Russia meets the Steppe: manty

Pozy or manty is another dish Russians borrowed from their steppe neighbours. It is enjoyed along a vast swathe of land from Mongolia to Russian Finn-Ugric Northwest. As is the case with most dishes from the area, the ingredients are simple and the outcome is well worth the labour-intensive and time-consuming preparation.

Unleavened dough is kneaded continuously for 30-40 minutes into perfect homogeneity which is essential for the right result. Mince or, even better, finely shredded meat is mixed with an equal amount of chopped onions. Originally, fatty chunks of meat were used, very much prized during the harsh winters of the inhospitable Eurasian interior. Modern urbanite life calls for healthier options: I suitably use Tartare mince. The only condiments really needed are salt and pepper, I use best quality: hand-raked Guerdaine sea salt and powerfully fragrant Vietnamese peppercorns.

The dough is rolled out into thin rounds, then the mince is wrapped inside with a tiny hole left at the very top. You can buy multi-level manty steamers in Russia but I don't have one. I use a bamboo sieve lined with a banana leave instead, that's my Asian background for you. About 20 minutes of steaming on a very high fire brings juice from the onions and the beef to produce copious amounts of bouillon divine in its simplicity.

Traditionally pozy are served with a mixture of melted butter and vinegar (tastes way better than it sounds) but I make a dip of sour cream and horseradish - also very Russian.

Norton Malbéc I smuggled from Argentina - very similar to French Cahors, the eucharistal wine of the Russian Orthodox Church - was a bit too characterful for the meal so we had to barely sip it.