Syrniki (сырники): fresh curd cheese pancakes

I’ve been craving syrniki ever since my last visit to Kyiv. I’ve already written about going to Chernobyl last June and then spending a few days in Kyiv. A friend took me to a restaurant very close to the Maidan called Chicken Kyiv, where we had a really good breakfast — Kyiv-style, of course, with a glass of white wine 🙂 And it was there that syrniki really lodged themselves in my memory.

They’re completely unassuming: at first glance, they just look like little pancakes. Looking at them doesn’t make nearly the same impression as tasting them. First of all, they’re not pancakes or crêpes as we know them. The main ingredient is twaróg, a fresh curd cheese; I use the semi-fat kind. They’re also always sweet, always have a hint of vanilla, and get their lightness from semolina, which replaces flour in the batter and is used in a really tiny amount.

I’m simply posting the recipe because, if you don’t know them, you have to try them. Anyone who’s visited Ukraine or Russia probably knows this taste very well. If you do, I recommend keeping it alive; if you don’t, get acquainted. As you can see on Prymitywna’s Facebook page, I’ve become a little addicted to them this week.

In a way, they’re also a good alternative to the Czeladź cheesecake that’s already taken over weekends in some homes. You may remember that ever since Rafał discovered that cheesecake, and especially since he first made it, he’s been crushing biscuits every weekend… Well, I think this is an easier, less demanding alternative for anyone who loves everything you can make with twaróg. Get to it; I don’t think your family will protest.

That’s enough reminiscing. I recommend syrniki, so when you start stockpiling for coronavirus — Poland didn’t manage to remain a green island on Europe’s map — add at least 2 kg of fresh curd cheese, definitely in blocks, to your shopping list before you start staring at that television funded to the tune of 2 billion złoty. I don’t recommend the television bit. I assure you, you won’t last the coronavirus war on that cheese: its shelf life is too short. But it’ll definitely all get eaten, and you’ll be in an excellent mood at the start of your bunker days. What’s more, the urge to go out for more shopping will be so strong that sheer willpower will beat any virus. And don’t forget spring is coming: time to pull ourselves together.

Meanwhile, I recommend these Russian — or Ukrainian, if you prefer — syrniki. Get cooking!

At a glance:

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: a decent breakfast for 4 people

Calories: as many as from where you’re sitting to Kyiv

Ingredients for syrniki with fresh curd cheese and semolina:

• 2 hen’s eggs
• 0.5 kg (two blocks) semi-fat twaróg (fresh curd cheese) 
• 6–7 level tablespoons semolina
• 6 level tablespoons fine sugar (I used cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (vanilla paste or vanilla sugar will also do)
• plain wheat flour (enough to coat the syrniki, as shown in the photo below; it isn’t an ingredient in the batter)
• rapeseed oil for frying
• icing sugar (for dusting after frying)

Recipe for wonderfully delicate syrniki (Russian, or Ukrainian if you prefer):

The recipe for syrniki is ridiculously simple, although shaping and frying the pancakes can be a little challenging because the mixture is fairly loose. But let’s start at the beginning.

I put the twaróg in a bowl and stirred it with a spoon. I added the eggs and mixed them thoroughly with the cheese. Then I added the sugar and vanilla extract or paste, and mixed again. Finally, I added 6–7 level tablespoons of semolina and stirred. The point is not to overdo the semolina, so the pancakes stay fluffy. It’s better to start with less and try frying one pancake. If the mixture is too runny, you can add more semolina.

Prepare a deep plate or bowl with plain wheat flour, as in the photo below.

Now for the most important part: take about a tablespoon of mixture, put it in your hand and quickly shape a pancake, neither too large nor too thick. The mixture will be sticky; don’t worry about that unless it’s completely runny, in which case add semolina. What I do is quickly roll a ball, flatten it and immediately put it in the flour, coating one side and then turning it over. The flour should firm up the outside, and the pancakes can go straight into a frying pan with preheated rapeseed oil. Remember, the oil must already be hot.

I made 4–5 pancakes per batch. After roughly 2–3 minutes, gently turn them over. Fry in hot oil over a low “heat”. Once both sides were cooked, I transferred them to a plate lined with kitchen paper. I served them straight away, dusted with icing sugar.

Icing sugar is basically a fixture with syrniki; everything else is an optional accompaniment. Serve them with fruit, jam, thick fruit preserves or honey, however you enjoy them. Personally, though, I think I like them best simply with icing sugar. Enjoy!