Plachinda (Moldovan Breads With Cheese and Sorrel)

These flatbreads, called plachinda (placinta in Romanian), are traditionally shallow-fried, but if you prefer you can simply brush the breads with sunflower oil or butter and pop them under the broiler for three minutes on each side. You can also use raw egg instead of cheese—simply mix two eggs with all of the herbs.

Brick-like shop-bought bread in the USSR was scarce and pretty grim. So my mum’s mother, Lusia, used to make these breads instead. The fillings often included a salted fresh cheese, as well as spring onions and dill. Sometimes it would just be heaps of finely chopped herbs. I love to use all the green things I can put my hands on, including spring onions, herbs and sorrel, a beautiful sour leaf which adds extra zing to every bite.