Bigos (Hunter's Stew) The King of Polish Comfort Food

 Witamy !

Winter is upon most of us and to celebrate the cold weather, while staying indoors, there's no better way than to cook up a big pot of Hunter's Stew - or better known in Polish circles as Bigos - the national comfort food of Poland.  As Peter is working on this post, Chef Laura has a big pot of Bigos simmering on the stove.  We are sharing this recipe again from previous posts, because it is so popular the world over. 

 

This is classic and traditional comfort food at its very best. The base is sauerkraut to which we add kielbasa, bacon, pieces of pork and or beef roast, dried mushroom for distinct flavor, some onion and tomato for background, and basically stew the heck out of it for several hours. It’s even better if prepared the day before, giving all the flavors time to marry and hang out with each other for a while.  

The recipe below is based on a classic Warsaw version handed down from Peter’s Grandmother.  But truth be told there are a “gazillion” varieties of this hearty dish since every town and every village in Poland, and probably every cook has their own version.  As we travel to various Polish heritage festivals around the U.S. with our books and programs, we’ve noticed that the cooks at every church use some Babcia’s recipe.  Each is a bit different and each is always popular so that Bigos is often the first dish on the menu to sell out.  The beauty of Bigos is that the proportions don’t matter that much and the flavors will all come together, no matter how you change things up to make it your own.  

We really like to serve it with some boiled potatoes and black bread on the side.  Peter is a bit more adventurous and will "do" a couple of shots of ice cold Polish vodka. It's the authentic Polish way. 

Peter likes Luksusowa potato vodka because it is very smooth and a great value for the price.  Sometimes he'll pair his meal with a cold beer, but Laura prefers hers with a hearty red wine.

Serves 5-6

1/4 cup dried mushrooms
1/2 cup water
2 pounds sauerkraut
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced (optional) 
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
5 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 cup fully cooked Polish sausage, sliced and quartered
1 cup leftover meat (pork, beef, veal) chopped in 1 inch
         pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped bacon, pre-cooked to render fat

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water until soft.  Transfer the mushrooms and their water to a small pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Drain the mushrooms but be sure to save their the liquid.  Chop the mushrooms into rough pieces. 

Wash the sauerkraut twice, thoroughly squeezing out the water each time.  In a large pot, combine sauerkraut, mushrooms and their reserved liquid.  Add the apple, tomatoes, peppercorns and bay leaf.  Add a little water or broth if needed, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Be sure the liquid doesn’t all boil off. 

Pre-cook the bacon at least half way to render most of the bacon fat and rough-chop.  Add all the meat and bacon.  Cover and simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally.

This dish tastes much better when reheated the next day.  

Serve with potatoes, and crusty dark bread. It pairs well with either icy vodka, hearty red wine like a cabarnet sauvignon, or beer. 

Smacznego!


PS:  This is a great crockpot dish – cook on high for 2 hours then low for about 6 hours.  Reheat the next day until hot throughout. 

 Witamy!  And Happy Thanksgiving!

American Thanksgiving is just a few days away.  In this crazy year of dealing with the Pandemic, customary plans for traditional big feasts must be put aside, in favor of safety and prudence.  Never the less, with a little creativity and an abundance of caution,  a lot of good can happen.

Most of us understand that Thanksgiving is not a classic Polish tradition.  But for the ten million Americans of Polish origin living in the U.S. that’s no reason why we can’t have a fusion of both cuisines – traditional American Holiday                                            fare with a Polish spin.  In fact, after a lifetime of traditional Thanksgiving feasts, adding a Polish twist is a pretty attractive and easy idea. 

The first way is to chop up a few tablespoons of fresh dill and combine with your favorite crouton or bread stuffing, replacing any other herbs that might compete with the dill. Consider that herbs such as sage, thyme, or marjoram just don’t do well next to fresh dill. 

By the way we recently learned that “stuffing” is what you place inside the turkey, but it’s called “dressing” if you bake it outside the turkey.  For many years Laura would stuff the turkey and then bake the left over stuffing in the oven.  But a few years ago she stopped stuffing the turkey after noticing that most of our guests preferred the “dressing.” It was less greasy and gloppy than the stuffing from inside the bird.  Makes sense to me!

So if you added a Polish spin to your stuffing (or dressing)  the rest of the “fusion” will come from the sides you choose. 

We love to do Vegetables Polonaise from Page 65 of our book “Polish Classic Recipes."  Cook the vegetables in salted water, drain, place on a pretty serving platter. Then garnish over the top with a mixture of breadcrumbs that have been sautéed in butter until dry.  So pretty, so colorful and with a new taste profile. 

Another way to enhance your turkey is whip up a small batch of Ćwikła (page 49) – the famed spicy garnish made with shredded beets, and prepared horseradish.  It’s easy:  five parts shredded beets (not the pickled kind), one part horseradish (more or less to taste) and a pinch of sugar.  That’s it.  Make it up a few days ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge.  Taste just before serving...Peter likes to add some horseradish but he likes it hotter. 

Another favorite that pairs well with turkey, is Polish Vegetable Salad  (Page 22)

4 cups cooked, diced potatoes

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained

2 cups frozen peas, cooked and drained

3 large dill pickles, diced (optional)

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

 Salt and pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Mix the potatoes with the vegetables, pickles, onions and dill.  Season with salt and pepper. Mix mayonnaise with sour cream and mustard.  Combine dressing and vegetable mixture.  Chill thoroughly.  Arrange salad in a pretty bowl.  Sprinkle top with the chopped or sliced egg. A few slices of radish and sprigs of dill will add a nice touch of color.  

Our menu has evolved over the years as there are fewer guests coming to dinner and as we reduce the number of dishes and work for the cooks.  Everyone still gets their favorite but our feast is now Gluten Free and Low Carb.  Those are manageable challenges even with dessert.  The turkey dressing relies on croutons made from GF bread, and we’ve cut out potatoes and the pumpkin pie will be made from a GF crust.  

However you celebrate Thanksgiving in your family, it seems that there’s no real one traditional menu any more...culinary traditions vary from family to family as each cook’s version has evolved over the years.  Each family’s Thanksgiving table usually showcases one or more family favorites...some beloved by all and some favored by just one or two.  It’s all about compromise.   Peter is not a fan of green beans sauced with cream of mushroom soup, or sweet potato casserole loaded with marshmallows, but the jellied cranberry sauce, right out of the Ocean Spray can, is an absolute requirement.  Go figure!

Friends, when it’s all said and done, it doesn’t matter so much what’s on the table, be it American, Polish, Italian or Chinese...a turkey, ham or hot dogs.  What matters is that every year we have a new opportunity to give thanks for our blessings.  Hopefully you will be lucky enough to spend it safely with family or friends. 

May your Thanksgiving, be filled with Health, Love, and Harmony!

Laura and Peter

Smacznego! 

Polish Apple Lemon Cake

 

Did you know that Poland is one of the largest exporters of apples in the world?  Poles love apples and Polish apple desserts are famous all around the globe.  Here is a recipe that was passed down from Peter’s Grandmother who received it from a friend back in Warsaw, probably around the turn of the century. 

This is a heritage wonder that features a slight back note of lemon to make the apple sing!  Laura just made this cake a couple of days ago for this picture, and the cut-out sample piece disappeared as soon as we put the camera down.  When we shared the picture with family they all texted their claims for a share right away.  Before we knew it there were only a couple of pieces left for us to save in the freezer.  It’ll go so well as an afternoon snack (podwieczorek) with coffee or tea.

CAKE:

½ cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 ¾ cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

  2 medium baking apples, pared, cored & sliced into ¼ inch slices.

  2 additional teaspoons sugar

  Place the softened butter and ¾ cup of sugar in the bowl of a   standing mixer.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat on medium   speed until the mixture is pale yellow, light and fluffy.  Add the   flour, baking powder and lemon rind and beat for 4 minutes.  Turn    into a greased 9-inch spring-form pan.

Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter. Sprinkle the top with sugar.  Bake 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.  Remove the cake from the oven, brush the apples on top with the glaze and let cool.  .    

GLAZE:
½ cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt the jam in a small saucepan, add the lemon juice and stir until smooth.  Leave the pan on low heat so the glaze remains spreadable, until the cake is done.  It’s even better with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 

Smacznego!