Poached Salmon With a Polish Twist

Witamy!

TGIF (Thank God Its Friday)!  You’ve had a tough week and you don’t feel like cooking a big meal.  All you want to do is catch your breath, relax, maybe have a light supper and get ready for the weekend.  Here’s a light dish, served at room temperature,  that’s perfect for a busy Friday after a long hard week.  You can prep it early and let it sit while you unwind. 

SERVES 6

6 small salmon steaks

2 celery stalks

2 small onions

2 parsnips

2 carrots

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt to taste

12 medium shrimp, deveined, cooked, peeled

12 rolled anchovy fillets

3 canned beets, sliced and drained

1 large cucumber, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh dill

Aioli:

½ cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

First, make the aioli by whisking the lemon juice, garlic, and salt & pepper to into the mayonnaise.  Add the lemon juice and salt very slowly and keep tasting until you’re happy with the flavor.  Refrigerate.

Place the salmon, celery, onions, parsnips and carrots into a large saucepan.  Cover with boiling water, season with salt, and poach at a low simmer for 20 minutes.  Take off the heat and throw in some ice to cool down the water to stop the cooking process.  When the water is cool, discard the vegetables, drain the fish and pat dry.

On a long serving platter, arrange the salmon steaks in the middle in a row.  Place one shrimp and one anchovy on each side of each salmon steak.  Alternate the cucumber and beet slices as you arrange them around the fish steaks.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle the fish and vegetables with lemon juice.  Garnish with the aioli.  Sprinkle dill over the entire platter.

Now it’s time for the platter and you to rest.  Sit down, enjoy your favorite beverage and relax until it’s time to dine.  Serve at room temperature.

Smacznego

New Year’s Pork Loin With Fruit, Polish Style

Witamy!  Happy New Year!

Poles love pork and enjoy it prepared in dozens of ways.  In our house we always enjoy a pork loin on New Year’s Day, swimming in caraway flavored sauerkraut, served with buttery mashed potatoes and bright, fresh, vegetables.  And we always stick a couple of hot dogs or brats in the sauerkraut for anyone at the table who prefers “tube steak.”

Pork loin roasts are extremely versatile but there are a few tips to keep them moist. 

* 1^st, we always buy the kind that is tied together with butchers’ string. That means there are usually two pieces with a small layer of pork fat between the pieces which adds the goodness of flavor and moisture during roasting.  So don’t remove it. 

* 2^nd, always cook your pork low and slow.

* 3^rd, always brown the pork first to create an outside crust that will help the meat retain its natural moisture.

* 4^th, be sure to use a quick-read digital meat thermometer -- the latest guideline from culinary scientists suggests that pork will be safe when the internal temperature reaches 145°F followed by a three-minute rest time, and is a little pink inside.  But frankly we like it better at 160°F.

* Finally, cook your roast in something moist...whether its sauerkraut, or apples, or prunes, and baste often with the liquid.  Your pork roast will always be a winner if you follow these simple tips. 

Here’s a recipe for a Polish favorite – Pork Loin with Fruit – it is often prepared with prunes but feel free to substitute any fruit you wish – apple slices or drained peaches work well.

Pork Loin with Fruit

Schab z Owocami

4 to 6 pound pork loin, boneless

2 tablespoons coarse salt

2 to 3 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons boiling water

2 tablespoon bacon drippings (or cooking oil such as canola)

12 ounces of pitted prunes or peeled apple slices or drained peach slices

Sprinkle the meat with salt and flour.  Brown thoroughly in a hot skillet in the drippings and set the roast into your roasting/braising pan.  Loosen the drippings in the skillet, whisk them together with boiling water and pour the mixture over the roast.  Bake at 325°F for about 40 minutes per pound.  Baste often.  For the last hour, add the prunes, or apples, or peaches, to the pan.  Remove from oven when the internal temp reaches 150°F.  Tent with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.  

Make the sauce while the roast is resting.  Pour off the liquid, whisk in a little flour and bring to a low boil, whisking continuously.  Slice the meat into portion sizes and place on a warmed serving platter.  Strain the sauce through a sieve and pour over the sliced meat.  Garnish with the fruit. 

Serve with potatoes, red cabbage and dill pickles. Pair with a light red wine or a slightly sweet pinot gris.  Smacznego!

Give The Gift of Heritage

Witamy! 

 

Thanksgiving is over and it is time to turn our attention to holiday gifting.

Amazing food is in our genes and it’s in our history! Poles everywhere love to eat and traditional Polish cuisine is as rich in flavors as Poland’s history is rich in customs and traditions.  Many Polish traditions involve food, especially at Christmas and Easter.  And as the younger generations move farther away from our parents and grandparents who grew up with these traditions and foods, it is important to preserve what was left to us by those that came before us. 

When Peter & Laura started writing their first book, it was really about updating The Art of Polish Cooking, by Alina Zeranska – Peter’s mother.  Her iconic cook book is still available in many on-line book stores, but it was written before the days of standing mixers, immersion blenders, or microwaves.  So the goal was to produce a new book based on traditional cuisine.

Now there are two.  As each book was released, Peter & Laura spent a lot of time on the road signing their books at Polish heritage festivals, book fairs, and many Polish church gatherings.  Everywhere new friends tell their stories about growing up with the traditions and with these dishes.  So they quickly learned that their books have become a way to bring back the memories and to preserve the culinary culture for those who don’t have frequent opportunities to taste these heritage dishes.

Each book showcases classic heritage dishes that have thrived over many generations.  Each is true to its roots, just updated for modern kitchen tools.  Each recipe has been thoroughly tested and Laura included a lot of tips and hints to help even the least experienced home cooks produce a successful dish.  Each book features over 100 stunning photographs. 

Most of Peter and Laura’s new friends who purchased these books, fall into three groups:  1)  those who want to help their grown children to reconnect with their Polish roots;  2) those younger generations who want to relive the memories of the food from their childhoods;  3) others who experienced Polish culture and food through Polish friends and want to experience those fabulous tastes again. 

Christmas is literally right around the corner, so here is a great way, with one click, to take care of your shopping.  Polish Classic Recipes and Polish Classic Desserts will make great gifts.  Everyone who looks at them just loves them.  So please just click on the title images at the top.  That links to a PayPal page and you can receive your personally signed and dedicated books in just a few days. 

Wesołych świąt i smacznego!