Foreword

Indeed, there are many questions. And the further, the more. Take, for example, the speed of information dissemination. If, even some 100 - 150 years ago, say, due to a volcanic eruption or a sudden tsunami, entire islands could fall into tartars or the ocean depths, with a population of many thousands inhabiting them, and at the same time, we remained in absolute ignorance of the tragedy that has occurred, now, if in some deaf tribe located in the wilds of the Amazon, the leader inadvertently farts, then we become aware of this almost instantly.

Our world has shrunk to the limits of the “desktop” of the monitor. Before - keyboards. To which, by the way, sometimes, too lazy to even reach out! And, if in the distant past, equipping caravans on long journeys, our ancestors said goodbye to each other with tears in their eyes (“Only Allah knows - will we meet again, someday?”), Now, within a day, you can hit the opposite the end of the globe, and in other cases - also return the same day back.

It would seem that the advantages are obvious. And, nevertheless, the news columns of the Internet, the zombie box and other media are full of terrible headlines, intimidating the layman and forcing a person to protect himself from the rest of the world with his native walls. People, as never before, have become vulnerable and defenseless in the face of such manifestations of criminal activity as terrorism, violence, hostage-taking ... To the natural disasters that have become more frequent in recent decades, man-made accidents have been added. In addition, a split arose in society itself: both socially and racially. Serious concern is caused by certain politicians and religious figures, with their ill-conceived speeches and appeals, exacerbating an already difficult situation, thereby pushing the people to divide into “us” and “them”. On the one hand, “freedom” is increasingly understood as permissiveness, while the concept of “responsibility” is understood both by those in power and by common people- leveling out, it fades away more and more and turns into something vague and ephemeral.

All this taken together cannot but excite the people of my generation, who was born and raised in one of the mighty empires that once united many nations and nationalities. The same country, the legal successor of which, quite naturally, we see today's Russia. And, given the heterogeneity of the ethnic composition Russian Federation, I believe that the cohesion and solidarity of our state, to a large extent, will depend on how successfully the interethnic and interethnic problems facing us are resolved.

The question involuntarily arises: “How well do we know our own Motherland? Can, for example, any Russian boast that he is familiar with the epic of the northern peoples? Or - to please their compatriots living in Siberia or on Far East, knowledge of the history of this region? Is he able to explain how, say, Tatarstan differs from Bashkortostan? What are the customs and traditions of numerous peoples inhabiting the North Caucasus? But, we consider all this to be Russia. Moreover, one and indivisible.

Based on these considerations, I considered it possible for myself to try, through culinary topics, to acquaint the Russian reader with my own country. The reader, who, often, does not even realize in what rich (not only natural resources, but also in purely cultural terms) state he lives. Perhaps the cycle of works I propose, conventionally designated as “Russia through the eyes of Russians”, will allow him, by expanding his ideas about the diversity of cultures inhabiting his native homeland, in some way to rise above superficial clichés and clichés, and take a broader look at that land what we call home. Maybe this will help us understand and respect each other. And then, we will finally understand that we are all so different, but at the same time, we live in one big family, love our country equally passionately and wish only one thing - prosperity, prosperity, peace and prosperity!

Introduction

Finally, on one of the gloomy May days, a faint ray of hope highlighted a modest sign with the inscription "Amore", located on S-th lane, where I had to find my new job for almost a whole year. A small modern cozy cafe (for 30 - 35 seats), with a modest design, without any frills, conducive to a pleasant pastime, suited me quite well in all respects: tolerable kitchen, good equipment, quite decent capacity, close location from home, plus - lovely hostess. Here, we should stop and enlighten the reader in more detail, so that it becomes clear why, in fact, I started this topic, called “Ossetian pies”.

The hostess of the cafe turned out to be a very sweet and friendly woman, with delicate and graceful features, a wasp waist and graceful manners, so characteristic of oriental beauties. She had never encountered the restaurant business before, however, judging by her outward calmness and composure, it was felt that Zarina was determined to prove to others and, above all, to herself, that she was able to put this business on track. Running a little ahead, I have to report that this undertaking will not achieve the desired goal, in view of two main reasons: the first of which, to put it mildly, is the difficult conditions in which the state has placed the average entrepreneur, deliberately pushing, with its taxes, laws and a bunch of bureaucratic obstacles to to the latter being forced to violate them in every possible way. And secondly, Zarina simply turned out to be a decent person, which is very difficult to combine today with such a concept as “Russian business”. On the other hand, she learned a lot in this relatively short period, and most importantly, she understood who from her inner circle was really a true friend, and who, just for opportunistic reasons, sought to enlist her support. In a word, she received a good lesson in Life, which cannot be bought for any money.

By taking me to her job as a cook, she gave me complete freedom of action. Both in relation to the preparation of the menu, and in relation to the conduct of the production itself. Her only wish was the obligatory presence in the menu of certain dishes of Italian cuisine (all kinds of pastas) and, in addition, as the main "chip" that lures the visitor, my new hostess would like to see Ossetian pies. To which - I confess honestly - at the very beginning of my activity, I reacted rather coolly, if not skeptically: “Ba-a! Just think - pies ... And what is so special about them?

And, as I will soon have to see, I will be absolutely wrong!

However, before proceeding directly to the pies themselves, I will have to invite the reader to make a small historical digression in order to make it clear what a huge role traditions, customs and folklore play in the life of the Ossetian people. And what significance is attached to Ossetian pies in this context.

Where did the Ossetians come from

- And who are the "Alans"? - again, the surprised reader will ask me again.

Alans (lat. "Alani", "Halani", from Iranian "aryana" - "Aryan", "noble") - nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes of Scythian-Sarmatian origin, mentioned in written sources from the 1st century AD. e. - the time of their appearance in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia.

Just do not try to ask me “who are the Scythian-Sarmatians”, because, in this case, I will send you to the history textbook, and history should be loved and studied from childhood. At least that's what my parents taught me.

According to Wikipedia, in the Russian chronicles, the Alans were called the word "yasy". In the Nikon chronicle, under the year 1029, Prince Yaroslav's victorious campaign against the Yasses is reported.

In the Armenian chronicles, the Alans are called the word "wasps". The Armenian medieval geographical atlas Ashkharatsuyts describes several Alanian tribes, including the “Ash-Digor people of the Alans” and located east of the people ash-digor "Alans in the country of Ardoz of the Caucasus Mountains". It is believed that the first tribe is the ancestors of the Ossetian sub-ethnos of the Digorians, the second - the Irons.

In the Georgian chronicles, the Alans were always called "ovs" or "axes" - just like modern Ossetians.

The very name "Ossetians" came into the Russian language from Georgian in the 17th-18th centuries, when the first Ossetian-Russian contacts began. This name comes from the Georgian "Ovseti" - "land of ovs (Alans)" (borrowed from Wikipedia).

Traditions

In general, as I managed to draw attention to, almost all Ossetians are committed to the old patriarchal way of life, and therefore, to a certain extent, they were able to preserve their language, culture, religion, and traditions. The format of this genre does not allow me to embark on an eschatological digression, because just listing gods, spirits, etc. can take more than one page. However, to note the main and most remarkable, we, nevertheless, will not hurt. As noted just above, one of the main revered saints are St. George (Uastirdzhi), St. Ilya (Wacilla), to whom various worships are dedicated and songs and hymns are composed in their honor.

Along with traditional rituals and customs, great importance is given to the spiritual and moral education of the younger generation, which, it would seem, is quite a difficult task in an era of global mixing of cultures, total emancipation and fashion trends. But the fact remains. Remaining outwardly quite modern pretty guys and girls, young Ossetians are jealous of their culture, in particular - to the ethnographic component and folklore.

The degree of upbringing of a person in Ossetian society should be judged primarily by his attitude towards elders and the ability to behave in society. A noble and educated Ossetian is obliged to treat elders with piety and deep respect. In the presence of elders, the younger cannot sit, it is not supposed to interrupt the elder when talking, and in general, one should behave with restraint and correctness. And, of course, such qualities as modesty and modesty play an important role. The latter qualities mainly concern the weaker sex. Needless to say, one should not use foul language in the presence of elders and women. True, if we strictly follow the tradition, then women sit at a separate table (now, not everyone adheres to this rule.)

It is considered shameful to come to a feast or celebration without an invitation. The innate tact of the hosts will not allow, of course, to make a remark to the guest, however, in the eyes of others, this person will be clearly condemned. At the table, it is customary to observe subordination: a well-mannered young man will never sit “above” the elder. By the way, oh table etiquette. Or rather, about the hierarchy at the time of landing: everyone sits down where he is supposed to by rank. In any case, this is a very difficult science, which I have not been able to fully comprehend. But it's not even about me. The Ossetians themselves joke about this, recalling the well-known saying: “While the Ossetians were seated at the table, the mill grinded a whole sack of grain” (“Tsalynmae iraettae fyndzhy waelhuus badtysty, uaedmae kuyroy golladzhy dzag ryssydta”). This suggests that the people are not devoid of a sense of humor and in certain cases know how to laugh at themselves. From which we can confidently conclude that this is a very wise nation.

There are also known restrictions regarding food. So, let's say shameful is to eat a lot. You can't talk about gluttony at all. And in general, Ossetians have many proverbs and sayings on this subject. Here are just the most common ones: “Da gubuni fadbal matso” (“Do not follow your stomach”); “Hundi fazzo afsastai, da khadzarma ba artzo astongai” (Come to the dinner party full, and return home hungry)

To a person who is not familiar with Ossetian table etiquette, the presence of many unwritten rules and restrictions may seem strange and even redundant. But for an Ossetian, this is the norm, because it is part of his upbringing, culture, and life.

During a traditional feast, salt is put on the table first. If an animal (sheep, cow or bull) is slaughtered, then in the most honorable place (opposite the elder) a dish with boiled meat is placed - whole, with protruding ribs - and also, on a separate dish, carefully cleaned and boiled lamb head and neck (“sir eme berzey"). In addition, pies and Ossetian beer must be present on the table. Ossetian beer is rather peculiar in taste and very dark in color. According to legend, beer was invented by Shatana, the main character of the Nart epic. In addition to beer, on the Ossetian table there may be intoxicated rong, araka, braga, kvass. Nevertheless, it is not customary for Ossetians to get drunk to the “pig squeal”, because drunkenness is such a shame, worse than which there is nothing in the world.

The owners of the house pre-select a "histar" (not necessarily from among the gray-haired elders), who will play the role of the main manager and toastmaster until the end of the evening. When choosing such a candidate, great importance is attached to his ability to cope with a large amount of alcohol, and this - you will agree - not every horseman can handle.

First of all, a toast-prayer is pronounced. As a rule, the role of elders goes to three respectable and respected people in this environment. The one in the middle gets up first. To offer the first prayer to God and consecrate three ritual pies, he is usually poured Ossetian beer. In the left - he holds the shoulder part of the slaughtered animal ("bazyg"). Following him, as if on command, everyone stands up. The second of the elders has a glass in his right hand, and three ribs in his left. And - finally - the third, also, has a glass and in the other hand - a skewer with barbecue.

The “senior” pronounces the prayer loudly and clearly. Each line of the prayer is accompanied by a common unanimous exclamation: “Amen Khuytsau!” - which should be considered as a kind of support, and also - as praise to the Almighty. Then, after the prayer, one of the young people is obliged to symbolically bite off the edge of the top pie and take a cup of beer and a bazug from the hands of the elder. Next, the second elder gets up and also says a prayer, which is also accompanied by friendly exclamations. After that, a glass and three ribs are also transferred to one of the young. The same thing is repeated when it is the turn of the third senior.

Young people briefly thank and sip beer. After that, the glasses are refilled and transferred back to the hands of the elders. And the “bazyg” tends to walk in circles among the young, until one of the strong guys breaks it (without the use of foreign objects!). In this case, an additional cup is poured to the “hero” and the elders pronounce a health resort in his honor, praising his strength and courage.

Ossetians are a very proud and freedom-loving nation. The concept of "honor" for them is not an empty phrase. The offended Ossetian is obliged not in words, but in deeds to defend his honor. And therefore, it is not customary to scatter words at random, and if you said something superfluous, then be able to hold an answer for it.

Remaining the keeper of the hearth and enjoying a certain respect, a woman, however, should not interfere in a man's conversation. However, there are several beautiful customs when the intervention of a woman is not only appropriate, but also saves the day. For example, ancient tradition- immediately stop the fight if a woman throws her handkerchief between the fighting

IN traditional family, a man, as a rule, does not interfere in "purely women's affairs": that is, he considers it above his dignity to cook, wash floors, wash, lisp with children. You can, of course, look at it differently, but, as they say, “you can’t throw words out of a song” - that is, that is. Moreover, as one of the older people told me, there is a fairly common story on this subject, revealing the attitude of a man to the concept of “aegdau” (code of honor). The young man, talking with the elder, suddenly drew attention to the fact that his unintelligent child was about to roll into the precipice. Without interrupting the conversation, the young man imperceptibly stepped on the hem of a child's shirt and continued to stand like that until he heard to the end. That is, he could not step over the “aegdau” in order to humiliate himself and take the child in his arms with the elder.

In a word, a man in an Ossetian family is the main breadwinner, while inside the house and in the kitchen the wife is the main commander. Well, since we have returned to the kitchen again, we will continue talking about Ossetian pies with you.

What do pies mean for Ossetians

For many centuries, traditional table Ossetians decorated pies. Without exaggeration, we can say that Ossetian pies are a kind of visiting card of this hospitable Republic. If it were my will, I would not hesitate to place them on the coat of arms of Ossetia, after all, almost no event can do without these divine pies. Here, however, there are special subtleties and nuances. So, it is traditionally customary to serve three pies on the table, symbolizing, as it were, the three main elements - sky, water and earth. However, on the Internet, I managed to find out that everyone has their own opinion on this matter: for example, some call it “zahh”, which means the Earth, “khur” - the Sun and “khuytsau”, which means God in Ossetian, others - imply the "vertical" - the aboveground world, the earth and the underground tar-tar, others - in some other way. However, I believe that the general meaning is clear. At the commemoration, they are limited to only two pies. During large celebrations and holidays, several plates are laid out with three pies on each (on days of mourning - two). Before saying the first prayer, the pies should be moved apart a little so that it can be seen that there are three of them. At the wake, respectively - two. Mandatory dish Ossetian table is also boiled beef. Moreover, it is cooked in a whole piece. It is chopped from the vertebral part of beef, with three (at mourning events - two) ribs sticking out of it.

However, back to our pies. Most often, as a rule, the shape of the pies is round (about 35 cm in diameter), although, during religious rites, triangular shapes can also be found. If there are many guests, then for every 5-6 people, one dish with three pies is supposed.

The eldest of those present say a prayer to the glory of the Almighty and all the saints, after which the pies are considered consecrated (“Arta Kardzyny barstkuyvd uat!”). And only now you can start eating: before the prayer is said, no one has the right to taste or drink anything.

Each hostess bakes in her own way, making sure that the pies come out not only beautiful and tasty, but also - what is essential - thin. Thick pies testify only to the inexperience of the hostess. No, no one will criticize you (God forbid!) - the Ossetians in sufficient a sense of delicacy is developed - however, they will not apply a “tick” to their note.

In addition, it should be noted about the filling, which is felt in the Ossetian pie as soon as you decide to try it. When I first saw how much stuffing my mistress puts in a pie, I almost had enough “kondraty”: I got used to market pies “with meat”, in which best case you can only find onions, I could not believe my eyes, drawing attention to the fact that in Ossetian pies the filling is put no less than the dough itself! My feeble attempt - to make a remark and try to suggest that even "half" of the filling would be quite enough - aroused sincere bewilderment in Zarina, from which I concluded that with such a business, we would not last long. Although, frankly speaking, on the other hand, I was glad to note to myself that traditions and reputation are more important for my headmistress and higher than any profit.

That is why, Ossetian pies have an amazing property - it is impossible to get enough of them and they never get bored, because they are very tender, juicy and tasty. Especially when they just come out of the oven and are richly lubricated. ghee. And the first rule Ossetian pies– eat them exclusively hot. Although, in truth, in a cold form, I did not catch a huge difference.

"Why are they so remarkable?" I wondered about this incredible phenomenon, looking at their relative ease of preparation. And soon I realized: their secret lies not only in the filling (which, of course, in itself, requires a separate chapter), but, above all, in the dough itself. And in order to find out what this dough is, I invite the reader to read the next chapter.

Dough

In order to avoid unnecessary disputes and misunderstandings, I immediately have to warn that a single classic version there is no test: each housewife kneads her own version of the test. The one that is passed from generation to generation through grandmothers and great-grandmothers to their daughters and granddaughters. This is quite clear and understandable: family recipes, as well as traditions are revered sacred. However, if you believe some historians and local historians, then in the old days they did without yeast. Moreover, having climbed the Internet space, I was pleased to find a lot of the most controversial recipes on how to properly knead the dough. And that gave me a reason to go my own way.

The main thing that I clearly learned for myself is the consistency of the dough: it should be quite liquid and at the same time light and airy. In a word, the way a graceful Caucasian beauty seems to me. Therefore, I believe that they will not kill me if I bring to your attention my recipe, which, in the end, differs very little from everything else that numerous housewives describe. Moreover, I will not hide: I am driven by a single desire - to promote in every possible way and spread throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation such a wonderful phenomenon as Ossetian pies. So, what ingredients and in what quantity do we need for cooking three pies?

Premium flour - 800 g
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Butter - 150 g
- Sour cream - 250 g
- Water - 250 ml
- Vegetable oil - 50 ml
- Yeast - 20 g
- Granulated sugar - 1 tsp.

As you can see, there is nothing unusual at first glance. And, nevertheless, a certain skill and skill in this matter are necessary. Especially when we proceed directly to the stage associated with the formation of individual blanks and the subsequent laying of the filling in future pies. But this is still far away, and therefore, let's start with the usual.

First of all, you need to mix the yeast with sugar in a cup, dilute it with warm (30 C) water (100 ml) and put it in a relatively warm place. While the yeast is slowly rising to itself, forming a kind of foam on the surface of the cup, you should melt the butter and pour it into a capacious (3 - 4 l) plastic or enamel bowl. Drive in one egg (better - the yolk), mix the contents well and add the sifted flour.

In a separate deep bowl, mix 20% sour cream with warm water(you can simply pour water into an empty bag of sour cream, rinse and empty the contents). Then, carefully pour the yeast onto the flour, mix it slightly with it (it is desirable that the yeast at first does not mix with the one at the bottom butter). After that, you can carefully pour in the contents of the bowl (sour cream and water), while intensively kneading the dough. The dough should remain quite liquid and this is normal. At the end of the kneading (after about a minute), pour in the vegetable oil, without stopping the kneading process. Gradually, you can notice how the dough begins to lag behind the hands, as well as from the walls of the basin, becoming pliable and elastic.

Now, it remains to cover the bowl with the dough with a piece of oilcloth or food polyethylene (only, not quite tightly!) And set aside somewhere in a relatively warm place. It remains only to wait until the dough fits and more than doubles in mass. As a rule, in time, this will take about an hour. Not the last role in this matter is played by the quality of the yeast itself.

If the dough has already come up, and you are not ready to bake pies (early, guests will not appear soon, etc.), then just knead the dough well and, having covered it, put it in the refrigerator - it can easily be there for 3 - 4 hours or more. However, it is better, of course, to bake pies as soon as the dough is ready. But, first, we must talk a little about the filling, the almost obligatory ingredient of which is Ossetian cheese. This is the subject of the next chapter.

Cheese is the head of everything!

"Suluguni" comes from Ossetian language(Digor dialect): “Sulu” (serum) and “gun” (made from), that is, “made from whey” (V.I. Abaev. Historical and etymological dictionary of the Ossetian language. Volume III. C.197.).

Many people know what "Adyghe" cheese and "Suluguni" are: in almost any supermarket (and in conventional stores) are easy to obtain. However, just in case, I post a photo.

In our case, you will need: 250 grams of "Adyghe" and a pound of Suluguni cheese, which will need to be grated or passed through a special "meat grinder" designed for cheese. Moreover, "Adyghe" cheese should be grated on a coarse grater, and "Suluguni" - only on a fine one. After that, mix both types of cheese, put in an appropriate container and set aside in the refrigerator.

toppings

Do not be alarmed: I have given only a list of those products that are necessary for the preparation of traditional Ossetian pies, with various fillings. Naturally, you can limit yourself to one or two ingredients. But, since we decided to give ourselves to our heart's content Ossetian cuisine, then first of all, we should thoroughly understand for ourselves how the “classic” filling is prepared. And we'll start with the usual onion.

What? You don't like onions? Calm down: I tell you quite responsibly - you will love onions! Moreover, at the “exit”, you will practically not feel it, since it gently dissolves in its “brothers” ingredients. This is all the more surprising since there are a lot of onions. But the whole trick is that it should be fried in huge number vegetable oil. The usual passivation does not “roll” here. I repeat, the whole "focus" - precisely - in in large numbers oils: chopped onion is simply buried in the "sea" of oil, frying over medium heat until completely languishing. Moreover, used butter is also an ideal addition to various fillings, since it is sweetened with fried onions and acquires a unique taste and aroma.

So, we should firmly remember that fried onions are one of the main basic elements of many fillings, and therefore, I suggest preparing them for future use. To do this, take a large deep frying pan (you can, a patch or a cauldron), pour about a liter of refined sunflower oil, heats up, and only then a kilogram of finely chopped (possibly in half rings) onions is thrown there. The whole thing, you should periodically stir with a wooden spatula or an ordinary tablespoon, until the time when the onion is covered with a beautiful delicate color and completely fades. I think that in time it will take no more than 10 - 15 minutes. No spices or salt! At the end of frying, you can simply move the pan to the side and allow the contents to cool. The finished onion is transferred to a convenient container or container, and it is not filtered, but always with a decent amount of the oil in which it was fried. This is also important! As a result, little oil remains in the pan. It also (as I said above) must be poured into an appropriate container and covered with a lid: in the future we will still need it.

The next important basic element is a mixture consisting of finely chopped: hot chili peppers, raw onions and garlic. As you probably guessed, this "nuclear" mixture is also an indispensable addition to certain types fillings, having an amazing property - to get right up to the well ... belly. In general, you will be waist-deep ... As a rule, it is added mainly to the meat filling. Although, not only…

To create this "bomb" is not difficult. To do this, you need to purchase a dozen pods of hot pepper (no matter red or green), good large head fresh garlic and a couple of small onions. Peel the onion and garlic, and cut off the stalk of the pepper. After that, chop all the ingredients very finely (preferably by hand!) And combine them together. It remains, just a little salt, pepper (ground black pepper), mix, put in a container of appropriate size, tightly close the lid and put in the refrigerator for a while.

Well, it’s more appropriate to talk about the main fillings themselves when we start a specific recipe, which, in fact, I propose to do by inviting you to the most common recipe, which is called “Ualibach”.

Walibach (cheese pie)

a) The dough has risen;
b) Cheeses are grated;
c) Milk and cream - nearby;
c) Oven in the "maximum" position;
d) Frying pans ... Oh!

Here it is necessary to stop a little. The fact is that when writing my works, I always tried to be strictly guided by one important - in my opinion - consideration, namely: to simplify and alleviate the conditions for the Russian hostess as much as possible so that, without resorting to special equipment, she would be able to cook something or otherwise original dish at home. At the same time, trying to preserve, at the same time, the "classic" appearance and quality of the finished product. It is clear that in this case, you have to be content with what is literally at hand. And, as you know, a real housewife always has a frying pan at hand: a universal tool that allows you to set up dinner and ... heat a husband who has been late late, well, and ... you never know what for. So, in our case, also, an ordinary frying pan will take on the role of a universal dish in which we will bake pies. Moreover, it is desirable to have several of them and of different diameters. Ideally, one that has a diameter of at least 35 centimeters is suitable. A frying pan does not have to be cast iron: it will fit perfectly with an admixture of alloys, but it must be quite heavy and inspiring respect (Schaub, somehow hit it, on occasion ... and it didn’t seem a little.)

Apart from regular frying pan, you should also purchase the so-called light frying pan with corrugated sides. In fact (to be completely honest), you can do without corrugated, which I am going to prove in practice by allocating a couple of hours for this business. The diameter of my frying pan was no more than 25 centimeters. I think nothing bad will happen if my pies end up (in circumference) 10 cm less than the "classic" provided. The main thing is that they turn out to be as soft, tender and thin as my mistress's.

For these purposes, I also prepared everything in advance necessary products, and now I'm getting down to business with you, rolling up my sleeves. First, get the grated cheese. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, "Adyghe" cheese should be passed through a coarse grater, and "Suluguni" through a fine one. Dough and filling should be in equal proportions. In my case (based on the diameter of the pan), for 200 g of dough, I take 200 g of cheese. I add a little milk to the cheese (no more than 30 g), a little salt and carefully knead the mass with my hands until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Putting the filling aside, we turn on the oven at full power, after which we proceed to the test.

In order to batter did not stick to the hands, the latter must be soaked under a stream of warm water, with a confident movement, scoop (by eye) the required amount of dough and throw it on a table dusted with flour in advance. We cover the basin with the main dough with a film and return to our workpiece. It should be sprinkled with a little flour on top and slightly crushed, turning it into a kind of plump cake. I repeat, in my case, the diameter is 15 cm, and the thickness is just over one centimeter.

Then, carefully place the prepared filling on the center of the circle (in a small pile) so that the “cakes” remain free from the edge. Now, we just have to pick up the edges of the dough up (like a frill) and connect them in the center. Pour a little flour again and gently begin to press down the semi-finished product, gently flattening with the help of your palms, from the center to the edges. This should be done very gently, making sure that (God forbid!) the filling does not come out. You can flip the semi-finished product to the other side and continue this process again. It will take less than a minute in time.

After that, it is necessary to pick up the “cake” from below with a confident movement and transfer it to a preheated pan, put it there, continuing to gently flatten it (from the center to the edges). When the diameter of the semi-finished product is equal to the diameter of the pan, make a small hole in the center of the pie with your index finger, exposing the filling and - finally - send the pan to the oven preheated to 240 C, first placing it on the very bottom. This is necessary in order to grab the bottom and form a crust.

In the meantime, you can start preparing the next piece. While you are again fiddling with the next portion of the dough, stuffing, etc., just 8-10 minutes will pass. Having laid the next "cake" in the second pan, look into the oven. Move the lower pan to the very top, and push the next workpiece into the vacant place. After another 10 minutes, check again. If the cake is slightly covered with a ruddy color, then the pan can be removed.

In conclusion, it remains only to generously grease the cake with melted butter and carefully throw it from the pan onto a baking sheet or cutting board in order to allow it to cool slightly. The finished pie is usually cut into 6 or 8 pieces (like pizza). You can use a special “wheel”, or you can use the usual one without show off sharp knife.

Kabushkajin (cabbage pie)

As an honest person, I have to admit: since I have never had to cook Ossetian pies at home before, I worry no less than you. And therefore, along the way I will give myself assessments and accompany with objective comments.

So, with “Ualibach” I had a small puncture: instead of the prescribed 200 g of dough, I scooped it up a quarter more, and therefore, I got a somewhat thick pie at the exit. Having given myself a well-deserved "three", I only thought with relief: "It's good that Zarina does not see this - I would have pierced it with a dagger on the spot."

However, nothing can be done: I will study and correct with you. Therefore, in view of the above, I will try to approach the next pie more responsibly. Please note that the thickness of the finished Ossetian pie, ideally, should not exceed 13 - 15 millimeters. Thick pies are also tasty, but less aesthetically pleasing, as they do not meet classical standards.

So, let's start baking the next pie, with a very cute name "Kabushkadzhyn", which is almost consonant with the Russian word "cabbage". Since we don’t have any problems with the dough (after all, we kneaded it in advance for the future), we’ll go straight to the filling.

In general, you should prepare the fillings in advance: in this case, you will save much more time. Cabbage should be finely chopped (you can chop it across in several places) and fry in a small amount of oil over medium heat (for 15 minutes). Allow the filling to cool. After that, set aside 150 g for our purposes in a separate bowl, add 30 grams of fried onions, the same amount of cheese, just a little bit of salt, black pepper and knead it all thoroughly. Everything - the filling is ready for us.

The further process is clear to us: everything happens almost exactly the same as in the previous recipe. That is, we wet our hands under the tap, scoop 200 g of dough from a bowl, crush it into a “cake”, lower the filling into the center, collect the edges of the dough to the center, pinch it, then gently flatten it with our palms, turn it over, crush it again. Then, transfer it carefully to a preheated pan, straighten it, make a hole in the middle so that the dough does not swell, and stuff it into the oven: first (for 10 minutes) to the very bottom, so that the bottom of the cake grabs, and then to the very top (Also, about 10-12 minutes).

As you can see, there is nothing out of the ordinary. There are several variations on the theme of cabbage. Some, for example, prefer to grate raw cabbage on a coarse grater (instead of chopping), others like to add greens to the filling, green onion, hard-boiled eggs and so on, others prefer to lay the raw filling (that is, without prior stewing). Of course - here, as they say, the master is the master. The main thing is that at the exit the pies turn out to be ruddy, beautiful and thin. And don't forget to brush generously with butter on top. This is also a prerequisite for Ossetian pies.

Nasjin (pumpkin pie)

I think it’s completely unnecessary to talk about how pumpkin is useful for our body: this is already obvious. The Ossetians knew about this no worse than you and me, which proves next recipe. So let's get to the stuffing.

Remember the old Jewish joke: "... You, of course, will laugh, but Sarah also died." So, you will laugh, but I, nevertheless, have to describe the process of making pumpkin filling.

In our case, to prepare one pie, it is enough to cut off a piece of 200 grams, peel and grate: half on a small one, and the rest on a large one. Add 40 grams of fried onion, a little salt, just a little bit of sugar and mix it all. That, in fact, is the whole filling for Nasjin!

The whole further process takes place similarly to the previous recipes, so there is no need to repeat. The hardest part is, as you probably guessed, handling the dough. It is very soft and "sticky". However, after some training, it is not difficult to “tame” it. I agree: a certain skill and skill is required so that the dough does not disperse and the filling does not leak from the outside or from the sides. If, in the process of crushing the semi-finished product, this nevertheless happened to you, do not be discouraged: try to patch this place small piece additional dough and sprinkle with flour. Otherwise, during baking, through the resulting crack, the filling will (under the influence of high temperature) flow out and, accordingly, burn and smoke, which will adversely affect the final result.

Finally, let me remind you that at first, the pan with the pie should be placed on the very bottom, and only after some time - on the very top. The specific baking time is a very relative thing, because it depends on many factors, such as: the size of the pies, the power of the burners, the quality of the dough, the composition of the metal alloy from which the pan itself is made, and much more. In this regard, the most faithful and reliable "tool" is only the eye. Well, when, as they say, you fill your hand and eye, then the need for me will disappear by itself.

Kartofjin (potato pie)

For all the time of my work (and this is at least eight months), I do not remember a single day that Zarina's friends or acquaintances did not drop in on us. From this, however, one should not at all conclude that Ossetians communicate exclusively with their countrymen. Moreover, the geography of acquaintances of my hostess is quite extensive: Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Uzbeks, Tajiks ... Yes, take, at least, me. IN a short time, I became so close with many friends that every time I was almost torn off from the kitchen, inviting me to my table. And only through incredible excuses, and also thanks to my mistress, who respects labor discipline, did I stay at my workplace.

It is no secret that Ossetians are very hospitable. At the same time, they are completely unpretentious in food, which is reflected in many proverbs and sayings of this amazing people. For example, more than once I had to witness how the most ordinary fried potatoes became the main dish of a modest Ossetian table. It would seem, what could be more prosaic than this simple vegetable. And, oddly enough, even such a dish looked quite original when it was served with tsakhton sauce, which is based on leaves. hot pepper. Especially when it is dressed according to all the rules: with garlic, herbs, spices and a lot of sour cream. It is impossible to convey this taste, since it can only be understood by tasting it.

It is clear that almost no visit of friends was complete without tasting traditional pies. And one of the most common, of course, was kartofjin. The name itself, I believe, does not require translation. The most amazing thing is that, along with potatoes, cheese is also necessarily put in the filling, which makes the taste of this pie unique. Try it and I'm sure you won't regret it.

As the famous Cambodian proverb says, "It is better to see once than hear a hundred times." That is why, for greater clarity, I have mounted a short video showing the main stages of preparing an Ossetian pie, which I present to the reader as an auxiliary visual aid. Looking at the truly golden hands of my hostess, hardly anyone will be able to resist the temptation to personally take an active part in this delightful and bewitching performance called “Ossetian pies”. And try to tell me later “it didn’t work out” - I won’t believe it!

Fyjin (meat pie)

From my observations I deduced one interesting fact: if the girls could well be content with pies with spinach, pumpkin, beet leaves and potato puree, then the representatives of the stronger sex preferred exclusively fydzhyn, that is, a meat pie. And this, in general, is understandable - a man cannot do without meat: you need to gain strength, pump up biceps. And there is no way without proteins and protein. For what kind of horseman are you if you cannot protect your girlfriend?

And Ossetian meat pies, by the way, are noticeably different from other other pies in that they have an amazing property to keep juicy meat inside. hot stuffing along with the broth. It's just amazing: you just have to take a bite of fydzhyn, as you are surrounded by a crazy aroma, and already in the next second, you are vainly trying to reconcile two feelings - the understanding that you should wait until it cools down a bit and - the inability to resist enveloping you from all sides awesome smells of baked dough, crumbly minced meat and teasing broth that is about to flow out of the pie now, bypassing your mouth. I’ll tell you honestly: the famous “buridan donkey” of the French fabulist is clearly “resting” here ... Here, most likely, it is more appropriate to recall our grandfather Krylov: “And Vaska listens and eats.”

However, it's time to go directly to the recipe itself.
At first, my participation in pies was limited to frying onions, grating cheese, peeling hot peppers and garlic. As meat, my mistress bought ready-made "homemade" minced meat. Until ... Until, one day, I did not pay attention to how I finely (by hand) cut the meat into "manti".

At that very moment, Zarina had an insight.
- And let's, as an experiment, try to cut the meat into fidzhyn by hand? she pointed out tactfully.

I have always been bribed by polite and delicate people. You noticed that Zarina did not order, did not force (although she had every right), but simply suggested: "let's try to cut." That is, as it were, “let's do it together” ... Well, how can one resist here: here any heart is ready to melt.

When, fifteen minutes later, enthusiastic cries and numerous words of gratitude from regular visitors reached me from the hall, I sadly stated to myself that the “experiment” would not end very soon ...

Most often, fydzhyn is cooked in special frying pans with corrugated sides. First, the “base” of the pie is rolled out (1.5–2 mm thick), which is transferred to the pan, covering not only the bottom, but also the sides, and even hanging a little along the edges. Then the filling is laid, after which, all this is covered with a second (more thinly rolled) “pancake”. The edges are cut off “automatically”, you just need to put a long and even rolling pin on top (on the pan) and roll it back and forth several times. The excess is sent to the bowl with the main dough, and the glued edges should be additionally (for reliability) pinched with your hands so that the minced meat with the broth does not leak out during baking.

The filling is prepared as follows. Meat is finely chopped by hand (we used pork - neck), then a “nuclear mixture” is added, consisting of chili peppers, garlic and finely chopped onions, seasoned to taste with spices, salt, and be sure to pour a little broth into the minced meat or just, water. Everything is thoroughly mixed and laid out on the bottom layer of dough.

However, if you do not want to bother with corrugated pans, you can completely bake on a regular one. That is, exactly the same as in the previous recipes. I agree: in the external design, of course, we will lose a little, but you can be calm about the taste!

Tsakharajyn (beetroot pie)

And in fact, admit it: well, which of us, looking at ordinary beet tops, could come up with the idea that it can not only be used for food, but also considered as a kind of delicacy? To be honest, I personally did not have to think about this until the very time when I began to work in this wonderful cafe, under the guidance of my amazing hostess, thanks to communication with whom, my culinary, geographical and ethnographic knowledge gradually began to expand, the day after day.

At the very beginning of our joint activities, I shocked Zarina a lot when, having easily sorted out the vegetables brought by my manager from the market, I almost threw a bag of beet tops into the trash can. In the next second, a scream echoed through the kitchen, making me believe that the "end of the world" and "doomsday" were not the invention of gullible theologians. In any case, since then, I have treated beet leaves with no less awe and reverence than the root crops themselves, which we are used to eating.

And in general, over time, I noticed that I begin to catch myself thinking that an all-seeing eye is vigilantly watching any of my actions, not allowing me to relax for a second. All my so-called professionalism and a quarter of a century of experience in reputable restaurants in St. Petersburg did not matter to Zarina. “I don't care how it is in your restaurants - here it will be as the tradition and centuries-old experience of my ancestors require,” was clearly read in her worried look. And you know: I soon respected and appreciated her for it. Because, in fact, no most perfect and sophisticated unit is able to put human warmth and soul into the created dish, which, in the end, distinguishes this work. culinary arts from ordinary stamping. And human hands in this process are not the last.

That's why, I love and special attention I was fascinated by the skillful hands of my mistress, absorbing her priceless lessons like a sponge. Not only culinary, but also life lessons.

– Guess: why does everyone like Tsakharadzhyn pies so much? - the hostess examines me.
- Because they can be cooked only in early spring, when juicy young tops bloom, which, in fact, is suitable as a filling for making real Ossetian pies. - I guess, and noticeably blush like a first grader, from overflowing pride for a correctly learned lesson.

However, it is not so easy to get a positive assessment from a strict and restrained hostess: you need to perfectly study the numerous nuances and little tricks that lie in the process of baking traditional pies, and therefore, diligently sticking out the tip of my tongue, I repeat after the teacher in strict sequence all her movement. Finally, they trust me to chop the beet tops. But, first it must be washed under the tap and left in cold running water for 20 to 30 minutes. Only now, when the tops are perfectly washed and dried, you can start cutting. There is nothing complicated here. Shredded beet leaves should be scattered in portions in bags and put in the freezer. This is if there is a lot of it. It is clear that it is best to use fresh tops.

A little cheese, cream (or milk), salt is added to the filling and everything is thoroughly mixed. Well, in the future, the whole process takes place similarly to the one that can be viewed on the video clip posted on the page dedicated to Kartofjin. So, be bold!

Pypyshdzhyn (pie with nettles and herbs)

What we have been preparing up to this point can be called common Ossetian pies, meaning the traditional filling, which, first of all, should include such names as “Ualibakh” (with cheese), “Kartofdzhyn” (with potatoes and cheese), "Fydzhyn" (with meat), "Nasdzhyn" (with pumpkin), "Kabushkadzhyn" (with cabbage and cheese), "Hadurdzhyn" (with beans), "Tsaharadzhyn" (with beet leaves).

However, as you probably already guessed, the richness and variety of Ossetian pies is precisely what pushes human imagination to the most incredible experiments. And this, as I see it, is another of their attractive qualities, namely, democracy. That is, it - this quality - reconciles almost everyone, from the most capricious and demanding aesthetes from cooking to that very unfortunate old woman from Uryupinsk, in whose garden only nettles, sorrel and green grass grow. And this - you will agree - is exactly what our society today lacks.

By the way, as I managed to find out from my mistress, pies stuffed with nettles are not something unusual for the Ossetians themselves. According to Zarina, her grandmother often made such pies, and this suggests that our ancestors knew a lot about the positive properties of nettles, and not only. True, only early young shoots of nettle, which are harvested in the spring, are suitable for these purposes. They are scalded with boiling water, wiped with a dry napkin or towel, finely chopped, mixed with cheese, with a small amount of cream and, like Tsakharajyn, they are seasoned into a pie.

It is not difficult to guess that with the same success you can use (instead of nettle) leaves of spinach, sorrel, and so on. For example, I happened to try a pie, where an ordinary bag of frozen spinach was used as a filling, which is sold in any supermarket. Naturally, you should first defrost the “balls” of spinach and slightly squeeze out some of the moisture that inevitably comes out during defrosting. Further, everything goes according to the scenario you know: finely chopped, a certain amount of chopped green onions is added, a little grated cheese, salt (if desired, you can add greens) and - so necessary in the spring, the vitamin filling is ready!

In a word, I gave only a certain impetus to fantasies. housewife. Well, then, I believe, she will already cope without me. On this I take my leave, imperceptibly and silently evaporating from your kitchen.

Golib Saidov