Pozharskiye Kotlety

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egend has it that Tsar Alexander I stopped at Pozharsky’s tavern, whose praises had been sung by Pushkin, to try the chef’s famous kotlety. The Emperor ordered veal cutlets, but Pozharsky was out of veal, so substituted chicken. Far from being upset at the substitution, the Tsar so liked this dish that he placed it on the Royal Menu.

Today, Pozharskiye Kotlety is a signature entrée at San Francisco’s Katia’s: A Russian Tea Room, a modern way station for that city’s Russian expatriate community (see page 56) and other lovers of Russian cuisine. At Katia’s the dish is teamed with fried cubed potatoes and a vegetable of the day, with a choice of either hot Russian mustard or mushroom sauce on the side.