Tag: Hard Boiled Eggs

Herring Salad 3

  • This makes a super all in one lunch.
  • It has many classic Polish ingredients: beetroot, hardboiled eggs. herrings and horseradish.
  • The garlic chives grow well in my garden – they are lovely for a garnish – the flowers are super to eat.

INGREDIENTS

  • Shredded lettuce
  • Bottled herrings & the onions
  • Milk to soak the herrings
  • 2 large steamed beetroots – peeled and chopped.
  • 4 hardboiled eggs – chopped
  • Juice from 1 lemon.
  • *
  • Flowers from garlic chives (or chopped garlic chives or chives)
  • *
  • Horseradish sauce to serve

METHOD

  • Drain the herrings and onions from the liquid.
  • Soak the herrings in milk for  couple of hours to remove a lot of the salt.
  • Chop the herring into small pieces.
  • In a dish place the shredded lettuce at the bottom.
  • Layer up with the eggs, beetroots, herrings and the onions from the jar.
  • Pour the lemon juice over them.
  • Lightly mix the ingredients.
  • Sprinkle garlic chive flowers over the top if available (or chopped chives)
  • *
  • Serve with a large dollop of horseradish sauce.

Fish Pie

  • This is a popular dish in the North of England.
  • Although it is called a ‘pie’ it is not topped with pastry but with mashed potatoes.
  • This is a simple, more traditional version using just white fish.
  • Haddock would have been the most common fish used in the past, here Basa was used.
  • This could easily be made in Poland.
  • Everyone loved this so I have included it in my recipes.

INGREDIENTS

300-400g of white fish

400ml of milk

2 tablespoons of plain flour

2 tablespoons of butter

50g of cheddar cheese – grated

2 hard boiled eggs

Flat leafed parsley – chopped.

Salt & pepper

*

400 – 600g of starchy potatoes – depends on the size of the top of the dish being used

Butter & milk to make mashed potatoes

METHOD

Pre-heat the over to GM4 – 180°C.

Have ready a rectangular or round deep oven proof dish.

Peel and boil the potatoes.

Drain and mash the potatoes with butter and milk.

*

Poach the fish in the milk.

Drain the poached fish, break into small pieces and place them in the dish.

Cut the eggs into halves or quarters.

Place the cut eggs on top of the fish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Use the milk for the poaching and the flour and butter to make a sauce.

Add the grated cheese and mix well.

Pour the sauce over the fish and eggs and mix slightly.

*

Cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes.

Use a fork to make patterns in the top.

Bake for around 44 – 55 minutes.

*

Serve with green vegetables such as peas, green beans or cabbage.

Stuffed Eggs

  • This dish is one often found on buffet tables in Poland.
  • It is easy to make in advance.
  • It could also be served as an hor d’oeuvre.
  • It works well will any tinned fish.
  • The hardest part is peeling the hardboiled eggs.
  • Did you know that very fresh eggs are the hardest to peel?
  • It is better to boil eggs that are slightly older.
  • They can be served on a bed of lettuce with sliced lemons.

Ingredients

  • 6 or more hard boiled eggs – large are best
  • 1 small tin of salmon, tuna or sardines – drained
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • *
  • Flat leaved parsley to garnish
  • *
  • OPTION – 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup instead of 1 of the mayonnaise. 

Method

  • Hard boil the eggs and leave to cool completely.
  • Carefully peel the eggs.
  • Cut the eggs in half.
  • The yolks are used in the filling.
  • In a bowl use a fork to mix the yolks, fish, lemon juice and mayonnaise.
  • Put a large tablespoonful of fish mixture into each egg white hollow.
  • Arrange the eggs on the serving plate with the flat leaved parsley.
  • Grind some black pepper over the tops.

Tartar Sauce

  • Sos tartarski  is a classic cold sauce in Poland.
  • Books say that this is a French sauce but they must have been influenced by Polish ingredients!
  • Usually served with fish (hot or cold) or hard- boiled eggs.
  • Very easy to make especially if using bought mayonnaise.
  • Use the best bought mayonnaise – full fat not the reduced type. 
  • I usually use Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
  • Soured cream and lemon juice can also be added.
  • Amounts are not fixed but you are aiming for a soft dropping sauce.

Ingredients

  • 4- 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 2 -3 gherkins
  • 1-2 tablespoons of capers
  • 1-2 tablespoons of soured cream
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • *
  • Some chopped fresh dill to serve – if available.

Method 

  • Mix the mayonnaise, soured cream and lemon juice to a soft dropping density.
  • Chop the gherkins into small pieces.
  • Stir the chopped gherkins and capers into the mayonnaise mixture.
  • Put the sauce into a serving bowl and sprinkle the dill on top.

Mixed Vegetable Sałatka – another version

  • This recipe is a slightly different take on the classic Polish mixed vegetable salad.
  • Rather than potatoes, I used boiled parsnips and carrots.
  • This is a salad you can tinker with often – depending on the ingredients you have at hand. 

Ingredients

  • 2 – 3 cooked carrots cut onto small pieces
  • 2-3 cooked parsnips cut into small pieces
  • 1-2 gherkins cut into small pieces
  • Bunch of spring onions cut into small pieces
  • 3-4 hardboiled eggs – cut into small chunks
  • 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise 
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

  • Mix all the vegetable together.
  • Add the mayonnaise and mix all together.
  • Season to taste.
  • Place in a dish.
  • Add the eggs and spring onions on top.
  • Mix together when serving.

The dish is Freiberg – Cordoflam made in East Germany.

Tuna Salad with French Beans

  • One of my friends from Leeds came round yesterday with freshly picked produce from her allotment.
  • Green & Purple French beans were amongst them.
  • I topped and tailed these and steamed them.
  • Sadly the beautiful purple ones loose their colour and are just a slightly darker green than the others.
  • I served some of them with buttered dried breadcrumbs – à la Polonaise and
  • Used the rest, cold, in this tinned tuna salad with other ingredients I had in my store cupboard and freezer. 
  • The proportions are not so important.

Ingredients

  • 1 tin of tuna chunks- in brine or oil
  • Crisp lettuce leaves 
  • Steamed French beans
  • Cooked peas
  • Cooked sweetcorn – frozen or tinned
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

  • Chop the French beans into small pieces.
  • Mix these with the peas and sweetcorn
  • Drain the tuna from the brine or oil and break up the chunks.
  • Mix the tuna with the cooked vegetables.
  • Add the lemon juice and mayonnaise and mix well.
  • Season to taste.
  • Shred the lettuce leaves.
  • Arrange lettuce leaves over a large plate plate or a shallow bowl.
  • Place the tuna mixture on top of the lettuce leaves.
  • Chop the hard boiled eggs into small pieces and sprinkle these over the top of the tuna mixture.

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

 

 

Chłodnik- 5- with Gherkins

Here is another classic, chilled starter for a summer’s day.  It will be the last for this summer –  I will be looking out for more for next year!

Ingredients

  • 3 -4 gherkins
  • Spring onion – green parts or chives
  • 500ml of yoghurt
  • Handful of dill
  • Gherkin liquor and cold water
  • Salt & Pepper & Sugar to taste
  • *
  • Hard boiled eggs to serve

Method

  • Chop the gherkins into small pieces.
  • Chop the spring onions or chives into small pieces.
  • Chop the dill into small pieces.
  • Thin down the yoghurt with gherkin liquor and water to suit.
  • Mix with the chopped gherkins.
  • Add dill and spring onions or chives.
  • Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Chill in the fridge for several hours.
  • *
  • Sprinkle with chopped hard boiled eggs to serve.

 

Served in Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 – 1998

Chłodnik – 3 – Beetroot & Cucumber

This chilled soup is a refreshing start to a meal in summer.

Beetroot concentrate is used in this easy version.

Ingredients

  • Half  a cucumber
  • Spring onion – green parts or chives
  • 500ml of yoghurt or 300ml soured cream & lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons of beetroot concentrate
  • Handful of dill
  • Lemon juice and cold water
  • Salt & Pepper & Sugar to taste
  • *
  • Hard boiled eggs to serve – ½ egg per person

Method

  • Part peel the cucumber length-ways to give stripes.
  • Chop the cucumber into small cubes.
  • Chop the spring onions or chives into small pieces.
  • Chop the dill into small pieces.
  • Mix the yoghurt or soured cream & lemon juice with the beetroot concentrate.
  • Thin this down with lemon juice and water to suit.
  • Mix with the chopped cucumber.
  • Add dill and spring onions or chives.
  • Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Chill in the fridge for several hours.
  • *
  • Serve with quarters of hard boiled eggs and a sprinkle of chives.

 

 

Served in Tapestry  by Royal Doulton – 1966 – 1988

Chłodnik – 2 – Beetroot & Gherkin

Chłodnik means coolant and it is a refreshing start to a meal in summer.

This classic version is usually make with botwiny for which I cannot find a good translation into English.

Botwiny are young beetroots with the stalks and some leaves still attached. In Poland you can buy bunches of these for sale or you can pick them early from your garden or allotment.  Here in England I have not see them for sale so if you want them you will have to grow them for yourself.

If you do have some you use all the parts – the roots, stalks and the leaves otherwise you just use cooked beetroot.

The classic version uses soured milk but unless you have access to this then Greek style natural yoghurt or soured cream and lemon juice are good alternatives.

I use beetroot concentrate which is convenient and very tasty.

 

1 tablespoon of beetroot concentrate to 250ml of yoghurt is a good proportion.

Ingredients

  • 250g of cooked beetroots
  • 3-4 gherkins
  • Spring onion – green parts or chives
  • 500ml of yoghurt or 300ml soured cream
  • 2 tablespoons of beetroot concentrate
  • Handful of dill
  • Lemon juice and gherkin liquor and cold water
  • Salt & Pepper & Sugar to taste
  • *
  • Hard boiled eggs to serve – ½ egg per person

Method

  • Chop the beetroot into small cubes.
  • Chop the gherkins into small cubes.
  • Chop the spring onions or chives into small pieces.
  • Chop the dill into small pieces.
  • Mix the yoghurt or soured cream & lemon juice with the beetroot concentrate.
  • Thin this down with lemon juice, gherkin liquor & water to suit.
  • Add the chopped beetroots, gherkins, dill and spring onions or chives.
  • Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Chill in the fridge for several hours.
  • *
  • Serve with quarters of hard boiled eggs and a sprinkle of chives or dill.

 

Served in Carnation by Royal Doulton – 1982 – 1998