Gdańskie brukowce

  • Gdańskie brukowce – means cobblestones from Gdańsk.
  • These are a form or pierniki  – honey spice cakes – that I have not come across before.
  • There are soft bits and crunchy bits.
  • They have been baked by the Pellowski bakery, established in 1922, to a secret recipe but the ingredients are stated on the packaging – including:
  • rye flour
  • sugar
  • golden syrup
  • vegetable fats
  • Polish plum jam
  • cocoa
  • spices – (inc – cinnamon and cloves) 
  • lemon juice.

They are rather like piernik – chopped up, mixed with cocoa or chocolate and Polish plum jam – powidło – and coated with a sugar glaze.

If you get the chance to try them do so – they are delicious.

I do not think I can recreate this recipe but  here below are links to my previous piernik recipes.

They were originally baked for the St Dominic’s fair – Jarmark Dominika – which takes place at the end of July and the beginning of August.

Boeuf à la mode

  • Boeuf à la mode or Beef à la mode is a French dish made using tough cuts of beef braised in stock and wine, which was very popular especially in Victorian times in England.

  • It would go down well in Poland as this slow cooking of tougher beef is very popular.

  • This recipe is based on one found in:

    All About Cookery New Edition by Mrs Beeton, published by Ward Lock Ltd in 1911

  • Originally the brisket was larded – fat introduced inside – here fatty bacon is placed on top whilst it is cooking.

  • A large dish with a lid such as a Dutch Oven would have been used.

  • Here the dish was cooked in a Slow cooker.

  • Everyone thought this beef was wonderful.

Ingredients

Piece of brisket – around 1.4 kilo

4 slices of fatty streaky bacon

2-3 large tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of plain flour

2 onions – 1 diced – 1 sliced

3 large carrots

6 – 8 celery celery stalks

250ml of red wine

500ml of chicken stock

2 cloves

4 allspice grains

6 peppercorns

1 bouquet garni

Juice of ½ a lemon

Salt

*

Cornflour to thicken the gravy – optional

Method

Place the meat in a basin with the wine, the diced onion, lemon juice, cloves, allspice, the bouquet garni, peppercorn and salt.

Leave in the marinade for at least 2 hours, basting occasionally.

*

Have ready a slow cooker large enough for the meat.

Peel and chop the carrots into thick chunks.

Cut the celery stalks into thirds or quarters.

Put the carrots and celery into the slow cooker.

*

Melt the butter in a large frying pan.

Drain the meat from the marinade.

Brown the meat on all sides.

Place the meat into the slow cooker.

Add strips of bacon to the top.

Fix them with cocktail sticks.

*

Lightly fry the sliced onion in the same pan used for the meat.

Add the flour to the fried onions and heat till brown.

*

Strain the marinade liquid from the onions and spices.

Add the onions and spices to the slow cooker.

*

Add the marinade liquid to the flour and onions.

Heat gently and stir till boiling.

Add the stock and heat till boiling again.

Pour the mixture over the meat.

*

Cover the pot and cook for around 6 hours.

Lower the heat and cook for another 2 hours.

Depending on the slow cooker timings might need to be adjusted.

*

(Original was cooked in an oven for 3 hours).

*

Take the meat and carrots out and put on a warmed platter to serve.

Cut the meat into thick slices when serving.

Strain the rest of the cooking liquid to serve as a gravy.

This can be thickened with cornflour if necessary.

*

Mashed potatoes go well with this – to mop up all the gravy!

Mincemeat Buns

  • I could have called these babeczki – little cakes – however the main ingredients fruit mincemeat is not something you would find in Poland.
  • I still had a half a large jar of mincemeat left from last Christmas and was thinking ahead to making more for this Christmas.
  • I decided to make some small buns based on the ingredients for keks – using mincemeat.
  • They were voted a huge hit!

Ingredients

  • 150g butter
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 225g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 50g sultanas or raisins
  • 25g mixed peel
  • 400g of mincemeat (exact amount is not that critical
  • 3 eggs

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • Lightly cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs, one by one
  • Stir in the mincemeat and the dried fruit until it is an even consistency.
  • Mix the flour with the baking powder
  • Stir the flour into the cake mixture.
  • Use bun cases in a bun/muffin tray.
  • Place around 1 ½ –  2 tablespoons of mixture into each case.
  • I made 16 but could have made a few fewer.
  • Bake for around 20 minutes
  • Leave to cool in the tin.

Cake Plate by Heathcote – Made in England

Liver with Plums

  • As you may know from previous posts I love liver.
  • I saw this combination of liver and plums and thought I had to try it.
  • I used lamb’s liver – in Poland calves’ or pig’s liver would be more usual.

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 – 500g liver
  • 7-8 sour plums
  • 2 onions
  • Butter to fry onions
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • ¼ teaspoon of dried marjoram or mixed italian herbs.
  • Salt and pepper
  • *
  • Optional – icing sugar – small amount

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Butter an oven proof  – rectangular or square dish,
  • Cut the onions into thin slices.
  • Cut the plums into two and remove the stones.
  • Fry gently in butter till golden.
  • Cut the liver into thin slices.
  • Place the fried onion on the base of the dish.
  • Place the liver on top.
  • Season with herbs and salt and pepper.
  • Place the plums cut side down to cover the liver.
  • Optional – sprinkle the top with a little icing sugar.
  • Bake in the oven for around 30-35 minutes.

Vintage Pyrex dish

Salad Dressing

  • This is a variation on a traditional salad dressing.
  • Mayonnaise is often used especially on cabbage salads (coleslaw).
  • I often mix in some Greek style yoghurt.
  • *
  • I was given this variation last week and it does add a nice little kick.
  • *
  • Equal Amounts of Mayonnaise: Greek Yoghurt: Cream of Horseradish Sauce.
  • *
  • 2  tablespoons of each should be more than enough for a whole shredded cabbage.
  • *
  • Full fat for both the mayonnaise and yoghurt is the best.
  • *
  • Not tested  – but I am sure this will go well with boiled potato salad.

Salads in Bavarian China

NOTE

  • The horseradish does become milder and losses it kick if left for a longer time eg overnight.
  • Best to add this dressing about an hour before the salads are needed so any fruits and nuts soften but the horseradish still has the kick. 

Pumpkin Soup

  • All the shops here in England are filled with pumpkins for Halloween, which is celebrated by many.
  • In Poland it is the Christian feasts of All Saints & All Souls on November 1st & 2nd that are celebrated with many people trying to get home to their relatives graves to clean them up and put grave candles on them.
  • As there are all these pumpkins – dynia -in Polish- I thought I would try out a pumpkin soup.
  • This is a very tasty yet simple soup.
  • I have added a couple of options.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pumpkin – small to medium – around 500g of flesh.
  • 1 large onion
  • Butter for frying the onion
  • 1½ litres of vegetable or chicken stock
  • ¼ teaspoon of ground paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • *
  • OPTION 1 – ½ a red pepper
  • OPTION 2 – 1 red pepper
  • OPTION 3 – roasted pumpkin seeds (not tested)

METHOD

  • Peel the skin off the pumpkin.
  • Cut the pumpkin into pieces – leaving the core.
  • Cut the flesh into small chunks.
  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Fry the onion until it is golden – even turning slightly brown.
  • Add the pumpkin and the fried onion to the stock and heat to boiling.
  • Turn down to simmer.
  • Simmer until the pumpkin flesh is soft.
  • Add the paprika.
  • Use a stick blender to purée the soup.
  • Bring back to boiling and serve straight away.
  • *
  • OPTION 1
  • Chop up ½ a red pepper and blanch and simmer for a few minutes.
  • Add some to each serving of soup.
  • *
  • OPTION 2
  • Chop up  1 pepper and add it after you have puréed the soup.
  • Simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • *
  • OPTION 3 – NOT TESTED
  • Add some roasted pumpkin seeds to each serving.
  • You can clean up and roast the pumpkin seeds from your own pumpkin.
  • *
  • Royal Doulton Carnation rimmed soup plate 
  • Royal Doulton Burgundy rimmed soup plate 
  • Johnson Snowhite bowl.

Coconut Cake

  • This is a simple recipe inspired by a large cake recipe in ‘All About Cookery New Edition’, by Mrs Beeton published in 1911.

  • Mrs Beeton writes “ … dessicated cocoanut is now sold at a moderate price, and its use saves much trouble and labour.”

  • Coconuts are the edible fruit of Cocos nucifera, – kokos in Polish, and probably originated in the area of Indonesia and Malaya and then spread to India.

  • Marco Polo came across coconuts and they were then called Pharaoh’s nuts as they were found in Egypt.
  • Venetians were trading in coconuts by the 13th Century.
  • William Dampier (1651-1715), a buccaneer and explorer brought coconuts to England though they did not become popular until the early 19th century.
  • *
  • My father was not keen on coconut so this was not a recipe my mother made.
  • I originally made this cake in a round tin but have now also also tried it out in a rectangular tin, which makes it easier to slice and portion out.

INGREDIENTS

150g butter

150g caster sugar

200g plain flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

75g dessicated coconut

2 eggs

4 to 5 tablespoons of milk

*

2 tablespoons of apricot or strawberry jam

3 tablespoons of dessicated coconut

METHOD

Pre-heat the over to GM4 – 180°C.

Grease and line or use a cake liner in a 20cm high sided cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat again.

Mix the flour, baking powder and coconut together.

Fold this into the mixture.

Add enough milk to make a soft mixture.

Put into the cake tin – flatten the top.

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.

*

Leave the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

Take the cake out of the tin.

Mix the jam with ½ a tablespoon of water and heat gently.

Brush the top of the cake with the jam.

Sprinkle the coconut on top of the jam.

*

Alternative size

26 x 20 cm rectangular cake tin.

Line 3 sides with one piece of greaseproof paper.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Colclough Stardust & Duchess Bramble Rose tea plates

Courgette Soup – 2

  • This is a more hefty soup than my other courgette soup recipe.
  • The addition of honey and pears adds a  lovely sweetness.
  • But the lemon stops it being too sickly.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 courgettes
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 2 pears
  • 1 litre of vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 1 lemon rind & juice
  • *
  • Optional to serve
  • Chopped chives or flat leafed parsley.
  • Cooked Pasta

METHOD

  • Chop the courgettes into small pieces.
  • Peel the potatoes and chop into small pieces.
  • Peel and core the pears then chop into small pieces.
  • Bring the stock to the boil and add the courgettes and potatoes.
  • Simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • Add the pears and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Take the pan off the heat and liquidise the soup with  a stick blender.
  • *
  • Bring back to simmer.
  • Add the honey, lemon rind & juice, stir and serve.
  • *
  • Add chopped chives or flat leafed parsley if you have some.
  • *
  • You can also serve this with cooked chunky pasta.

Royal Stafford Blossom Time rimmed soup plate & Royal Doulton Carnation soup bowl

Brown Onion Gravy – 2

  • I came across this simple English recipe for onion gravy or sauce, which appeared in a cookbook of 1852.
  • The gravy was served with roast poultry.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 onions
  • 3-4 sprigs of thyme
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
  • 500ml of water
  • Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

  • Chop the onions into small pieces.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions and thyme.
  • Fry with stirring until the onions are brown.
  • Sprinkle over them the sugar.
  • Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
  • Add the water and mix well.
  • Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
  • Sieve the gravy and season to taste.
  • *
  • Pour the gravy over the cooked bird/roast meat and serve.
  • *
  • NOTE
  • A roast chicken was used for testing the gravy.
  • *
  • Or you can serve the gravy separately.

White Fish & Pepper Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 onions
  • 2 red peppers
  • Around 250g of white fish – cod, plaice, basa etc
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon hot paprika
  • A little sunflower oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • *
  • Optional – chopped parsley or chives to garnish 

Method

  • Cut the onion in half and then slice it thinly.
  • De-seed the peppers and then cut into long thin slices.
  • Lightly fry the onion and peppers in a little sunflower oil till soft.
  • Add the paprika and the vegetable stock.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
  • Add the pieces of fish and simmer for around 15 minutes.
  • Take out the fish, remove any skin and cut into chunks.
  • Put the fish back into the soup.
  • Stir.
  • Season if necessary.
  • *
  • Garnish with green herbs if you have them.
  • *
  •  Great with crusty French style bread.

Served in a Royal Doulton Burgundy rimmed soup plate.