These delicious pancakes can be served sweet with Skyr and locally made jam, or savory with the addition of herbs and served with Radish Greens Salad. Makes 4-6 servings.
Syrniki – Ukrainian Cheese Pancakes
By Beth Jones
Ingredients
- 1 lb Shepherd’s Way Farms Friesago cheese, or other farmer’s style cheese, crumbled and drained of excess liquid
- 1 egg from Sunshine Harvest Farm
- 1 cup all purpose flour from Bakers Field Flour & Bread, plus an additional ½ cup for dredging
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons neutral oil, for frying (vegetable or grapeseed oil work best)
Instructions
For Traditional Syrniki
Crumble the cheese into a fine mesh stainer to drain any excess liquid. Place the drained cheese in a large bowl and add 1 beaten egg. Add the flour, sugar and salt, and mix gently using your hands or a fork. (For a more tender pancake avoid overworking the dough.)
Scoop out approximately ¼ cup dough at a time. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small patty. Dredge the pancake with flour on both sides. Shake off the extra flour and set aside until you are ready to cook.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat. When the oil is hot place the dredged syrniki in the pan, avoiding overcrowding. You may need to cook the syrniki in two batches depending on the size of your skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Drain pancakes on a paper towel.
For traditional syrniki, serve immediately with Shepherd’s Way Skyr and Twin Cities Berry Company Jam.
For Savory Syrniki
Using the above recipe, add the following ingredients just before the addition of the dry ingredients.
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallion or chives
- 3 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Form and cook the syrniki according to instructions above. Serve with the following garnishes and Radish Greens Salad.
Garnishes for Cooked Syrniki
- Sliced radishes
- Shepherds Way Skyr
- Fresh dill
- Sliced scallions
Radish Greens Salad
This is a nice accompaniment for the Savory Syrniki.
- 1 bunch radishes, sliced, green tops washed, dried and roughly chopped
- 1 cup sliced radishes
- ½ cup minced scallions
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Vinaigrette:
- 3 Tablespoons Twin Cities Berry Co. Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- 3 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar or cider vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil or grapeseed oil
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously. Pour over Radish Salad just before serving. Vinaigrette will keep for one week in the refrigerator.
