Student Chefs Share Their Favorite New Year Recipes

For New Year«s, we always want to treat ourselves and loved ones with something delicious, but what to do when all familiar dishes have been tried? Specially for MSK1.RU readers, together with the Moscow Department of Education and Science, we»ve prepared a whole list of unusual recipes from college students.

Duck Breast with Creamy Sweet Potato Purée

Alina Korzhalova, a student in the pilot group for the profession of «chef, pastry chef» at Lucky Group within the Moscow Educational Complex «Zapad» (West), offers a dish that combines restaurant aesthetics with the warmth of home comfort. In her opinion, on New Year«s Eve, it»s worth surprising loved ones with an unexpected but harmonious presentation.

«Duck breast with creamy sweet potato purée is the perfect example of how to combine rich flavor, exquisite texture, and the simplicity of home cooking. This recipe easily turns dinner into a celebration and becomes an occasion for joint culinary creativity for the whole family,» suggested Alina.

You«ll need: duck breast fillet, sweet potato, 33% fat cream, butter, as well as salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprig of rosemary for aroma.

Preparing the dish:

• Peel the sweet potato and boil until soft, then turn it into a fluffy purée by adding warmed cream and a piece of cold butter. Whisk the mass thoroughly until silky smooth.

• Make neat diamond-shaped cuts on the skin of the duck breast without touching the meat, and place the fillet skin-side down on a cold skillet. After frying on both sides until golden brown, add rosemary to the skillet, then wrap the fillet in foil and let it «rest» for 5–7 minutes — this is a key moment for preserving juiciness.

Serve the dish best as follows: place the tender sweet potato purée in a semicircle on the plate, and on top — slices of duck breast. The dish turns out rich, yet refined and homely at the same time. Exactly as a festive dinner with family should be.

Herring Under a Fur Coat as a Neat Roll

Third-year student of Polytechnic College No. 50 named after twice Hero of Socialist Labor N. A. Zlobin Daniil Shilin proposes not just to repeat the traditional herring under a fur coat, but to present the salad in a new format. Daniil«s idea — a neat roll that will become a decoration for any festive table.

You«ll need: lightly salted herring, potatoes, carrots, beets, eggs, onion, greens, mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing the dish:

• Boil the potatoes, carrots, and beets until cooked, cool them completely, then grate each on a fine grater — separately from each other;

• Cut the herring fillet into small cubes;

• Thinly slice the onion, scald with boiling water to soften the bitterness, and marinate for a few minutes in a mixture of sugar and vinegar — it will become sweetish and crispy.

• For the roll, take a long piece of plastic wrap and spread the beets on it in the form of an even rectangle. Cover with a second layer of wrap and gently smooth the beets with your palms to create a thin, even layer. Remove the top wrap.

• Now assemble the layers: on top of the beets, stepping back a bit from the edges, spread the carrots, lightly coat with mayonnaise and sprinkle with fresh herbs. The next layer — potatoes: distribute it tightly and generously spread with mayonnaise, lightly salting for flavor balance. Place the herring cubes and marinated onion in the center of the whole structure.

• Wrap and, carefully lifting the bottom wrap, roll everything into a tight roll so that the edges of the beet layer meet. Tighten the structure well, wrap in clean wrap, and refrigerate for at least 5–6 hours — this is important for forming the rolls.

Before serving, remove the wrap, trim the edges with a knife, and if desired, garnish with greens or sesame seeds. The roll cuts easily into even portioned pieces.

Salad with Duck Breast and Orange

First-year student of College of Service Sector No. 10 Alexander Satin offers a balanced dish with expressive taste accents. Salad with duck breast and orange — is a successful combination of rich meat flavor and fresh citrus notes, which fits perfectly into the festive menu.

You«ll need: duck breast, oranges, mixed salad leaves, as well as honey and Dijon mustard for the sauce.

Preparing the dish:

• Rinse the duck breast and make neat cuts on the skin, season with salt and pepper, then fry in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

• Wrap the meat in foil and bring to readiness in the oven to preserve juiciness.

• Thoroughly rinse and dry the salad mix. Peel the oranges from the skin and white membrane, separating into neat segments. From the second orange, squeeze the juice, slightly warm it, and combine with honey and Dijon mustard.

Before serving, slice the duck breast into thin slices. Alexander notes that neat slicing allows the salad to look festive and appetizing. On the plate, arrange the salad leaves, add orange segments and duck, then drizzle the dish with the prepared sauce.

New Year Cake

Second-year student of Moscow Educational Complex named after V. Talalikhin Albert Nuriev shares his recipe for a New Year dessert. He offers a mandarin cake — modern, multi-layered, and clear in taste.

The cake«s base is rich mandarin dough with almond flour, thanks to which the dessert turns out aromatic, juicy, and winter-warm. Bright mandarin confit adds fresh citrus acidity, and airy vanilla ganache softens the taste and makes the texture especially tender. The final touch — glossy chocolate glaze, which gives the dessert a festive look and impressive presentation.

For decoration, candied pine cones and lemon are used — they not only complement the taste but also create a sense of a real New Year fairy tale. Such a cake will become an accent dish on the festive table and will surely be remembered by guests.

Light in feel, balanced in taste, and bright in presentation, this mandarin cake is an excellent example of how classic New Year motifs can be reinterpreted in a modern dessert.

Warming Tea

Second-year student of Moscow College of Management, Hospitality Business and Information Technologies «Tsaritsyno» Ilya Dobrus shared a recipe for warming tea. Ilya works as a bartender at the restaurant from capital colleges «Meeting of Friends» on Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills), and one of the most in-demand drinks on the menu is hot tea with sea buckthorn and orange. Ilya has brought the preparation ritual to automatism and is ready to share all the subtleties.

Choose strong Indian Assam, and to remove excess dust and soften it — pour the tea leaves with a small amount of hot water. After 15 seconds, drain the water — this is called «awakening the tea».

Transfer the Assam to a clean glass teapot, add bright slices of fresh orange and a generous spoonful of mashed sea buckthorn, which gives the drink a sunny color. To let the aromas start «getting acquainted», take a pestle and gently lift, slightly pressing, the pieces of fruits and berries to the bottom of the teapot.

Add a cinnamon stick — it smells of holiday. Then honey, pour it with water, and before serving, mix everything thoroughly with a long spoon so that the honey dissolves and the aromas finally unite into an amazing bouquet.

«When I bring this warming golden-amber tea to guests, a small meeting of friends happens — with warmth, care, and a taste that is memorable. And my knowledge from Tsaritsyno College comes alive here, in this restaurant, in every cup!» shared Ilya.

Earlier we published advice from nutritionist and sports trainer Anastasia Kovaleva, which will help meet the holiday lightly and maintain good well-being. Recipes are there too.