Rosemary & Sultana Buns

  • This recipe is based on an Italian recipe  – Pan di rameniro.
  • These were originally eaten on Holy Thursday.
  • I am sure they would be well loved in Poland.
  • They are both slightly sweet and savoury.
  • *
  • If you want whole buns you will need to use 2 baking sheet.
  • Here only 1 sheet was used and the buns spread into each other slightly

INGREDIENTS

  • 10g of dry yeast
  • 200ml of hand hot water
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • *
  • 300g plain flour
  • *
  • 2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 70g of sultanas
  • 60ml of virgin olive oil + little extra for brushing
  • *
  • Large pinch of salt
  • *
  • 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of water

METHOD

  • Mix the dry yeast, sugar and hand warm water.
  • Leave for around 10 minutes so it gets frolly.
  • *
  • In a large bowl mix the flour with the yeast mixture.
  • Gather the mixture together and mix till you have a smooth ball.
  • Cover the bowl with a cloth or a plastic cover and leave for around 90 minutes.
  • *
  • Remove the rosemary leave from the woody stems.
  • Chop the leaves into small smaller pieces.
  • Mix the olive oil with the rosemary and sultanas – stir ocasionally.
  • *
  • Gather up the sides of the risen dough and form into a rectangle.
  • Pour in the oil mixture and mix together by kneading.
  • NOTE – this can be a little difficult.
  • You might need a little extra flour.
  • Keep on kneading until you have a uniform dough.
  • Flatten this out on  a board and cut into 8 pieces.
  • *
  • With your hands shape each piece into smooth balls.
  • *
  • Place some baking parchment over a baking tray.
  • Place the buns on the tray leaving some room to spread.
  • Cover the tray loosely with a cloth.
  • *
  • Preheat the oven to GM5 – 200°C.
  • Brush the tops of the buns with a little olive oil.
  • With a sharp knife make a noughts and cross grid on each bun.
  • Let them rest for 16 minutes.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
  • *
  • Prepare a sugar glaze by gently heating together 4 tablesoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of water.
  • Brush the cooked buns with the hot syrup.

Brussel Sprouts with Horseradish

  • Although I usually serve Brussel Sprouts with buttered breadcrumbs (à la Polonaise), I am always looking for other ways to serve them.
  • This recipe uses two often used in Polish ingredients – crispy smoked bacon pieces – skwarki and soured cream.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g of Brussel sprouts
  • 6 slices of smoked bacon
  • 3 tablespoons of horseradish sauce
  • 6 tablespoons of soured cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD

  • Steam the Brussel sprouts in the usual way.
  • Chop the bacon into small squares and cook in a frying pan to release all the fat and give you crispy bits – skwarki 
  • Mix the horseradish sauce with the soured cream.
  • Mix the cooked Brussel sprouts, first with the bacon – season to taste –
  • Then add the horseradish soured cream mix.
  • Serve straight away.

Tinned Sprats and Wild Herbs

Spring time and lots of wild herbs are growing.

This is a simple recipe, which can easily be adapted for the ingredients that you have.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tin of sprats – (szprotki – in Polish) in oil
  • 1 red onion – finely chop
  • Handful of flat leaved parsley
  • Several young dandilion leaves ( if not available use rocket leaves)
  • Handful of wild garlic leaves
  • Handful of Garlic chives (these grow in my garden)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

  • Drain off the oil from the sprats (keep as you may need a little).
  • Use a fork to chop up the sprats.
  • Add the red onion.
  • Chop all the herb leaves.
  • Add these to the sprat mixture.
  • Mix well with a fork.
  • Pour the juice of the lemon over the mixture.
  • Add any oil if liked.
  • Season to taste.
  • Delicious as a spread on rye bread.
Fresh garlic chives, growing in the garden
Wild Garlic
Flat Leaved Parsley

Chicken Pierogi Filling

  • One of my Polish friend’s came over and we made pierogi for dinner.
  • We used minced chicken to make the filling.
  • Now this is different to the way I make the filling as I have always used cooked chicken.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g minced chicken
  • 2 onions
  • 1 tablespoon of curry powder or similar
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of water
  • Sunflower oil to fry the meat  and onions.
  • Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

  • Chop the onions into small pieces.
  • Fry the onions in a frying pan.
  • Add the chicken, stir and fry till cooked.
  • Add the curry powder.
  • Add the water and cook for a few minutes.
  • Season to taste.
  • Cook off some of the liquid or drain this away.
  • Cook till dry-ish.
  • Leave to go cold.
  • *
  • Make your pierogi in the usual way.
  • Try the spelt flour dough posted a short while ago.

Ewa’s Pierogi Dough

  • One of my Polish friends, Ewa, came round and we made pierogi by her method.
  • It is not so different to mine but she uses spelt flour- orkiszowa.
  • Spelt flour is a more ancient wheat flour and and is a little different to work with,
  • Ewa used cup measurement but I have converted these into weights.
  • The amount of water needed depends on the flour and this is something you learn to gauge as you work with the dough.

INGREDIENTS

  • Around 300 – 350g Spelt flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 150 – 190ml water – depends on the flour.

METHOD

  • Place the flour in a heap on a large pastry board.
  • Make a well in the centre and add the salt, yolk and oil.
  • Start to add the water and combine the liquid with the flour.
  • Keep adding water and mixing until you have a soft dough.
  • (if you add too much water – add more flour).
  • Make a ball with the dough and knead it well for 5 minutes – set a timer.
  • *
  • Use the dough as you would normally –
  • Best to divide into half and roll each portion out into a thin sheet.
  • *
  • Make the pierogi in the usual way with your favourite fillings.
  • *
  • This  amount of dough should make at least 50 pierogi.
  • Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil.
  • Add half the pierogi and boil them until they rise and float to the surface.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove them – serve or keep warm with a little butter or oil.
  • Repeat for the other half.
  • (Note this is a slightly different way of boiling than I usually use).
  • *
  • Serve with the toppings you would normally use to go with the filling such as butter, fried onion, skwarki (bacon bits) or soured cream etc.

The ones we made were filled with chicken – made in a different way to how I do a chicken filling – see a later post for this – not yet written.

Yoghurt Cheese Salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g of full fat twaróg or yoghurt cheese
  • Bunch of radishes – finely sliced
  • 1 large gherkin – chopped into small cubes
  • Bunch of spring onions – finely chopped – white and green parts
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • *
  • Some Greek style yoghurt or soured cream – may be needed to loosen up the cheese.
  • OPTIONAL
  • ½ fresh cucumber – peeled, deseeded and chopped into small cubes.

METHOD

  • Mix the twaróg or yoghurt cheese with the radishes, gherkins and spring onions.
  • Add the cucumber if using.
  • Add the yoghurt or soured cream if needed.
  • Season to taste.

Celeriac & Potato Placki

  • I saw this recipe in a magazine and thought they would be good.
  • I had a couple of goes at these as the original recipe did not work as the placki just kept falling apart.
  • The potatoes MUST be grated on a fine grater.
  • Some – but not all – of the potato liquid needs to be removed.
  • I added onions to the original recipe.
  • They have a slightly sweet taste because of the celeriac.

INGREDIENTS

  • Around 300 – 500g of peeled celeriac
  • Equal weight of peeled potatoes
  • 2 small onions – chopped very fine or blended.
  • 2 eggs – beaten
  • 3 tablespoons of plain flour
  • Salt & pepper
  • Sunflower oil for frying.

METHOD

  • Grate the celeriac on a coarse grater and place into a bowl.
  • Grate the potato using a fine grater.
  • Use a  cheese cloth to remove some of the potato liquid BUT
  • Keep this liquid as you might need some of it.
  • Mix the grated celeriac and the grated potato.
  • Add the onions and mix well.
  • Add the beaten eggs and 3 tablespoons of flour.
  • If the mixture is very “sloppy” add a little more flour.
  • If the mixture is very dry – add a little of the potato water.
  • You are aiming for a thick mixture.
  • Season with the salt and pepper.
  • *
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan.
  • Fry large tablespoonfuls of mixture at a time.
  • Cook each side on a medium heat.
  • Do not turn the placki too soon – they tend to fall apart.
  • Take care not to burn them.
  • Keep warm in a low oven if you want to serve them all together.
  • *
  • Serve with fried eggs or with a cold twaróg salad (see later post).

Medieval Chicken

  • This in fact is a very old English recipe. 
  • However it could have been made in Poland as grapes grew there in Medieval times.

  • In the original recipe a whole chicken was used and green grapes and sage placed in the cavity.  The chicken was then simmered in stock.

  • In the following  recipe chicken joints with skins on them are used as this seemed nearer the original version.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 to 5 chicken joints with the skin on
  • 80g green grapes + some extra for serving
  • Large tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
  • 200 – 250ml of vegetable or chicken stock
  • 250ml of white wine.
  • *
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinamon
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180ºC.

  • Cook in a roasting dish covered with foil or

  • A roasting dish with a lid.

  • If the grapes are large cut them in half.

  • Place the grapes and chopped sage under the skin of each joint and tuck it back over the flesh.

  • Place the joints in the base of the roasting tin.

  • Put the garlic in-between the joints.

  • Pour the stock and the wine over the chicken.

  • Put the foil or lid over the roasting tin.

  • Cook for 60 to 75 minutes.

  • *

  • Mix the sugar and cinnamon together

  • Sprinkle a little over each joint when serving.

  • *

  • Add a few fresh grapes to serve.

Fresh Cabbage Fritters

  • I have lots of recipes for vegetable fritters/pancakes including one for sauekraut.
  • This one uses a whole cabbage head – this is good if it is a small cabbage.
  • Otherwise I think ½ a head is better.
  • You could use a sweetheart cabbage.
  • Next time I would chop the cabbage into smaller pieces.

INGREDIENTS

  • Whole small white cabbage
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Butter for frying
  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes – optional
  • *
  • Sunflower oil for frying.

METHOD

  • Chop the white cabbage into small pieces.
  • Cook in salted water for around 20 minutes.
  • Drain and pat dry.
  • Leave to cool.
  • You may want to chop the pieces even smaller.
  • Dice the onion and chop the garlic.
  • Fry in butter till golden.
  • Leave till cool.
  • Mix the cabbage and onion mix together.
  • Mix together with the flour, salt and flour.
  • Beaten the eggs and mix everything together.
  • Stir in the chilli flakes.
  • *
  • Make little patties.
  • Fry in sunflower oil for around 4 minutes on each side.
  • Taking care not to burn them.

They taste good with a fried egg or two.

Little Poppy Seed Cakes -2

  • I posted my little poppy seed cakes post in December 2019.
  • I have been using spelt flour – orkiszowa – a bit recently and decided to try these out using this flour.
  • They were delicious – the spelt flour giving them a slightly nutty taste.

Ingredients

  • 180ml of milk (full fat or semi)
  • Around 100ml of runny honey (extra may be needed)
  • 120g of poppy seeds 
  • 50g of raisins
  • Strong Earl Grey tea
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

  • Make some strong Earl Grey tea.
  • Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with the hot tea and leave till they go cold.
  • Into a small saucepan put the poppy seeds and the milk.
  • Bring to the boil then lower the heat.
  • Simmer gently for around 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Take care not to let the mixture burn.
  • Add the honey and continue heating and stirring.
  • Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture and mix them in.
  • Keep stirring and try and drive off any liquid left.
  • Taste for sweetness – you may want to add more honey.
  • Leave to go completely cold before using.
  • Add the grated lemon rind.
  • *
  • If this is too much filling – you can always freeze some.

Yeast Dough

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of fresh yeast
  • 4-5 tablespoons of milk (full fat or semi)
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 250g of spelt flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 120g of butter
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 egg white for glazing (I always use just egg white now – it does not burn as easily as whole egg)

Method

  • Warm 3-4 tablespoons of the milk to hand heat.
  • Add the teaspoon of sugar.
  • Add the yeast and leave it to froth up.
  • Place the flour into a large bowl and add the salt.
  • Cut in the butter with a knife and then make breadcrumbs with your fingers.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Make a well in the centre.
  • Add the egg yolk and the yeast mixture.
  • Use a knife at first to bring the dough together.
  • You may need some of the extra milk.
  • Use your fingers to gather all the ingredients into  a ball.
  • Knead the dough for around 5 minutes till you have a smooth dough.
  • Leave the dough to rest for at least 45 minutes – covered with a tea cloth.
  • ******
  • Grease and line several baking trays.
  • Cut the dough into 3 or 4 portions.
  • Roll the dough out thinly.
  • Use a 6cm cutter to cut out circles.
  • Place a small teaspoon of filling on half of the circles.
  • Place a second pastry circle on top.
  • Use a pastry fork to crimp the edges together making sure they are sealed.
  • Glaze with beaten egg white.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C (quite low for a yeast pastry!).
  • Bake for 12-13 minutes.
  • Dust with icing sugar whilst still warm.
  • Leave to cool.