Olia Hercules' Eastern European recipes

Olia Hercules's recipes

Ukrainian cauliflower fritters

In Ukraine, all sorts of things, from schnitzel to whole river fish are fried in batter. Here, cauliflower gets the treatment. These easy fritters with a simple dip make for great snacks, ready in just 25 minutes.

Olia says, “A simple batter is used all over Ukraine for frying all sorts of things, from chicken or pork schnitzel to whole river fish. I love vegetables fried in this way, and cauliflower is especially good. Normally, plain white flour is used, but buckwheat flour was a popular choice in the past and I tend to use it instead of wheat flour – it is much more flavoursome. Normally the fritters are eaten just as they are, but I like them with a spoonful of dill-and-garlic-spiked mayo.”

Georgian roast hake

This recipe for sweet nutty purée, flaky roast fish and zingy pickled radishes embraces traditional Georgian flavours to make a quick and easy but gluten-free family dinner.

Olia says, "I love homemade Georgian nut pastes, usually made with hazelnuts or walnuts; they add substance and flavour to simple vegetable and meat dishes. Squash and carrot work so well with almond served with fish and mouth-puckering lemony radishes."

Braised chicken with hazelnut and chilli paste

Olia takes the rich, colourful pickings of an autumn harvest and adds an Eastern European twist to create this warming chicken dish.

Buckwheat tarts with rice pudding and blackberries

Olia Hercules uses autumnal berries and adds an Eastern European twist in this gluten-free dessert.

Marrow, potato and shallot bake with smashed garlic and soft herbs

This Georgian twist on an autumn veg bake makes a delicious low-calorie vegetarian meal idea.

Olia says, "This recipe is a combination of something my grandmother always made (when her courgette glut meant some had turned into fat, meaty marrows) and a west Georgian tradition of smashing soft herbs to be stirred into stews to give them an extra layer of head-spinning flavour. It tastes good warm, but I also love it cold with a hunk of bread after a long day."

Grilled lamb with roast fennel and spicy grape relish

Olia Hercules takes the rich, colourful pickings of an autumn harvest and adds an Eastern European twist to this impressive dinner for two.