Elesh with chicken
8 servings
90 minutes
Elesh with chicken is a traditional Tatar pastry that combines the tenderness of dough and the juiciness of the filling. The dish's origins delve deep into Tatar history, symbolizing hospitality and home comfort. The thin, buttery dough is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, enveloping a juicy filling of chicken meat, potatoes, and onions seasoned with salt and black pepper. During baking, an aromatic broth forms that makes elesh incredibly juicy. This pastry is perfect for family lunches or festive gatherings and can be served as a standalone dish or alongside a light salad.
1
For the test, it is necessary to mix melted butter (cooled), vegetable oil, water, sour cream, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
- Butter: 8 teaspoons
- Vegetable oil: 5 tablespoon
- Water: 2 tablespoons
- Sour cream: 5 tablespoon
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
2
Sift flour (3/4 part) into a large dish and add baking powder. Make a well in the center, pour in the oil mixture, and crack two eggs.
- Wheat flour: 600 g
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
3
Use a fork to mix the eggs and gradually incorporate the flour. Then knead the dough by hand until it becomes uniform, elastic, and not sticky. If needed, add more flour. The dough will be oily and very pliable. Wrap it in a bag and place it in the refrigerator.
- Wheat flour: 600 g
4
Thoroughly wash the chicken thighs, remove the skin (it's not needed), and cut out the white tendons. You can leave a bit of fat (for juiciness). Cut the meat off the bones and dry it.
- Chicken legs: 3 pieces
5
Cut the chicken meat into pieces (about 2x2 cm, no smaller).
- Chicken legs: 3 pieces
6
Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes (1.5x1.5 cm).
- Potato: 4 pieces
7
Peel the onion and chop it into small cubes.
- Onion: 2 pieces
8
Mix chicken, potatoes, and onions, add salt and freshly ground pepper. The filling shouldn't stand for long; you need to start cooking the eleshis right away (otherwise juice will form). By the way, I weighed everything beforehand and got the following proportions: meat - 600 grams, potatoes - 400 grams, onions - 200 grams (after cleaning and chopping).
- Chicken legs: 3 pieces
- Potato: 4 pieces
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Coarse salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
9
Divide the dough into 8 parts. Pinch off a small piece from each. This results in about 8 'golf balls' and 8 'walnuts'.
10
Roll out a large ball, place 2-3 tablespoons of filling and a teaspoon of butter in the center.
- Butter: 8 teaspoons
11
Roll out a small ball of dough a bit and place it on top of the filling. Lift the edges of the bottom dough up and seal it (connect it with the top dough). Make beautiful pinches around the circumference.
12
Roll out a small ball of dough slightly and place it on top of the filling. Lift the edges of the bottom dough up and seal them (connect with the top dough). Make beautiful pinches around the circumference.
13
Bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown. After cooking, brush the pastries with butter and cover with a towel (let sit for 10 minutes).
- Butter: 8 teaspoons
14
Inside the elesh, broth forms, and the meat is tender and juicy. Enjoy your meal!