While many Russian writers are far from ascetics when it came to food and wine, one among their number was legendary for his gluttony. Stories on this score have survived nearly two centuries.
“Grandfather” Ivan Krylov, the author of more than 200 fables, whose fame is comparable among Russians to Pushkin, was widely known for his gargantuan appetites and for the dinner parties regularly thrown in his honor.
History tells us that Krylov rarely ate at home, as he was never officially married, and his housekeeper wasn’t much of a cook. Mostly he took his meals at St. Petersburg’s English Club, and he was a devotee of hearty Russian cuisine, be it shchi cabbage soup, pies, geese stuffed with mushrooms, or roasted suckling pigs with horseradish.
Reportedly he would reply to younger friends’ complaints about their health by saying: “I never indulge my stomach. Whenever it complains, I eat twice the usual amount – let it deal with that!”
There also exist at least three versions of the apocryphal story in which Krylov treats either his hunger or his stomach pain by eating some moldy mincemeat, and then gets better, not sicker afterwards.
Descriptions of the dinner parties he attended and the quantity of food that he ate are not for the faint of heart. Had the Guinness Book of Records existed in the 1700s, he would certainly have taken the record for the most food eaten in the shortest amount of time.
In the last years of Krylov’s life, he ate once a week at the home of Alexander Turgenev, who headed the Medical Department of Russia’s Ministry of the Interior. Here is the description of the last dinner that Krylov had at this hospitable house:
The main course was ukha (fish soup) with rasstegai (small pies). A big bowl with pies was placed next to the poet, who finished them off quickly, along with three bowls of soup. Next served were veal chops so big they couldn’t fit on a plate. Krylov had three, finishing them off before everyone else at the table managed to finish one. The chops were followed by a giant turkey that the poet chased down with cucumber preserves, and soused cowberries, cloudberries, and plums. Russian dinner parties usually offered four main dishes, but for Krylov, the hosts prepared five. The first three were prepared by the house cook, and the last two by the assistant chef of the English Club. In the case of this dinner, the cook prepared a Strasbourg Pie (a paté made of foie gras with truffles, grouse meat and minced pork) and sweet Guriev porridge cooked with kaymak (cream of heated milk). Krylov had two plates of the Strasbourg pie, then some porridge, and finished the dinner off with two cups of coffee with cream.
With an appetite like this, it is no wonder that the 75-year-old poet’s death is commonly attributed to overeating (of either pancakes or grouse meat). But the truth was far simpler: he died of pneumonia.
While it would be safe to assume that Krylov was treated to the Tsar’s ukha (also known as triple ukha), made with three kinds of fish broth, we don’t want you to spend a whole day making this flavorful soup.
While river fish such as different types of perch is more traditional for Russia, sea bass or salmon can serve as a fine replacement.
You will need:
Heads, fins and tails of two fish cheesecloth 1 whole onion 1 celery root 1 parsley root (optional) 1 pound of potatoes, chopped coarsely 1 carrot, chopped coarsely 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, salt to taste 2 pounds of fish filets, in large pieces 1 shot of vodka Parsley
First, wrap the fish heads, fins and tails in the cheesecloth, tie up the ends, then place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water (2-3 quarts). Bring to boil, then skim the foam and boil for 30 minutes.
Remove the fishy cheesecloth package and discard.
Add the onion, celery, parsley root, potatoes and carrots to the clear broth, along with the bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. (If you’re cooking ukha with salmon or other kinds of red fish, a bit of saffron is a good addition at this point.)
Return the pan to the stovetop and heat back up to a boil. After ten minutes add the fish filets, which should need no more than another 15 minutes to cook completely. Reduce to a simmer, as ukha is best cooked over a low flame, uncovered.
Once the fish and vegetables are cooked, remove and discard the onion and the parsley and celery roots, pour a shot of vodka into the pan, then cover and let stand for another 10 minutes.
Served garnished with parsley, alongside another shot of vodka.
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