Enjoy Tsarist Cooking with Chef Andrei Makhov of Café Pushkin

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Café Pushkin is undoubtedly the best restaurant in Moscow, if not the whole country. Of course, it can no longer be denied that this is one of the best restaurants in the world. It has secured the 63^rd spot in El Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants. Dining at Café Pushkin and enjoying Chef Andrei Makhov’s creations is something that you shouldn’t miss in Moscow.

Is It Really the Best Restaurant in Moscow?

Perhaps, it is. Perhaps, it isn’t. But it is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in the world. Although written in French, the restaurant’s menu is reminiscent of pre-revolution Russian cuisine, so you can generally expect traditional dishes being served in this restaurant. However, make sure that you bring a hefty wad of bills if you intend to fully enjoy the dining experience. The dishes do not come cheap. Yes, even by Russian standards. Of course, the food is worth the price. Often, people will leave fully satisfied with their experience.

Cafe Pushkin is located on the first floor of a four-storey neoclassic building which is situated at Tverskoy Bulvar in Moscow’s Central. You will often find the nouveau rich frequenting this restaurant. It is open 24 hours, so it is fairly easy to have access to Chef Andrei Makhov’s creations. The restaurant’s décor is quite artificial, but it is still classy. This is why many Muscovites consider it the best place to go to if one wants to experience fine dining in Russia.

Let’s Get to Know the Chef

Café Pushkin’s chef is a former Red Army cook. Chef Andrei Makhov is actually the only celebrity chef in Russia. You can liken him to Chef Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen. Chef Makhov is a television celebrity chef. He has completely enlivened people’s taste and reintroduced Tsarist cooking. But what can you expect from a chef who has worked for a Red Army general?

Aside from working for the general, he also prepared banquets after banquets for various dignitaries. His experience, however, is not limited to serving the army or the government during the communism. He also worked a chef job as the head chef of the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. He was also hired by Andrei Dellos as head chef for themed restaurants.

With his experience and his incredible talent for cooking pre-revolution cuisine, it is not surprising that he has managed to earn the admiration of food critics. One can give him credit for what Café Pushkin has managed to win this year – a spot in El Pellegrino’s list.

Chef Andrei Makhov’s Sweet Blini from Moscow Recipe

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (from a 1 1/4 oz. envelope)

2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup warm water (105°-115°F)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm whole milk (105°-115°F) 3 large eggs

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup fine-quality apricot preserves

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions:

Make batter:

Stir together yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast, sugar, and warm water.)

Transfer yeast mixture to a blender and add flour, salt, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, then blend until combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Return mixture to blender and add eggs and 2 tablespoons butter. Blend until smooth.

To Make Blini:

Lightly brush a 10 inch nonstick skillet with melted butter, then heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly.) Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe until underside and edges are just set and golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof rubber spatula to check.) Flip crêpe over carefully with your fingertips. Cook until other side is golden, about 1 minute more. Transfer crêpe to a plate. Brush skillet with more melted butter and make 7 more crêpes in same manner, stacking them as made and brushing skillet between each crêpe.

Purée preserves and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Spread 1/2 tablespoon preserves on a crêpe and fold in eighths to form a triangle. Repeat with remaining preserves and crêpes.

Brush a 12-inch heavy skillet with remaining butter and arrange crêpes in 1 layer with points at center of skillet. Cook over moderate heat until crêpes are beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip crêpes over with a spatula and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a platter and dust with confectioners sugar.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1-3/4 hr

Image Credit via MDF

Image Credit and Recipe via Group Recipes

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