Rasstegai

Rasstegai (Open-Topped Russian Fish Pies)

Rasstegai are small, open-topped yeast pies from old Russian cuisine, traditionally filled with rice, hard-boiled egg, and a generous piece of fresh fish - most often salmon or sturgeon - baked until the dough is golden and the filling is set in its own rich juices.

Prep

35 min

Cook

30 min

Total

65 min

Serves

8 small pies

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) plain wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
• •7 g (1 packet) instant dried yeast, or 25 g fresh yeast
• •120 ml (½ cup) warm milk, around 38 °C / 100 °F
• •60 ml (¼ cup) warm water, around 38 °C / 100 °F
• •1 whole (1 large) egg, for the dough
• •40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to brush
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine salt
• •15 g (1 tbsp) caster sugar
• •150 g (5¼ oz) short-grain white rice
• •2 whole (2 large) eggs, hard-boiled, finely chopped
• •15 g (2 tbsp) fresh dill, finely chopped
• •15 g (1 tbsp) spring onion, finely chopped (optional)
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine salt, for the filling
• •1 g (a pinch) freshly ground black pepper
• •400 g (14 oz) salmon fillet, skinless and pin-boned, cut into 8 equal cubes; traditionally sturgeon or freshwater whitefish is used, but salmon is the most accessible home substitute

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: whisk the warm milk and water with the yeast and sugar in a large bowl and leave for 5–10 minutes until foamy. Stir in the egg, softened butter and salt, then add the flour and bring together into a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, or until roughly doubled in size.
2. 2 While the dough rises, cook the rice in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until just tender (about 10 minutes), then drain and cool slightly. Hard-boil the 2 filling eggs for 9 minutes from cold, refresh in cold water, peel and chop finely. Combine the cooled rice, chopped egg, dill and spring onion in a bowl, season with the salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. 3 Punch down the dough, divide into 8 equal pieces (about 60 g each) and roll each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into an oval about 12–14 cm long and 4–5 mm thick.
4. 4 Shape the pies: place a heaped tablespoon of the rice filling in the centre of each oval. Press a single cube of raw salmon into the rice so it sits half-exposed on top. Bring the long edges of the dough up around the filling, pinching them together at both ends to form a little open boat, leaving the salmon and rice clearly visible in the centre. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray.
5. 5 Leave the shaped pies to rest for 15 minutes so the dough puffs slightly. Brush the exposed dough edges with a little melted butter.
6. 6 Bake in a preheated oven at 190 °C / 375 °F (fan 170 °C) for 25–30 minutes, until the dough is deep golden and the salmon is just cooked through - the fish should flake easily and reach an internal temperature of 63 °C / 145 °F. If the dough edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
7. 7 Brush the hot pies with more melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven, then cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm, ideally with a clear fish or mushroom broth spooned into the open centre at the table, or simply with a little soured cream.