Yugra New Year recipes: Olivier, nelma, and taiga treats

With less than a week until New Year«s, it»s time to think about what will adorn the holiday table. Perhaps something unusual? For those tired of classic Olivier salad and caviar sandwiches, we«re sharing a selection of recipes with Yugra flavor.

Meat Main Course. Beef with Taiga Berry Sauce

A lingonberry-cranberry sauce is the perfect companion for meat. It gives the dish both sweetness and tartness. Of course, in an authentic Yugra recipe, you«d expect to see reindeer or elk meat. But we understand that such meat is hard to come by, so we»re using beef, and the taiga berries will provide the Yugra character.

For the main dish we will need:

• beef (tenderloin) — 1 kg;

• onion — 2 heads;

• red wine — 100 g;

• salt, pepper — to taste.

It«s best to fry the meat in a cauldron, wok, or roasting pan. If you don»t have any of those, use a skillet or oven. Sauté the onion until golden, then add and reduce the wine. Salt, pepper, and simmer covered over medium heat until done.

For the sauce we will need:

• lingonberries — 100 g;

• cranberries — 30 g;

• granulated sugar — 1 tbsp;

• salt — to taste;

• juniper berries — 1 piece;

• pink peppercorns — to taste;

• white peppercorns — to taste;

• allspice — to taste;

• balsamic vinegar — 1 tsp.

Cook the lingonberries and cranberries with sugar and salt in a saucepan. Crush all the peppers and juniper in a mortar, then mix with the berries and balsamic vinegar. Cook until thickened, and the sauce for the meat is ready.

Fish Main Course. Muksun Baked Whole in the Oven

Muksun is a delicacy fish among the indigenous peoples of the North, very tender and juicy in taste. Muksun is one of the main gastronomic symbols of Yugra — so how can we not prepare it for the holiday?

We will need:

• muksun fish — 1 piece;

• onion — 1 piece;

• tomatoes — 1–2 pieces;

• salt, pepper — to taste.

Start by gutting the fish. Use a sharp knife to cut the belly and remove the innards, then rinse the fish inside.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F). While it heats, slice the onion and tomatoes into half-rings. Season the muksun fillet with salt and pepper. Rub salt on the fish both inside and out. Then stuff the fish with the chopped vegetables: a layer of onion, a layer of tomatoes, another layer of onion, and so on. The belly should be packed tightly.

Wrap the fish tightly in foil and place it in the oven on the middle rack. Cooking time is 30–40 minutes. Enjoy your meal!

Salad. Olivier with Reindeer Meat and Pepper

A Yugra variation of the beloved New Year«s salad. If you»re tired of classic Olivier, try it with reindeer meat!

We will need:

• potatoes — 3 pieces;

• carrot — 1 piece;

• onion — 1 piece;

• chicken egg — 3 pieces;

• canned green peas — 150 g;

• smoked reindeer meat — 300 g;

• mayonnaise — 230 g;

• salt — to taste;

• mixed ground peppers — 1/2 tsp.

Boil the carrot and potatoes in salted water. Then cool, peel, and chop finely. Hard-boil the eggs, separate the whites from the yolks. Chop the whites, mash the yolks with a fork. Peel and finely chop the onion.

Cut the reindeer meat against the grain into cubes. Then sprinkle the meat with spices and let it sit for 10–15 minutes. After that, in a large bowl, combine the vegetables, egg whites, green peas, and meat, dress with mayonnaise, and mix. Ready!

Appetizer. Sugudai from Nelma with Pickled Green Apples

Nelma is called the queen of Yugra«s rivers. It makes a delicious cold appetizer, traditional among the indigenous peoples of the North — sugudai. Here»s one interesting recipe, and a warning: don«t be alarmed by the number of ingredients, they»re all easy to find in the nearest supermarket.

For the spicy lemon oil we will need:

• vegetable oil — 1000 g;

• lemon zest — 330 g;

• allspice — 20 g;

• coriander seeds — 20 g.

First, prepare the spicy lemon oil. Mix vegetable oil, lemon zest, and spices in a saucepan and heat without bringing to a boil.

For the pickled apples we will need:

• green apples — 1000 g;

• dill — 40 g;

• apple cider vinegar — 65 g;

• water — 200 g;

• sugar — 40 g;

• salt — 10 g.

Next step — pickled apples. Peel the apples and remove the core. Cut into small cubes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with water, then add vinegar, sugar, salt, and dill. Marinate for about 1.5–2 hours.

For the pickled onion we will need:

• red onion — 1000 g;

• lime juice — 125 g;

• spicy lemon oil — 150 g;

• salt — 10 g;

• sugar — 5 g.

Peel the onions and cut into small cubes. Mix with the spicy lemon oil and lime juice.

For the main dish we will need:

• nelma fillet — 200 g;

• spicy lemon oil — 24 g;

• pickled onion — 60 g;

• pickled apples — 100 g;

• lime juice — 8 g;

• whole grain mustard — 12 g;

• salt and pepper — to taste.

Prepare the nelma. Cut the fish fillet into 1 cm cubes. Then add the pickled apples and onion, spicy lemon oil, pepper, and salt. Drizzle with lime juice and mix well. The appetizer is ready.

Drink. Siberian Tea Punch

Remember that excessive alcohol consumption harms your health.

For the New Year, you can become your own bartender and surprise guests not only with dishes but also with drinks. For example, a punch made from tea and cranberries. It can also be made non-alcoholic by replacing vodka with boiled water or a bit more juice.

We will need:

• cranberry vodka — 300 ml;

• strongly brewed your favorite tea — 1 l;

• cranberry juice — 400 ml;

• honey — 120 g;

• cloves — 10 pieces.

Mix the tea with honey, cloves, and cranberry juice. Heat to a boil. Then remove the container from the heat and let the drink steep for 10 minutes.

After that, pour in the vodka and strain. The punch is ready; serve in hot beverage glasses, garnished with cranberries.

Taiga Dessert with Pine Nuts and Lingonberries

A very simple, tasty, and healthy dessert made from the riches of Yugra«s forests — pine nuts and lingonberries. And it only has three ingredients.

We will need:

• shelled pine nuts — 200 g;

• fresh-frozen lingonberries — 400 g;

• condensed milk — 300 ml.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet without oil for 1–1.5 minutes, maintaining medium heat and stirring. When the nuts turn golden and start to emit a pleasant aroma, remove from heat and transfer to a cold dish.

Prepare small bowls. Place lingonberries as the bottom layer, then pour condensed milk with a tablespoon. Next — a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts on top. Then repeat all three layers in the bowl: lingonberries, condensed milk, nuts. Put the dessert in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes — and it«s ready.

Earlier, we visited popular supermarkets to calculate how much Yugra residents will spend on the holiday table this year. We took two menus as examples: the first will have a basic set of New Year dishes, the second — an expanded one.