Russian Kurnik Recipe
The kurnik is thought to have originated in southern Russia among Cossack communities and was traditionally served as a wedding dish, or wedding pirog, in other regions of Russia. Also known as wedding pirog or tsar pirog, the kurnik is a savory pie typically filled with a mixture of chicken, onions, eggs, rice or kasha, and other optional ingredients. In some variations, it is even filled with boiled rooster combs.
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Pastry:
- Cold unsalted butter (cut into chunks) – 1/2 cup
- Cold cream cheese – 1/2 cup
- All-purpose flour – 1 cup
For the Chicken Pie Filling:
- Water (or chicken broth) – 2 cups
- Rice (rinsed) – 1 cup
- Large onions (thinly sliced) – 2
- Mushrooms (sliced) – 8 oz.
- Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp
- Half-and-half – 1 cup
- Cornstarch – 1 tbsp
- Chicken broth – 1 cup
- Diced cooked chicken – 3 cups
- Chopped parsley – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Hard-boiled eggs (finely chopped) – 4
- Chopped dill – 1 tbsp
For the Egg Wash:
- Egg yolk – 1
- Water – 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the pastry. Add all the ingredients to the work bowl with the help of the steel blade of a food processor.
- Process until the dough shapes into a ball. This may take around 18 to 20 seconds. It is not important to chill the dough later.
- Once done, lightly dust a work surface with flour. Now, roll the prepared dough on the floured counter so it matches the dimensions of the pan you are about to cover, in addition to the 2 inches on every side.
- It’s time to prepare the filing now. Begin by taking a medium saucepan, adding 2 cups of water or chicken broth to it, and bringing it to a boil. Make sure to add salt if you are using water.
- Wash and drain the rice and add it to the saucepan. Again, bring the ingredients to a boil. Now, lessen the heat and allow it to simmer for about 25 minutes. Remember to cover the pan and let it cook until all the liquid has been soaked up and the rice is soft.
- Remove the lid, check with a fork, and get the saucepan off the heat.
- In the meantime, take a large skillet and add 2 tablespoons of butter to it. Melt it and add mushrooms and onions. Sauté onions until they are slightly caramelized.
- Next, add cornstarch to the half-and-half and stir the prepared mixture into the skillet with the onions and mushrooms. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Keep in mind to keep stirring continuously. Lower the flame and simmer for about 1 minute.
- Throw in parsley, chicken, pepper, and salt, and combine properly. Take the skillet off the heat.
- Take a medium bowl, combine the dill with the hard-cooked eggs, and keep it aside.
- It’s finally time to assemble the dish.
- Heat the oven to 400 F.
- Take an ungreased pan and layer the bottom surface with 1/3 of the cooked rice. Then spread 1/2 of the chicken combination and 1/2 of the egg-dill combination. Layer with another 1/3 of the rice, the remaining chicken assortment, and the remaining egg-dill combination. Spread the leftover rice on top.
- Top it with a rolled-out pastry crust. Twist the ends of drooping pastry to the inside. Now, take a small bowl and add water and egg yolk to it. Beat the egg yolk and brush the pastry with the prepared egg wash.
- Now, take a fork and, with its back, make crisscross marks everywhere on the pastry. Cut a little in the middle for an air vent.
- It’s time to bake the pastry for 30 minutes. Once prepared, take it out of the oven and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 24gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 260mgSodium: 623mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g
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