Syrniki with oat flakes by a top Russian chef (RECIPE)

In the age of abundance and social media, any meal worth its salt, especially breakfast, has to boggle the mind and tickle the visual receptors. And if you didn’t photograph it, you didn’t eat it, as they say. In this recipe, classic (i.e. babushka-made) thin syrniki (curd fritters) have been replaced by their somewhat taller cousins, albeit smaller in diameter. The secret of the new shape is to use only the yolk instead of a whole egg. The curd mass turns out less “liquidy” and retains its shape better.

Not only does Andrey Kolodyazhny, head chef at the L.E.S. restaurant in Moscow, prepare curd fritters on such a yolk base, he also invented a way of combining two classic breakfast components: cottage cheese and oatmeal. He simply rolls the curd mass in oat flakes, making his syrniki look like little hedgehogs. Pine cone jam adds a forest note, but if you don't have any, you can use your own favorite. And instead of classic smetana, the chef suggests trying Jerusalem artichoke cream based on coconut milk with a pinch of salt and pepper. Why not?! 

Ingredients: 

For the syrniki:

• Fat-free cottage cheese 400 g
• Curd mass 100 g
• Egg yolk 40 g
• Semolina 20 g
• Oat flakes 40 g
• Butter 15 g
• Honey 15 g
• Pine cone jam 30 ml
• Jerusalem artichoke cream 50 g 

For the Jerusalem artichoke cream:

• Jerusalem artichoke 100 g
• Coconut milk 50 ml
• Salt 2 g
• Jerusalem artichoke syrup 50 g
• Pepper 2 g 

Preparation:

1. Mix the cottage cheese with the curd mass, add the yolk and semolina, then add the honey and stir until smooth.
2. Divide the mass into several parts, shape into balls and roll in oat flakes.
3. Heat a pan and fry on both sides in butter.
4. Boil the Jerusalem artichoke in the coconut milk. Add the Jerusalem artichoke syrup and a pinch of salt and pepper. Purée into a smooth paste using a blender. Load the mass into a pastry or piping bag.
5. When serving, lay a couple of spoonfuls of pine cone jam on a plate, and place the curd fritters on top. Pipe the Jerusalem artichoke cream onto the plate.

READ MORE: Berry sbiten and cookies for a Russian-style winter evening (RECIPES)