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Braised in gherkins brine

There is a whole range of recipes in Russian cuisine in which cucumber brine plays an important role (such as the dishes Rassolnik and Soljanka, a sour soup). By all accounts, these are traditional recipes that have come down from the Middle Ages. We owe the following recipe to the secret agent Hektor Maille, who, on his part, got it from his friend Ruslan Rachmaninow and had even prepared it in his private kitchen in Moskow.

Instead of breast of veal, one can use other types of meat, like pork – but naturally the preparation time will vary. The vegetables can also be varied, but one should use cucumber brine as the basic stock. The spiciness of the dish depends primarily on the amount of chilly flakes used in the vinegar. According to the brand and type, these chilly flakes range in flavour from mild to fiery hot. In Russia, people normally eat mild food – but when a Lemusan cook stands before the stove… How spicy the dish should be, however, is sometimes more than a question of the palate.

Breast of veal «Rachmaninow» has a mildly sour, full flavour. The rind of the meat gives the whole dish a lovely, red colour. Apart from the chillies, one should, for aesthetic reasons, also slice the vegetables into long, fine strips. Breast of veal «Rachmaninow» is best accompanied by jacket potatoes or by boiled potatoes sprinkled with a pinch of dill.

1. Pepper the meat. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry meat on all sides.
2. Add stock, white wine and brine, then the rind, onions and bay leaf. Stir well, cook for a few minutes, then turn heat down to minimum, cover pan with lid and allow meat to cook for one hour – turning it occasionally.
3. Add gherkins, chillies, chanterelles and capers and cook for another 30 minutes with the pan partially closed.
4. Remove meat from pan and place it on an aluminium foil to cool for about 10 minutes, then carve.
5. Thicken the sauce again, if need be, and salt it.
6. When the meat (and potatoes) is on the table, you can pour some sour cream over it, if you so desire.

The sauce must be relatively watery. If you like it thicker, you can add a pat of cold butter to it right at the end.

More about the travel adventure of Secret Agent Hektor Maille:

• Episode 3: Ballad in Moscow
• Startpage of «Mission Kaki» (with overview map)
• More Recipes of the Secret Agent

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