Easy Polish recipes
Polish cuisine is, like much of Easter European cuisine, is very hearty. It is often high in meat and winter vegetables and the dishes can take some time to prepare. The main meal in Poland is traditionally served in the afternoon and follows a three course menu. It is interesting to see some of the influence of Italian cooking in Poland in the name of vegetables like lettuce, leeks and cabbage which are sometimes referred to as Wtoszczyzna which is derived from the Polish name for Italy (Wtochy).
If you've never experienced any Polish cooking, here are a few delicious recipes to try for yourself.
Hunters stew or bilgos
Ingredients
- 2kg pickled cabbage (also known as sauerkraut)
- 6 dried porcini mushrooms
- 500g pork neck fillet
- 1 onion
- 2 smoked sausages
- 6 pork spare ribs
- 450g prunes (pitted)
Method
Place the sauerkraut into a saucepan and blanch with boiling water. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut with cold water.
Cover the dried mushrooms with cold water in a saucepan. Leave them to soak for at least an hour. Now bring them to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes with a pinch of salt.
Cube the pork (make them about 3cm) and brown in a saucepan with a little olive oil.
Chop your onion and add to the pork. Continue frying for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Now add the sausage which should be cut into 1 to 2 cm pieces.
Add the sauerkraut and the prunes and the spare ribs.
Drain and finely slice the mushrooms and add to the stew. Stir everything well and then leave to cook on a low heat for at least an hour. When the sauerkraut is soft, the stew is ready.
Hunters stew is often served in a bread bowl!
White cabbage salad
Ingredients
- Half a savoy cabbage
- 1 Apple
- 1 Carrot
- Half an onion
- 1tsp olive oil
- 1tsp caster sugar
- 1tsp lemon juice
Method
Slice the cabbage and chop the onion. Make sure to get both the cabbage and onion very fine. You can use a grater for this if you prefer - especially for the cabbage. Combine these together
Peel the apple and the carrot and grate them and then add to the cabbage and onion
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and caster sugar.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. A sprinkling of caraway seeds can also add a delicious flavour
Botwinka or Beetroot-Shoot soup
Ingredients
- Stalks and leaves of 6 beetroot
- 4 Pints of meat stock or bouillon
- 1 beetroot root
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 5 hard boiled eggs
- 8 oz single cream
Method
Wash the beetroot leaves and stalks and pat dry. Chop into smallish pieces. Add the leaves and stalks to the stock and simmer for around a quarter of an hour until they are soft.
Press the garlic through a garlic press, mix with salt and add to the stock. Add in the marjoram and the lemon juice.
Wash the beetroot well. Then peel and score with little grooves. Add to the soup and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut the hard boiled eggs into quarters and season to taste.
Serve the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cream and the egg quarters.
Leave the beetroot bulb in the pot.
Daisy Eggs
Ingredients
- 4 Fresh eggs
- 1 tbs parsley, dill and chives chopped fine
Method
Boil the eggs for five to eight minutes (depending on the size). They should be hard boiled.
Run the eggs under cold water and cut the eggs lengthways with a sharp knife. The eggs should still be in their shells
Scoop out the whites and yolks of the eggs and mix them with the parsley, chives and dill. Chop the mixture roughly.
Season to taste and gently place the mixture back into the egg shells
Fry mixture down in butter until they are slightly browned.
Serve
