Zrazy (Stuffed Potato Cakes)

Method

Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled in salted water until a knife slides through the centre without resistance — roughly 20 minutes depending on size. Drain and peel whilst hot; the skin comes clean this way and the starch hasn't yet set. Pass the flesh through a ricer or mash thoroughly until completely smooth. Season with salt and black pepper, then set aside to cool to room temperature. Cold potato is essential — warm mash is too soft to hold its shape around the filling.

Dice the onion finely and fry it in a tablespoon of sunflower oil over moderate heat until the edges turn translucent and the surface catches light gold colour — about 5 minutes. Add the minced beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it browns. Once the meat has lost its raw appearance and the onion is completely soft, season with salt and pepper. Tip into a bowl and refrigerate. The filling needs to be cold; warm mince won't stay sealed inside the potato casing.

Divide the cold mash into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Flatten one between your palms into a circle roughly 8 cm across and 1 cm thick. Place a heaped teaspoon of the meat mixture in the centre, then fold the potato up and over to enclose it completely, sealing the edges by pressing and smoothing with your fingertips. The potato acts as both belarusian-cuisine wrapper and binder — the starch gelatinises during frying, creating a crust that contains the filling. Work quickly; once the zrazy cools below 10°C, the exterior becomes brittle and cracks.

Coat each zrazy lightly and evenly in plain flour. Heat 80 ml of sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over moderately high heat until the surface shimmers. Fry the zrazy 4-5 minutes per side, turning once. The exterior should be dark golden-brown, almost nutty in colour — this maillard-reaction development gives the dish its distinctive flavour and the crust its crisp texture. The inside remains soft and yielding.

Serve immediately with soured cream spooned over the top and fresh dill scattered across. The warmth of the zrazy will slightly melt the cream into the surface.