French Connections

Fasolka po bretonsku

This is Beans in a Breton style and is a very popular dish in Poland.

It is a dish of beans cooked with Polish sausage and smoked bacon in a tomato sauce.

When Lidl, the supermarket,  has a Polish Week they often have jars of this for sale.

I have done some research and can find lots of Polish recipes for this but not a single French or Breton recipe which is similar. So I cannot tell you why this typical Polish dish is associated with Brittany or France.

French Connections

There are however many, many connections with Poland and France – here are just a few:

• Prince Henri de Valois (1551 – 1589) was elected King of Poland and reigned from 1573 to 1575. He resigned to become Henri III of France.
• King Władysław IV Waza (1595 – 1648) – married the French Princess  Louse Marie Gonzaga
• King Jan II Kazimierz Waza (1609 –1672) married Louse Marie Gonzaga when she became the widow of the King  Władysław IV Waza.
• King Jan III Sobieski (1629 –1695) – married Marie Casimire Louise de la Grange d’Arquien.
• Stanisław Leszczński (1677-1766) was King of Poland and then became the Duke of Lorraine.
• His daughter Maria Leszczyńska (1703-1768) became the Queen consort of Louis XV(1710– 1774) of France and was the Grandmother of Louis XVI (1754–1793).
• Poland was an Ally of Napoleon (1769 – 1821) especially in the war against the Russians.

Many Poles went to live and work in France including:

• Adam Mickiewicz (1798 – 1855) – poet
• Fryderyk Chopin (1810 – 1849) – composer
• Cyprian Norwid (1821 – 1883) – poet
• Maria Skłodowska Curie (1867 – 1934) – scientist
• André Citroën (1878-1935) – entrepreneur
• Aleksander (Alexandre) Tansman (1897 – 1986) – composer
• Tadeusz Baird (1928 – 1981) – composer

Ingredients

Note – these quantities do not have to be exact.

• 2 cans of beans (approx 420g each) (haricot, canellini  or barlotti)
• 200g smoked bacon
• 200g Polish sausage, (I used Toruńska and Śląska)
• 2 onions
• 3 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 500ml of hot water
• 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs or marjoram
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika (can use hot paprika)
• 4 grains of allspice
• 2 – 3 bay leaves

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to GM 3 – 160°C.
• Cut the bacon into small squares and fry them up.
• Cut the onions into small pieces and fry these up.

• Drain the beans and place them into an oven proof dish (one that has a lid).
• Add the fried bacon and onions and mix together.

Slice the sausage and add this to the bean mixture.

Mix the tomato puree with the hot water and add the Italian herbs and paprika.

• Pour this over the bean mixture and add the allspice and bay leaves and mix thoroughly.
• Cook in the oven for several hours until the beans are soft.
• This can be eaten as a dish on its own or served with bread.

Note

This is suitable for making in a slow cooker.