A Prowess-Testing Pie

October 14 marks Pokrov, the feast of the Intercession of the Theotokos, one of the most beloved Russian Orthodox holidays honoring the Holy Mother of God.

Pokrov, or “Protection,” coincides with the last days of autumn. The final harvest is in, the produce carefully preserved for the long winter ahead. For Russian peasants, this was the most abundant time of year. So it’s not surprising that Pokrov also signaled the beginning of marriage season, with its attendant feasts. On the eve of the holiday, marriageable girls prayed to the Mother of God to cover them with a (wedding) veil. The year’s first snowfall usually occurred at this time, resonating with the secular meaning of pokrov as it blanketed the land with a protective cover.

The matchmaking and wedding festivities featured lavish pies and breads decorated with symbolic figures molded from dough. The pie served at the bride’s “hen party” was sometimes called a devichik, from the word for “girl,” while the groom’s pie was known as a kosovik. Unlike the typically round pies of the season, the kosovik was shaped into a semicircle to symbolically represent the groom as a waxing half moon who would soon step into his role as head of household. In The Encyclopedia of Ritual Orthodox Cooking, Lidia Liakhovskaya writes that prenuptial pie baking also involved superstition. The bride was expected to roll out the first round of dough as thinly as possible, while her fiancé and future in-laws tried to thwart her – it was considered back luck if they didn’t.

The most extravagant fare was saved for the wedding itself. Any number of baked goods might appear, such as krendel (a sweet, pretzel-shaped bread traditionally made for name-day celebrations), karavai (the large, ceremonial loaf of Russian hospitality, khleb-sol), kalach (another large, round loaf, made of fine wheat flour), and kurnik (a tall, domed pie). At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom shared a symbolic slice to signify their union. The pie baking continued even after the wedding. The third day after the ceremony was known as “Pie Day” (pirozhny den). Hosted by bride’s parents, the bride was expected to show off her baking prowess to guests.

The shape of the ceremonial pie or loaf – almost invariably round – was more important than the filling it contained. And the type of dough varied. Most prized (and expensive) were sweet, enriched crusts made with fine wheat flour, butter, sugar, milk, and eggs. To ornament the top, a firm yet pliable dough (tertoye testo) was prepared with flour, water, and a bit of yeast. Leaves, flowers, and other organic forms were popular decorations, recalling the Garden of Eden and hinting, perhaps, at a paradisiacal union. Much of the baker’s art lay in ornamentation. Sugar-rich crusts caramelized in the oven, turning a gorgeous brown. For a golden sheen, the crust could be glazed with egg yolk before baking, or with water or egg white for a clear, shiny crust. Using various doughs and glazes, skillful bakers created dramatic designs with dough in shades ranging from almost white to near mahogany.

The most magnificent pie was the kurnik, with its cupola-like dome, which some say resembles the royal Monomakh’s Cap. Two pies were baked for the wedding feast, one for the bride, the other for the groom. Kurnik is assembled by layering bliny and a filling of choice into a high mound that’s enclosed in dough. Today, kurnik usually contains chicken, as most people believe its name derives from the Russian word kuritsa, or chicken. But in fact the pie can filled with just about anything, from meat to vegetables to fish, pointing to a different etymology, from the verb kuritsya, to smoke – a reference to baking in the sometimes-smoky Russian masonry stove.

Whatever the origin, kurnik is a delicious pie. And, unlike brides in the past, you can make it at home, without hindrance.

Russian Wedding Pie

Dough

1½ cups butter, at room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, at room
temperature

2 egg yolks

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Chicken

1 4-pound stewing chicken, including giblets

4 cups cold water

1 sprig parsley

1 large carrot, scraped

1 onion, quartered

1 bay leaf

8 black peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon minced fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) tarragon

Filling

3 cups reserved chicken stock

¼ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill
(or 1½ teaspoons dried dill)

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked rice

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

2 onions, sliced

1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 hardboiled eggs, coarsely chopped

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons cold water

This stunning dish makes good party fare, since it can be made early in the day and reheated just before serving.

First, prepare the dough. Cream the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the egg yolks, then stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

Divide the dough into two balls. Wrap each ball in waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

While the dough is chilling, place the chicken in a large stockpot. Add the cold water, parsley, carrot, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, and tarragon. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 1½ hours, or until the chicken is tender. Strain, reserving the chicken stock and carrot.

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard it. Separate the meat from the bones and cut the meat into small pieces. Chop the giblets. Cut the carrot into ¼-inch slices.

To make the filling, in a small saucepan heat 1 cup of the reserved chicken stock. Stir in the sour cream and dill, mixing well. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Pour the mixture over the chopped chicken pieces, stirring to coat them well. Set aside.

Cook the rice in 2 cups of the reserved chicken stock, along with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, just until the liquid is absorbed – do not overcook. Set aside.

Sauté the sliced onions in the ¼ cup of butter until soft and golden; then stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the mushrooms. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are just barely cooked. Stir in the parsley and the reserved sliced carrot. Drain off excess liquid and set aside.

To assemble the pie, preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove one ball of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured board to a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9-inch springform pan with the dough.

Taking one third of the rice, place it in a smooth layer on the bottom of the pastry. Top the rice with half of the chicken, then half of the chopped hardboiled eggs, then half of the vegetable mixture. Top the vegetables with half of the remaining rice in an even layer, and then repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients, ending with a layer of rice on the top. (There will be 3 layers of rice and 2 of the other ingredients.)

Roll out the second ball of dough and cover the pie with it, sealing the edges well. Cut a round hole 1½ inches in diameter in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape. Decorate the top crust with cutout scraps of dough in a fanciful pattern.

Beat the egg yolk with the 2 teaspoons of cold water. Brush the mixture over the dough. Bake the kurnik at 400°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for 25 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden. Allow the kurnik to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan to serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

Adapted from A Taste of Russia