Kulebiak with Cabbage & Mushrooms

• Kulebiak is the nearest there is in Polish Cookery to a pie or a pasty.
• It can be made with a yeast dough, a short crust type of pastry or puff pastry.
• It is very much a large version of   paszteciki – the small savoury pastries,  which I posted in November 2019.
• Popular fillings include cabbage & mushrooms of various sorts, hard boiled eggs and fish.
• Many people serve this for Wigilia –  the Christmas Eve meal.
• Sometimes the several fillings are put in as layers.
• Here I have made it with a yeast dough with a fresh cabbage and fresh mushroom filling.
• It is best served hot.
• *
• In the early part of the 20th century Auguste Escoffier, the French chef, wrote about this dish and called it Coulibiac.
• Was this the start of dishes such as Salmon en croute?

Ingredients – Yeast Dough

• 250g plain flour or a mixture of spelt & plain flour
• 1 tablespoon of dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 125-150ml of milk
• 1 egg & 1 yolk
• 40g butter – melted
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg white & water for a glaze

Method – Yeast Dough

• Put 50g of the flour into a bowl.
• Add the yeast and sugar.
• Add enough of the milk to make the mixture as thick as double cream.
• Leave in a warm place to bubble and froth up.
• *
• Place the rest of the flour into a bowl.
• Add the salt and mix.
• Lightly beat the whole egg  and the yolk together.
• Add the egg mixture to the flour.
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour.
• Start to mix together using a wooden spoon.
• Slowly add as much milk as needed.
• Bring the dough together using your hands until it leaves the side of the bowl.
• Knead the dough lightly until it is smooth.
• *
• Flatten the dough into a rectangle.
• Slowly pour on the butter and fold over the dough.
• Keep kneading the buttery dough until it is all incorporated.
• Knead a little longer until you have a nice glossy ball.
• Put the dough back into a bowl.
• Cover with a cloth or a shower cap and leave to rise in a warm place.
• *
• Grease a baking tray.
• Take the pastry and shape into a rough rectangle.
• Roll out into a large rectangle around a finger width in thickness.
• Place the cold filling in the centre lengthwise.
• Fold the two long sides over the filling so the pastry just meets and is not too thick.
• Fold over the short sides.
• Turn the roll over so the “seams” are underneath.
• Place on the baking tray, cover and leave to rise.
• *
• Pre-heat the oven to GM4 180 °C.
• *
• Lightly beat the egg white with a little water and brush this on the top.
• Bake in the oven for around 1 hour.
• *
• Best served hot – but still good cold
• Cut into thick slices to serve.

Ingredients – Filling

• Small head of white cabbage or sweetheart cabbage.
• 250g of mushrooms
• 1 large onion
• 100g of butter
• 2 or more hard boiled eggs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

• Shred and then chop the cabbage into small pieces.
• Chop the onion into small pieces.
• Chop the mushrooms into small pieces.
• Melt the half the butter in a large deep frying pan.
• Slowly cook the onions and the cabbage but do not brown.
• Cover with a lid and let them simmer till they are both soft.
• Stir occasionally – you might need to add a little hot water.
• In another pan melt the rest of the butter and fry the mushrooms.
• Add the mushrooms to the cabbage and onion mixture and mix well.
• Heat gently together to remove all the excess liquid.
• Leave to go cold.
• Rough chop the hard boiled eggs and add them to the mixture.
• Season to taste.

Note – this might be more filling than you need – you can always freeze what is left 

Served on a vintage Pyrex platter and Royal Doulton – Carnation plates – 1982-98