Rasstegai with fish.
Little open pies with a filling - rasstegai.

Ingredients and Directions:

Rasstegai are little open pies with a filling. Their name comes from the Russian word rasstyognutyi meaning "unfastened".

The filling can be made either from fish and rice, minced meat and eggs, or from mushrooms. First of all you need a yeast dough. When it is ready, divide it into small portions. Roll out these small balls of dough and place a spoonful of the stuffing in the centre.

If you are using a fish stuffing, you may put small pieces of salmon or other cooked fish on the top. Pinch up the edges of the dough around the filling to make round or oval pies, leaving the centre uncovered. Put the rasstegai on a baking tray greased with butter and leave in a warm place for the dough to rise.

As soon as they are ready, brush with egg yolk and bake in the oven. 

For dough:

800 - 900 grams (1,8 - 2 lb) - wheat flour
1/2 litre (1 pint) milk
30 - 50 grams (1,5 - 2 oz) yeast
250 g (8,8 oz) butter
2 - 3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
salt, pinch.

For a fish stuffing Ingredients and Directions:

For a fish stuffing, take 250 (8,8 oz) grams of fresh- water fish fillets and bake in the oven or steam for 15 - 20 minutes. Chop the fish not too finely. Heat some flour with melted butter, and add the juice from the cooked fish and 100 grams (4 oz) of finely chopped onion, and cook slowly for 10 - 15 minutes, until you have a sauce the consistency of thick sour cream. Mix the fish, cooked rice to taste, finely chopped parsley and dill, and pepper and salt with the sauce, and stuffing is ready.

1 egg yolk, 1 oz butter - to brush top of the the rasstegai.

Directions - to make the dough:

1. Make the dough: place all ingredients in the bowl, knead the dough using food processor, than make it into ball, and leave it in a bowl to rise, covered with a damp cloth for about 50 minutes in a warm place.

2. When it is ready, divide it into small portions. Roll dough out on a floured work surface these small balls of dough and place a spoonful of the stuffing in the centre.

Pinch up the edges of the dough around the filling to make round or oval pies, leaving the centre uncovered. Put the rasstegai on a baking tray greased with butter and leave in a warm place for the dough to rise.

As soon as they are ready, brush with egg yolk and bake in the oven 200 - 210 C.