Semolina patties

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make semolina patties? Gather your ingredients. Semolina patties are usually served with a berry kissel sauce, so start by making the kissel. Get the ingredients ready for it. Any berries work — fresh or frozen. I'm using cranberries, the classic pairing. Add sugar to taste: the more tart the berry, the more sugar you'll want.

2. Step 2:

   

   Take a saucepan, pour in 500 ml (about 2 cups) of water, and set it over high heat. As soon as it boils, add the berries. Wait for it to return to a boil, then take the pan off the heat. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Drain the berries in a sieve and return the liquid to the saucepan. Press the berries through the sieve with a silicone spatula — it's easiest to do this straight into the saucepan, so you dirty fewer dishes. Set the pan back over heat and add the sugar.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the starch in a separate bowl. You can use potato or corn starch (you'll need twice as much corn). Mix it with 100 ml (a bit under 1/2 cup) of water from the total amount and stir well.

5. Step 5:

   

   Stirring constantly with a whisk, pour the dissolved starch into the berry liquid.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cook the kissel, stirring, until it comes to a boil. It will thicken and start to bubble and "puff." As soon as it does, turn off the heat and let the kissel cool.

7. Step 7:

   

   Now on to the patties. This amount makes 4 patties — keep that in mind and scale up if you need more. Any fat content of milk works, and you can cut it with water. You can bread the patties in either breadcrumbs or flour. For frying, it's best to use a mix of butter and vegetable oil rather than pure butter. The raisins are optional.

8. Step 8:

   

   Cook the semolina porridge. How? Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in the milk, and add the sugar and salt. Set it over low heat and bring the milk to a boil. Pour in the semolina in a thin stream, stirring constantly (a whisk works best) so no lumps form.

9. Step 9:

   

   Cook the porridge only briefly — a couple of minutes is enough. It thickens quickly and gets hard to stir; as soon as it does, turn off the heat and let it cool. While it cools, pour boiling water over the raisins for 10-15 minutes, then drain them in a sieve and rinse well.

10. Step 10:

    

    When the porridge has cooled, stir in the plumped raisins. Beat in the egg. Always wash eggs before using them, since harmful bacteria can cling even to a shell that looks clean — a food-safe wash and a brush work best. Add the flour and mix everything thoroughly. You should get a thick, sticky mixture. You can also add a pinch of vanillin.

11. Step 11:

    

    Shape it into small round patties. To keep the mixture from sticking to your hands, moisten them with cold water.

12. Step 12:

    

    Put breadcrumbs (or flour) on a flat plate and roll the patties in them.

13. Step 13:

    

    Heat a skillet over low heat. Add the butter and melt it. I always add a little vegetable oil to the butter so it doesn't burn while frying. Add the breaded patties to the skillet.

14. Step 14:

    

    Fry them until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.

15. Step 15:

    

    Serve the semolina patties with the berry kissel. Enjoy!