Russian meat dumplings (Pelmeni)

1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the egg, a teaspoon of salt and 200 ml of cold water and knead into a smooth, elastic dough; wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes.

2. Finely grate the onion and work it thoroughly with both kinds of minced meat, the remaining water (about 50 ml), a pinch of salt and the pepper until the filling is juicy and even.

3. Roll the dough out thinly (1-2 mm) in batches on a floured board and cut out 5-6 cm rounds with a glass.

4. Put a small teaspoon of filling in the middle of each round, fold into a half-moon, press the edges firmly together, then pinch the two corners together to make little "ear" shapes.

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, drop in the pelmeni in batches and cook for 5-7 minutes after they float to the surface.

6. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drizzle with melted butter and serve with plenty of sour cream; as in Siberia, you can also offer vinegar or mustard.

Tip: In Siberia they were made by the hundred in winter and frozen outside in the cold – you can freeze them too: freeze them spaced apart on a tray, bag them, and drop them into boiling water straight from frozen.