Although I am well acquainted with many Russian dishes, I don’t [often] cook them at home and never really have. Sometimes, however, I crave the flavors and I know that I can make a simple meal in a few minutes. When discussing what hubby should get at the store, I offered to make “kotleti” which are cutlets made from minced meat. They’re a staple in Russian cooking and can be quite good if you know what you’re doing.
Hubby paused momentarily, intrigued by the offer and then valiantly declared: “I’ll make it Japanese!”. He dug up a no kidding Japanese recipe and ran off to the grocery mart. An initial inspection of this recipe suggested that it was nothing more than a beef kotleti recipe with minced celery and onion. Of course the recipe came with a sauce made of sake, Mirin and soy sauce (what Japanese sauce doesn’t contain all of those?)
Making the Japanese version was just as easy and when all was said and done, it was very delicious. But honestly, you could make shoe leather delicious with that sauce. I am however not convinced that I can eat kotleti with rice (the suggested Japanese way). In my book, kotleti are best eaten with fresh, home-made mashed potatoes!
Be First to Comment