Pelmeni are the dumplings of the Urals and Siberia: little rounds of plain dough folded around seasoned minced meat and pinched into a shape like an ear, which is roughly what the name means in the old Finno Ugric languages of the region. In Siberian winters families made them by the hundred and froze them outdoors in sacks, which made them perhaps the first convenience food in history to rely entirely on the weather.

The secret of a good pelmen is a spoon of cold water worked into the meat, which turns into a mouthful of broth when it cooks. Making them is a social job, best done round a table with several pairs of hands and a race on in the background. A good afternoon's work fills the freezer, and dinner afterward takes twelve minutes.

The dough

Ingredients

• 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold water

The filling

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (225 g) ground pork
• 8 ounces (225 g) ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice cold water

Shaping

Ingredients

Cooking and serving

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 3/4 cup (180 g) smetana or full fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• to taste black pepper

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