You've been cooking pelmeni wrong: A gourmet secret for Arkhangelsk

It might seem that there«s nothing easier than boiling pelmeni (Russian dumplings). Instructions are on every package; you just need to follow them, and the rest is physics. But it turns out that this way you»ll just get a hot stew that might only work as a snack. To boil pelmeni correctly and make them truly delicious, one small trick comes in handy. Try it yourself and see.

Whether your pelmeni are homemade or store-bought isn«t so important. The main thing is that the ingredients are natural. Obviously, if you buy suspicious pelmeni with dubious composition, no cooking method will save them. So, maximum natural ingredients and no soy.

Once you have the pelmeni at home, put a pot of water on the stove (the classic ratio of water to pelmeni is one to three), bring to a boil, add salt to taste, peppercorns, bay leaf, and anything else you like.

To prevent the pelmeni from touching each other too closely during cooking, the pot should be low but wide. Otherwise, cracks will appear on the dough, the pelmeni will look unappealing, and you can forget about the broth inside them.

Add the pelmeni to the boiling water and stir slightly. And when they float up and the water boils again, pour in a glass of cold water. Here«s why this is needed:

• boiling control — the sudden temperature drop stops vigorous boiling, preventing the dough from tearing;

• shape preservation — the dough doesn«t overcook or stick together, keeping the pelmeni neat;

• filling juiciness — the mince cooks more gently, juices stay inside, making the pelmeni tastier;

• perfect texture — the dough becomes soft but elastic, not rubbery.

When the pelmeni boil again, cook them for another 2–4 minutes, take them out, and serve.

More About Food

Not everyone in Arkhangelsk Oblast can afford fish. In research by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), only 9% of respondents admitted to eating fish as a staple food.

We explained in a separate article why fish is so expensive. We also conducted a survey among residents of Arkhangelsk and asked what fish and how often they eat.

«Russia produces only 60–70% of its beef». Why residents of Arkhangelsk Oblast eat meat from South America.

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