Russian Buckwheat Kasha [Русская гречневая каша]
Servings: servings
Russian Buckwheat Kasha is a hearty and savory dish made with buckwheat, bacon, onions, and mushrooms, all topped with eggs, cream and dill. I like to call it, the Russian Bibimbap.
Ingredients
The Kasha
- 340 g buckwheat groats
- 1 L unsalted vegetable broth or water
- 10 g unsalted butter
The Toppings
- 200 g bacon cut into lardons
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sweet onion roughly chopped
- 400 g Cremini mushrooms thickly sliced
- 4 eggs
The Seasoning
- 1 anise star
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. salt to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper to taste
The Garnish
- 2 gherkin finely diced
- sour cream
- fresh dill roughly chopped
Instructions
The Preparation
- Gather the ingredients. Roughly chop the 2 sweet onion. Set aside.
- Wash and thickly slice the 400 g Cremini mushrooms. Set aside.
- Finely dice the 2 gherkin. Set aside.
- Wash and chop the fresh dill. Set aside.
- Cut the 200 g bacon into lacon lardons which are small strips or cubes. Set aside.
- Using a mortar and pestle, mix 1 anise star, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.
- Soft-boil the 4 eggs to your desired doneness, about 6-7 minutes for a soft yolk. 8 minutes for a harder yolk. Rinse with cold water to stop the boiling, peel and set aside.
The Toppings
- Place the 200 g bacon in a cold frying pan and cook over medium heat until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a dish, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped 2 sweet onion to the bacon fat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. If needed, add the 30 ml extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking. Transfer to the dish with the bacon.
- Increase the heat to high and add the sliced 400 g Cremini mushrooms to the same pan. Cook until browned and tender. Set aside with the bacon and onions.
The Kasha
- Bring the 1 L unsalted vegetable broth to a rolling boil in a separate kettle or pot.
- Place the 340 g buckwheat groats in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.Transfer the rinsed buckwheat to a pot with a glass lid. Add the 10 g unsalted butter and stir over medium-high heat to coat the grains.
- Carefully pour the boiling 1 L unsalted vegetable broth over the buckwheat and stir. Once the broth returns to a rolling boil, cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low.
- Let it cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Do not remove the lid during this time.
- Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 10 minutes.
The Assembly
- Remove the lid from the cooked buckwheat and fluff the grains with a fork. Stir in the 1 tsp. fish sauce, and the spice mix (1 anise star, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Add half of the cooked bacon, caramelized onions, and mushrooms to the pot and combine well. Be sure to keep the other half for the top.
The Serving
- Arrange the remaining half of bacon, onions, and mushrooms on top. Slice the soft-boiled eggs in half and place them on the kasha. Add a dollop of sour cream, and garnish with fresh fresh dill and diced 2 gherkin. Serve immediately.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your Russian Buckwheat Kasha [Русская гречневая каша] or as I like to call it, the Russian Bibimbap.