cold water first if needed. Chef's tip: use unrefined sunflower oil, its nutty smell is what makes the dish.

30 min

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Bramboračka

Ask anyone from Bohemia what their grandmother cooked on a cold Saturday and bramboračka comes up first: a thick, earthy potato soup that smells of dried porcini, caraway and marjoram. It is a fixture of pub lunch menus and mountain chalets, ladled out with a slice of dark rye bread. Floury potatoes break down at the edges and thicken the broth, while carrot, parsley root and celeriac add sweetness under the woodland flavour of the mushrooms. This version is fully plant-based, with the roux made in oil. A common mistake is adding the marjoram and garlic at the start, where long boiling dulls them; they go in at the very end, off the heat. Chef's tip: rub the dried marjoram between your palms over the pot to wake up its oils before it drops in.

50 min

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Olomoucké tvarůžky

Few foods divide Czechs like Olomoucké tvarůžky, the little golden rounds of ripened quark from Loštice near Olomouc in Moravia. Their smell is famously strong, but the flavour is savoury, salty and surprisingly mild once cooked. Pubs across Moravia serve them breaded and fried, the outside crisp and the inside oozing, with raw red onion and buttered rye bread, and a cold beer for those who drink. Tvarůžky are made from acid-set quark and are usually free of animal rennet, but check the label if it matters to you. The usual mistake is frying them too long: after a minute the cheese bursts out of its crust and the pan fills with molten cheese. Chef's tip: chill the breaded cheeses in the fridge for 10 minutes before frying, and fry them hot and fast.

20 min

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Azu

Kazan's working canteens gave azu its fame: strips of beef braised in a peppery tomato gravy, sharpened with diced salty pickled cucumbers and finished with golden fried potatoes, all served steaming in a clay pot. It is hearty, sour-savoury and thick enough to mop up with rye bread, and Tatar families serve it on cold weekday evenings. Where most people go wrong is adding the potatoes raw to the stew; they turn floury and the gravy goes muddy, so fry them separately and fold them in at the end. Chef's tip: use proper brine-fermented cucumbers rather than sweet vinegar pickles; their sourness is what makes azu taste like azu.

75 min

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Kesäkeitto

In July, when Finland's first new potatoes, baby carrots, peas and cauliflower arrive at market stalls in Helsinki and Turku, families make kesäkeitto: the vegetables simmered in water until just tender, then finished with milk and a knob of butter and lots of dill. It is light, sweet and pale green, eaten with rye bread and butter. A common mistake is boiling it once the milk is in, which can curdle the soup. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in order of cooking time, so each is just tender and keeps its colour.

40 minScandinavian Soups

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Lingonsylt

Lingonsylt is the bright red preserve on every Swedish table: with meatballs, Wallenbergare, potato pancakes and kroppkakor, and in Finland and Norway with reindeer and porridge. Swedish families pick the berries in September in the forests and either stir them raw with sugar (rårörda lingon) or cook them very briefly so they stay whole and sharp. A common mistake is boiling them long, which makes a dull, jelly-like jam. Chef's tip: cook for only 3–5 minutes, then cool fast; lingonberries are rich in natural preservatives and keep well.

20 minScandinavian Chutneys & Dips

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Peremech

Street stalls around the Kazan Kremlin fry these flat, round pies to order, and Tatar families make them on Sunday mornings in a heavy pan of hot oil. The soft yeast dough is gathered around a ball of seasoned beef mince but left open at the top like a little crater, so the meat fries crisp in the centre while the dough puffs and blisters. They are eaten hot, with sweet black tea and, for the bold, a spoon of the pan juices poured in. The usual slip is frying in oil that is too hot; the dough browns before the meat inside is cooked. Chef's tip: always fry the open side down first, it seals the meat and gives that crisp ring around the hole.

95 min

Russian Fast Food

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Sienisalaatti

Every Finnish autumn, families head into the forests with baskets for mushroom picking, and in the past the haul was salted in barrels for winter; sienisalaatti, a creamy salad of salted milk caps or blanched forest mushrooms with onion and cream, is the result, served on the Christmas table and with boiled potatoes and rye bread. This version uses shop-bought mushrooms such as chanterelles, oyster or chestnut mushrooms, blanched and dressed. Never eat wild mushrooms unless an expert has identified them. A common mistake is dressing wet mushrooms, which makes a watery, bland salad. Chef's tip: squeeze the blanched mushrooms gently in a towel and let them cool completely before folding in the cream.

20 minScandinavian Salads

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Makarony po-flotski

Navy cooks in the Baltic Fleet at Kronstadt fed whole crews on this, and it went on to become the canteen and student-hostel supper of the Soviet Union: tubes of pasta tossed in a frying pan with beef mince and plenty of onion until everything is a little crisp. It is salty, peppery and comforting, and children love it. Eat it straight from the pan with a pickled cucumber or a quick tomato salad. A common mistake is crowding raw mince into a cold pan so it stews grey instead of browning. Chef's tip: fry the drained pasta in the meat fat for the last two minutes without stirring too much, so some tubes catch and turn golden.

30 min

Russian Pasta & Noodles

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Tokmach

Tatar grandmothers in Kazan roll the noodle dough for this soup so thin you can read through it, then cut it into fine ribbons and dry them on a cloth. The broth is simple and golden: chicken legs, onion, a bay leaf, a little black pepper. It is the soup made for guests, for a sick child and for the morning after a wedding, and in Tatarstan it is often eaten with a slice of bread and a pot of black tea. Where most people go wrong is cooking the noodles in the clear broth straight from the board: they shed flour and cloud it, so shake off the excess first. Chef's tip: let the cut noodles dry for 20 minutes, they hold their shape in the hot broth and stay silky rather than gummy.

70 min

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Rasstegai

Merchant taverns in old Moscow and St Petersburg served these boat-shaped little pies alongside a bowl of ukha, and the waiter would spoon hot fish broth through the open top at the table. A soft, buttery yeast dough wraps chopped salmon, white fish, rice and soft onion; the top stays open, so the filling bakes juicy while the rim turns glossy and brown. Eat them warm with a cup of clear fish soup or simply with strong tea. Where most people go wrong is pinching the opening too wide: the filling dries out and the broth runs straight through. Chef's tip: cut the fish into 1 cm dice rather than mincing it, so each bite stays flaky and you can see the pink and white through the hole.

150 min

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Botvinya

Summer dachas around St Petersburg once waited all year for the young beet tops and sorrel that go into this sharp, ice-cold soup, a grand dish of the old aristocratic table that is also cheap peasant food. Blanched greens are puréed, loosened with bread kvass and studded with cucumber and spring onion; a piece of gently poached salmon is set alongside, with horseradish and lemon. Kvass is lightly fermented and can carry a trace of alcohol: choose one labelled alcohol-free, or use the substitute of sparkling water, a little lemon and rye-bread soaking liquid given in the ingredients. The usual slip is serving it merely cool: it should be properly cold, even with an ice cube in each bowl. Chef's tip: poach the fish the day before so it is thoroughly chilled, and keep the whole soup in the fridge until the minute it goes to the table.

60 min

Russian Snacks & Starters

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Echpochmak

The name means 'triangle' in Tatar, and these three-cornered pies are sold warm in every bakery and railway buffet in Kazan, always with a small hole at the top. Raw diced lamb (or beef), potato and onion go in together and steam inside the pastry, so the filling comes out tender and juicy; a spoonful of hot broth poured through the hole halfway through baking makes it even more so. They are eaten for lunch with black tea, or as the first dish at a family celebration. A common mistake is cutting the meat and potato too big; they will not cook through in the time the pastry takes. Chef's tip: dice everything to the size of a pea and toss the filling with a little cold butter, it melts into the potatoes and keeps them from drying.

120 min

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Ukha

Fishermen on the Volga sandbanks make ukha in a blackened pot over driftwood with whatever is in the net, perch, pike-perch, a small pike, and it is still the soup cooked at dachas on summer evenings. The point is clarity: a light, pale-gold broth that tastes cleanly of fish, with soft potatoes, a whole onion simmered in and a fistful of dill at the end. It is served with black bread and a squeeze of lemon. A common mistake is letting the pot boil hard, which clouds the broth and breaks the fish into flakes. Chef's tip: simmer the bones and trimmings first for the stock and only then poach clean fillets in it, so you get both a rich broth and neat pieces of fish.

50 min

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Myaso po-frantsuzski

Despite the name, nobody in France would recognise "French-style meat": it is a Soviet celebration bake, made for New Year's Eve and 8 March from whatever a family could find, and it still fills oven trays across Russia every holiday. Thin slices of pork loin are layered with onion and potato, spread with mayonnaise and covered in grated cheese, then baked until the top is golden and the meat tender. It is rich, savoury and a little indulgent; serve it with a crisp salad or pickles to cut through. A common mistake is leaving the pork thick, which keeps it chewy while the cheese burns; beat it thin. Check the pork reaches at least 63 °C and rest it 5 minutes. Chef's tip: mix half sour cream into the mayonnaise for a lighter, tangier sauce.

65 min

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Zharkoye v gorshochkakh

Clay pots of zharkoye, each with its own lid, are pure Russian comfort food: a dish from the old wood-fired stove that city kitchens now make in the oven for Sunday lunch or a cold-weather dinner party. Browned beef, onion and carrot go into each pot with potatoes, mushrooms and a little stock, then bake slowly until the meat falls apart and the potatoes drink up the gravy. It smells of bay and black pepper and tastes deeply savoury. Serve straight in the pots with pickles and rye bread. The usual slip is skipping the browning step, which leaves the beef grey and the sauce thin; take time to sear it well. Check the beef is fork-tender before serving. Chef's tip: seal the lids with a strip of simple flour-and-water dough for the old-fashioned way; it keeps every drop of steam inside, though then the dish is no longer gluten free.

120 min

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Kvæfjordkake

Kvæfjordkake comes from the Kvæfjord district in Troms, northern Norway, and Norwegians voted it their national cake, which is why it is also called 'verdens beste', the world's best cake: a thin buttery sponge baked with a layer of meringue and almonds on top, then cut in half and sandwiched with vanilla custard cream. It is baked for confirmations, May 17th and birthdays. A common mistake is underbaking the meringue, which goes sticky. Chef's tip: bake in a shallow tray and let the meringue turn pale golden and crisp; cool completely before filling.

70 minScandinavian Baking

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Pozharsky cutlet

Torzhok, a coaching town on the road between Moscow and St Petersburg, was famous for the tavern of the Pozharsky family, and travellers spread the word of its tender cutlets of chopped chicken bound with milk-soaked bread and cream. They became a classic of grand Russian restaurants and later of Soviet menus. Each cutlet hides a cube of cold butter that melts into the meat, and the coating of tiny bread cubes fries into a crunchy, golden shell. Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered peas. The usual slip is overworking the mince in a processor, which makes it rubbery; chop it by hand or pulse briefly. Cook until the centre reads 74 °C. Chef's tip: freeze the butter cubes for 15 minutes so they stay inside rather than leaking out in the pan.

50 min

Russian Chicken

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Rassolnik

Rassol is Russian for pickle brine, and this soup makes the most of it: pearl barley, potato and beef simmered in a clear broth, then sharpened with grated salted cucumbers and a good pour of their liquor. It is a winter lunch from the Moscow region to the Urals and a canteen favourite in its Leningrad style, and many households serve it the morning after a celebration. Old recipes used kidneys; beef brisket or shin is easier and gives a rich broth. The taste is savoury and pleasantly sour, with soft, chewy barley. Where most people go wrong is cooking the barley in the soup from raw, which clouds the broth; cook it separately and add it later. Use brine-fermented cucumbers, not sweet vinegar pickles. Sour cream is traditional at the table for those not avoiding dairy. Chef's tip: add the brine little by little at the end and taste; cucumbers vary hugely in saltiness.

95 min

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Grechka po-kupecheski

Russian merchants of the nineteenth century liked their buckwheat with meat in it, and "merchant-style" grechka became a hearty one-pan supper that students, soldiers and busy parents still cook today. Cubes of pork shoulder are browned with onion and carrot, enriched with tomato, then roasted buckwheat simmers in the same pan until every grain is separate and steeped in the juices. It is earthy, savoury and filling, best with a salted cucumber or a spoon of tsakhdon-style garlic sour cream. The usual slip is stirring the buckwheat while it cooks, which breaks the grains into mush; cover the pan and leave it alone. Pork pieces should be fully cooked to 71 °C. Chef's tip: toast the buckwheat in the pan for a minute before adding water to deepen its nutty taste.

45 min

Russian Rice & Grains

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Semla

Semlor arrive in Swedish bakeries straight after Christmas and peak on Fettisdagen, Shrove Tuesday, when Stockholm bakeries sell them by the tens of thousands: a soft cardamom bun with its top cut off, the crumb scooped out and mixed with almond paste and milk, then refilled, piled with whipped cream and the 'lid' put back with a dusting of icing sugar. Some eat theirs in a bowl of hot milk, as 'hetvägg'. A common mistake is overbaking the buns, which dries them; they should be soft and pale golden. Chef's tip: grate the almond paste and mix it with the scooped crumb and a splash of milk until it is spreadable but still textured.

75 minScandinavian Baking

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Filets de perche

Filets de perche are the signature dish of the lakeside restaurants around Lake Geneva, from Geneva to Lausanne and Montreux: small, delicate perch fillets dusted with flour, fried quickly in butter until golden, and served with lemon, tartare sauce, a pile of fries and a green salad on a summer terrace. Lake perch is scarce today; ask for responsibly sourced perch or use small fillets of pike-perch or another delicate white fish. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which steams the thin fillets. Chef's tip: fry in batches in foaming butter for just a minute or so a side; the fish is done when opaque and it flakes.

25 min

Swiss Fish

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Duckunoo

Duckunoo goes by many names across Jamaica, "blue draws" and "tie-a-leaf" among them, and it is a country sweet with West African roots that is still made in St Elizabeth and Clarendon for Sunday afternoons and Emancipation Day. Grated sweet potato, cornmeal and coconut milk are spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, folded into banana leaves and boiled until they set into dense, moist, fudgy parcels. The usual mistake is tying the leaves loosely, so water gets in and the pudding turns soggy. Chef's tip: pass the leaves quickly over a flame first; they turn bright green, soft and won't split as you fold.

90 min

Jamaican Desserts

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Koryushka

When the ice breaks on the Neva in April and May, St Petersburg goes mad for koryushka, small silvery smelt that famously smell of fresh cucumber. Stalls sell them by the kilo, the city holds a smelt festival, and every cafe fries them by the plateful. Dusted in flour and fried in hot sunflower oil, they come out golden and crunchy outside, sweet and tender inside, eaten with fingers, soft bones and all, with lemon and boiled potatoes with dill. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and leaves the fish soggy; fry in small batches. Fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily from the backbone. Frozen smelt or sprats work out of season. Chef's tip: rye flour gives a darker, nuttier crust, a favourite in Petersburg homes.

25 min

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Stroganina

Out on the frozen rivers of Yakutia, where winter drops below minus forty, fish are pulled from the ice, freeze solid in minutes and are shaved into long curls with a sharp knife and eaten at once with coarse salt and pepper. The shavings melt on the tongue, sweet and rich, and are served at celebrations with a dip of salt mixed with black pepper and sometimes chopped raw onion. This is raw fish, so the home version must be made safely: buy sushi-grade whitefish, nelma, trout or salmon from a fishmonger and freeze it at −20 °C for at least 7 days before using, then shave it while still frozen hard. Even so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. A common mistake is letting it thaw on the plate: soft stroganina is slimy, not silky. Chef's tip: chill the plate and the knife in the freezer too.

15 min