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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Polish Mains & Sides

Salatka z Pora i Jablka – Polish Leek and Apple Salad

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Sweet vs. Savory

Americans tend to keep their sweet and savory separate. Fruit in a recipe? That must be a dessert. Savory vegetables? That must be for supper of maybe lunch, certainly not breakfast. For breakfast, we want something sweet. Even when we have a heartier breakfast that might include meats, think of what they are traditionally. Sugar-cured ham, sugar-cured bacon. Toast? Let’s put some jam on that. Admittedly, my knowledge of a Polish breakfast comes from Polish hotel breakfast buffets and a month of eating Polish hospital food. The hotel breakfast buffet, which is, I suspect, much more of a meal that a Polish family would typically eat in the morning (more than anyone typically eats in a morning), often includes salads. I often wondered if they were leftover from a salad bar the evening before or made especially for breakfast. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Salatka z Pora i Jablka – Polish Leek and Apple Salad on a breakfast buffet.

Salatka z Pora i Jablka - Polish Leek and Apple Salad

Sweet and Savory Together

This simple salad of leek and apple does something I see so often in Polish cooking, mixing sweet and savory together. Polish recipes for bigos (a hunters stew) or liver often include prunes and or apple. A cabbage salad will include grated apple. Here we have leek and apple in a simple dressing. The flavors and textures go together beautifully, surprisingly so for my American palate.

Ed loved this salad and suggested that I make when his golfing buddy and his wife come to dinner in a couple of weeks. Even though this is posting during Lent, I think the simple ingredients will still be part of everyone’s meal plan. Unless you’ve given up delicous during this time of fasting and reflection.

If you wanted to jazz this up a bit, you could add a spoon of mayo, sour cream, or plain yogurt, or any combination of the three, but I like it as is. I discovered this salad on the website of Polska Foods, the now defunct maker of organic pierogi.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Salatka z Pora i Jablka – Polish Leek and Apple Salad

★ 1 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

A light salad with the subtle warmth of leek and sweet crisp apple

Ingredients

2 leeks

2 tart apples

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Trim the root end of the leeks, quarter lengthwise from the white end into the light green area, wash out any dirt between the layers, slice the white and light green parts as thin as possible
  • Peel, quarter, and core the apples, again slice as thin as possible
  • Combine the lemon juice, honey, and oil in a bowl, add the sliced leek and apple, toss
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Chill for a few hours to let the flavors meld

Farmer’s Cheese Vegetable Spread

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Batch #1

I first made this spread after a visit to a small Polish dairy farm  because I came home with some of their farmer’s cheese – made from the last evening’s milk.  I’d never used used this cheese before, but I’ve been told most Poles eat it sliced with salt and pepper.  One of my friends likes to have it drizzled with honey. I decided to make a Farmer’s Cheese Vegetable Spread.

My first attempt include such veggies as tomatoes and cucumbers. I’ve decided they contain too much water and make the spread too runny, so they’ve been dropped from subsequent versions.

Farmer's Cheese Vegetable Spread

Batch #2

This savory spead is often seen on hotel breakfast buffets in Poland. It’s delicous on toast, crackers, or as we’ve tried it most recently on the Bialy version of a bagel.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Farmer’s Cheese Vegetable Spread

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: approximatley 2 cups
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A savory cheese spread for toast or crackers

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces farmers cheese or Twaróg
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 radishes, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 – 1 teaspoon salt (if your cheese is already salted use less)
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients
  • Spread on crackers or toast

 

Kluski Śląskie Silesian Dumplings

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Kluski Śląskie Silesian Dumplings come from Silesia, a region in the southwest of Poland (think Wrocław) that also encompasses small bits of Germany and the Czech Republic, but Silesain Dumplings are so popular throughout Poland that they’re readily available in the refrigerator case of supermarkets all over the country, coming in a package that reminds me of brown and serve rolls. They are potato dumplings much like you’ll find all over Central and Eastern Europe except for the addition of the indentation in the center of Silesain Dumplings. The shape has two benefits; it helps the dumpling cook faster and it is a wonderful repository for whatever topping is paired with the dumpling.

Kluski Śląskie Silesian Dumplings

You might choose any number of toppings for your dumplings, meat drippings, sauteed bacon and onions, gravy, or maybe all of these! For a Meatless Monday or a Lenten Supper, you could top them with butter and toasted bread crumbs. A typical Sunday dinner would be these tasty dumplings alongside rolled (stuffed) beef and red cabbage.

I’ve made these twice and was more successful when I wasn’t in a hurry, not trying to get them on the table right away for dinner. The cooked potatoes need to be really dry before you mash them or push them through a ricer. It gives a texture that holds together well in the water.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Kluski Śląskie Silesian Dumplings

★★★★★ 4.5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 15 dumplings
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A potato dumpling with an indentation to hold yummy toppings

Ingredients

  • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • potato starch (1/4 volume of potatoes, see instructions)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water, until tender
  2. Drain thoroughly and mash or rice
  3. Press the mashed potatoes into a bowl and smooth the top
  4. Draw two lines on the top of the potatoes, dividing the mass into fourths
  5. Scoop out 1/4 of the potatoes and fill this space with potato starch, return the potatoes you just scooped out
  6. Add egg and salt, stir until well combined
  7. Roll a small amount of the mixture, about the size of a golf ball, in your hands until smooth
  8. Make an indentation with your thumb and continue smoothing the dumpling
  9. Preparing a large pot of barley simmering salted water
  10. Without overcrowding the pot, place dumplings in water with a slotted spoon
  11. They will rise to the top after a few minutes, if a stubborn one or two stay on the bottom, give them a gentle nudge, they may be stuck
  12. Cook for 5 more minutes, remove with a slotted spoon
  13. Top with with whatever wonderful creation you’re using

 

Krokiety Polish Croquettes

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Krokiety Polish Croquettes are traditionally served along side Barszcz, a spicy beet broth soup or topped with a mushroom sauce or gravy. They’re filled naleśniki or crepes that’s battered with breadcrumbs and fried until beautifully crisp. They are delicious little bits of heaven, and I’m including a couple of shortcuts to tempt you into making them not matter how busy your day is.

Krokiety Polish CroquettesKrokiety Fillings

The filling could take many forms, a mix of vegetables, maybe some meat. Although on Christmas Eve or during Lent you can be sure the filling will be meatless. Just combine flavors that you like.

Veggie fillings should be finely chopped:

  • sautéed mushrooms
  • sautéed onion
  • sautéed cabbage
  • drained sauerkraut
  • grated cooked carrot (from your soup broth if you’re making barszcz)

Meat fillings should be cooked, shredded or ground:

  • chicken
  • turkey
  • beef
  • finely diced ham

Shortcuts

I’ve read some recipes that add egg to the filling to bind it together. I like to use grated cheese, which is quick and easy, or a white sauce. I mix up a bechamel sauce or sos beszamelowy. Here’s Martha Stewart’s recipe. You would just need 1/4 of her recipe, or save a little time with a packet mix or even jarred sauce, the kind of white sauce or Alfredo sauce you might find next to spaghetti sauce in the supermarket. In addition to this substitution, you might even substitute egg roll wrappers for the crepes because when you think about it, these are a lot like egg rolls.

I made these with Barszcz, so for the meat, I just used shortribs, and I picked the meat off the bones after making the broth. They’re equally delicious without meat.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Krokiety Polish Croquettes

Krokiety Polish Croquettes

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 12 krokiety
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Crispy bundles filled with veggie and maybe meat

Ingredients

  • for crepes
  • 1 cups flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • for filling
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 ouces mushrooms, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained
  • 1/2 cup meat of your choice
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese or white sauce (just enough to bind ingredients together)
  • to assemble
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • oil for frying

Instructions

for crepes

  1. Combine flour, milk, water, eggs, melted butter, salt with mixer or blender
  2. Let the batter rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
  3. Heat a small frying pan, 8 or 9 inches, over medium high heat
  4. Brush or spray the pan with oil
  5. Add about 1/4 cup of batter and shake and tilt the pan to spread the batter to coat the bottom of the pan
  6. Cook about 30 seconds, until crepe is set and beginning to brown
  7. Flip crepe and cook another 10 – 20 seconds
  8. Remove, stack on a plate

for the filling

  1. Add butter and chopped mushrooms, and onion to a frying pan and cook until tender
  2. Add sauerkraut, I snipped the kraut with scissors, it seemed easier than dicing, and cooked meat
  3. Add grated cheese or white sauce and stir to combine
  4. Set aside

to assemble

  1. Put approximately 2 tablespoons of filling on a crepe, if the crepe were a clock, position the filling between 10 and 2 o’clock, keeping it about an inch from the edges, fold the top over the filling and fold the sides in and continue rolling
  2. Repeat until you run out of crepes or filling
  3. Whisk egg and water
  4. Carefully dip in rolled crepes in the egg wash and them roll in breadcrumbs
  5. Heat oil, about 1/2 inch deep, to 350 F over high to medium high heat
  6. Carefully place krokiety in hot oil, cooking until golden brown, about one minute on each side
  7. Serve along side Barszcz or with mushroom sauce

 

Homemade Barszcz & Krokiety

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If you enjoy these recipes for homemade Barszcz and Krokiety, how about sharing the love and passing this post along to your friends? 

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day!

Barszcz

Traditional Barszcz is a popular soup throughout Central and Eastern Europe. This winter soup which is rumored to have healing properties is spicy and tart. Not spicy as in heat, but lots of garlic. The tartness comes, in this case, from lemon juice and offsets the natural sweetness of the beets.

I’ve found the flavors are even better after a day or two. It makes great sipping in the evening. The original recipe calls for meaty soup bones. My market didn’t have any, so I bought some very meaty beef short ribs.

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day

All the wonderful ingredients go into a pan. After a good long simmer, everything is strained out and the broth is served.

Barszcz

Krokiety

I’ve made this combination, of homemade barszcz and krokiety, twice. The first time, I made proper herbed crepes, what the Polish would call pancakes, and used the meat from the ribs to make krokiety or croquettes, a common side to accompany barszcz. The meat was mixed with sauerkraut, onion, and mushroom – all finely diced, and bound it together with a cup of bechamel sauce. This filing went into herb crepes; the rolled up little bundles were browned in oil. On Christmas, Eve krokiety will not include meat.

The second time I made this, I was no longer a lady of leisure. I’m now working 40+ hours a week, and as much as I enjoy cooking, I do try to minimize the time I spend on my feet. This time I tried a shortcut  that worked out very well.

I bought a package of egg roll wrappers and used them inplace of the crepes. The filling also included half a cup of diced sauerkraut and enough bechamel sauce ( I made half of this recipe and had a bit to spare.) to bind everything together. The Polish style egg rolls were dipped in beaten egg and then bread crumbs before frying.

This made about 35 egg roll croquettes. They’re delicious with Barszcz or maybe with a mushroom gravy over the top.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Barszcz

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: Approx 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A tart and spicy winter soup to warm the soul!

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 6 small beets, peeled and halved
  • 1 pound meaty beef bones
  • 1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 leek, white and green parts, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
  • 1 long celery stalk
  • 3-4 dried mushrooms
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large pinch of dried marjoram
  • 6 peppercorns
  • About 12 cups odF water, depends on the size of your pot
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or about 4 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the beets, beef bones, carrot, parsnip, onion, leek, celery, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, marjoram, and peppercorns to a Dutch oven or stock pot
  2. Add enough water to the pot to cover the ingredients
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about two hours
  4. Skim off foam as it appears
  5. Strain the soup through a colander
  6. If it tastes watery, cook it down a bit to concentrate the favors
  7. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper, it should taste garlicky and tart
  8. Serve the clear, hot soup in bowls or cups for sipping

 

 

Zapiekanka Polish French Bread Pizza

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If you spend much time at all in Polish cities, you’ll see folks walking around eating long skinny Zapiekanka Polish French Bread Pizza. They always look and smell terrific. Almost two years after my first visit to Poznan, curiosity got the better of me. As I was leaving Sweet Surrender one afternoon, rather than hop on my tram at Most Teatralny, I walked over to another corner of this busy intersection to order my first Zapiekanka.

Zapiekanka Polish French Bread Pizza

Zapiekanka dates back to the 1970s, and the small amount of free enterprise allowed by the Communist government, mała gastronomia, travel trailers or food trucks serving simple street food. Zapiekanka’s base is a baguette, cut in half lengthwise. Traditionally, it’s topped with mushrooms, melted cheese and on the very top, a squirt of ketchup. 

With food scarcity a thing of the past, Zapiekanka now comes with mind boggling topping choices. I think my first was kebab meat. The ones we made at home recently, had a slice of ham, sauteed mushrooms, cheese, and were topped with ketchup and everyone’s favorite garlic sauce, sos czosnkowy.

I made my own garlic sauce which is so versatile. You’ll find so many ways to use it! Ed pronounced it very Polish tasting and the perfect finishing touch. My prescribed recipe below is very basic, add to it as you choose just be sure to keep the melted cheese and sauces on top. For protein, you might try BBQed meat, cooked bacon, or salami. As you saute the sliced mushrooms, maybe you’d like to toss in some sliced onion or bell pepper.

As for the cheese, make it something that will melt well, cheddar, mozzarella, even Oscypek if you’re lucky enough to have some. To be authentic, add a squirt of ketchup on top of your Zapiekanka as it comes out of the oven, and any other sauce you like, garlic sauce, ranch, or 1000 island dressing. The amounts listed below are really just guidelines, like sandwich, soup, or pizza making, the rules aren’t so strict.

I look forward to hearing what toppings you’ve put together. We thought our homemade Zapiekanka were delicious!

Smacznego!

Lois

PS – this explains why Poles are likely to put ketchup on pizza, even though it already has a red sauce!

Zapiekanka Polish French Bread Pizza

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Zapiekanka Polish French Bread Pizza

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Poland’s colorful and delicioius street food!

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread
  • Ham, sliced thin (enough to cover the bread)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cups cheese, grated
  • Ketchup
  • Garlic sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F
  2. Slice the bread lengthwise and also crosswise, making 4 zapiekanka crusts
  3. Add a thin layer of ham or other protein on top of the bread
  4. Add mushrooms and butter to a pan and cook over medium high heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently
  5. Top Zapiekanka with mushrooms and sprinkle with cheese
  6. Bake about 10 minutes, until cheese melts and bread is just beginning to brown around the edges
  7. Top with a drizze ketchup and garlic sauce

Notes

If you ketchup or other sauce doesn’t have a squirt top, add some to a sandwich bag and snip one corner, you now have a bag for piping your sauce

 

Czerwona Kapusta (Polish Red Cabbage)

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Not long after we arrived in Poland, Ed’s supervisor visited from Florida. I was seated next to him at dinner one night, and the meal we’d both ordered included a side of Czerwona Kapusta (Polish Red Cabbage). After tasting his, John leaned over and said, “mine is better.” To which I replied, Well then, I’d like to have your recipe. You might not picture red cabbage as a well-known dish in Florida and you’d be correct, but John’s wife grew up not far from where we were dining. They have a home there and spend a lot of time in Central Europe, so he had some credibility.
Czerwona Kapusta (Polish Red Cabbage) a colorful, sweet and sour side dish
Like so many home cooks, John wasn’t someone who used a recipe, but it did his best to put it in writing, and I’ve loved the results. The blackberry preserves refresh the color of the cooked cabbage. The sweet and sour taste is balanced by the savory warmth of the onion – very tasty, and John tells me it freezes well. It’s so popular that my mother has made it a regular feature on her Christmas Eve menu. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
Smacznego!
Lois
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Red Cabbage

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
  • Yield: 8 - 10 servings
  • Category: Vegetable
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A colorful, sweet and sour dish

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tart apples, peeled, cored & diced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 head red cabbage
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves

Instructions

  1. In a large dutch oven, saute onion and apples in butter until soft
  2. Cut cabbage into quarters, remove core and outer leaves, thinly slice remaining leaves to produce a finely shredded cabbage
  3. Add cabbage, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to pan, cook approximately one hour, until cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally
  4. Stir in blackberry preserves, combine over heat until the preserves are melted

Notes

This makes a big batch, but it freezes well

Kotlety z Piersi Kurczaka (Chicken Cutlet)

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I love fried chicken, but I’ve never been a fan of chicken breast. Dark meat just has so much more flavor and is more moist. I felt vindicated when a judge on The Big Family Cooking Showdown (Netflix) made a similar comment. Kotlety z Piersi Kurczaka (Chicken Cutlet) might change all of that for me. I used the same technique that I would to make Kotlet Schabowy.

Kotlety z Piersi Kurczaka (Chicken Cutlet)

Pounding the chicken breast thin with a meat mallet (affiliate link), tenderizes the meat and insures that it cooks quickly and stays moist. (You won’t want to use the tenderloin or chicken tenders. It’s just too delicate to tenderize in this way.) With a delicious crisp crust, and a thin, moist bit of chicken breast Kotlety z Piersi Kurczaka (Chicken Cutlet) makes for a delicious meal. We prepared this recently for a Sunday Dinner with my parents and my sister, and it was a hit!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Kotlety z Piersi Kurczaka (Chicken Cutlet)

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Tenderizing gives you a thin, moist bit of meat, surrounded by a crisp breadcrumb crust

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breast (without tenders)
  • salt and pepper
  • flour, for dredging
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • breadcrumbs (season with salt and pepper)
  • oil, for frying, lard would be ideal

Instructions

  1. With a meat tenderizing mallet, pound the chicken breast (shiny side up) until very thin
  2. Cut each flattened breast into two pieces
  3. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Set up a 3 plate or bowl station, one with flour, one with egg, one with breadcrumbs
  5. Dredge the meat in flour, dip both sides in egg, and coat with breadcrumbs
  6. Heat oil to 350 F, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side

 

Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage)

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The first time we were stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Ed was training in the F-4, and I was a college student. His parents drove down from Pennsylvania to visit us. I’d been a guest in their home before, but it was the first time we’d hosted them, so we broke out of student mode long enough to give out townhouse a thorough cleaning in anticipation of their visit. Like moms everywhere, his mother had brought the fixings to cook for us the first night. One of the things she prepared was Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage). As we were cleaning up  the kitchen after the feast she’d prepared, my mother-in-law asked how to lift up the top of the stove to clean under the burners. I had to confess that I didn’t know; it was wasn’t something I’d done in the two months we’d bene living there. Busted! To be fair, we didn’t cook a lot back then. An occasional Sunday dinner or omelettes for his classmates after a Friday night at the Officer’s Club were the extent of our meal prep.

Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage) a comfort food side with kielbasa

Recently, Mike from PA asked if I could reconnect him with a noodle and cabbage dish his grandmother used to make. I hope Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage) will come close to what he remembers. As with all recipes, there are as many variations as there are cooks. To me, a key trait is that the dish is generously seasoned with ground black pepper. Sometimes, my mother-in-law would add a can of sauerkraut that she’d rinsed and drained. I think it would also be delicious if you added sautéed mushrooms, and everything goes better with kielbasa. You might slice and saute the kielbasa and add it to the noodle and cabbage mixture or serve it on the side. Now that I’ve lived in Poland and gotten a feel for typical seasonings, I like to add a bay leaf an a couple of whole allspice berries.

Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage) with kielbasa

As we enjoyed this for a quick dinner last dinner, Ed said, “you know, this would be tasty for breakfast too.” Whenever you decide to serve it, I hope you’ll enjoy Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage).

Smacznego!

Lois

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Łazanki z Białą Kapustą (Polish Noodles and Cabbage)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Full of flavor, a Polish comfort food, a delicious side dish or add sausage for a hearty main

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 small onions, sliced
  • 1 head white cabbage, quartered, cored removed, and sliced thin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 whole allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 14 ounce can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (optional)
  • package wide noodles, prepared according to package directions

Instructions

  1. Add butter and oil to a Dutch oven over medium high heat
  2. Add sliced onions and cabbage, bay leaf and allspice, salt and pepper
  3. Cook, stirring and scrapping the bottom frequently, until the cabbage is tender (it will cook down to about 1/3 of the original volume)
  4. (Add the optional drained sauerkraut if you’re using it)
  5. Add the cooked (and drained) noodles, toss to combine

Notes

Variations: add sliced kielbasa or serve kielbasa on the side
Add sautéed sliced mushrooms

 

Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

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Polska piątek (Polish Friday) #4
Placki Ziemniaczane, delicious Polish potato pancakes
If you enjoy these two recipes, how about sharing the love and passing this post along to your friends?

I was so thrilled to get my copy of Nela’s Cookbook .  It’s a cookbook written by Nela Rubinstein, wife of famed Polish American pianist Arthur Rubinstein. Her recipes are Polish, Lithuanian, and American. If you’d like to check it out, My Amazon affiliate link is above. I love it.  The cookbook, published in 1983, has drawings illustrating techniques, and it’s written as if it were a food blog.  Every recipe is preceded by a little story; Nela might talk about the source of the recipe, what she serves with it, or some family chuckle related to the dish.

Nela makes her potato pancakes a little differently than other recipes I’ve seen.  She uses no flour – preferring instead to use the potato starch that has drained from the grated potatoes. It was the first recipe I tried from the cookbook.

I made two different recipes – Nela’s and one found on All Recipes.  Before I give you more details, let me say how thrilled I am to have mastered potato pancakes.  I’ve been trying to do this for years, only to end up with the a batter that dissolves in the oil.  Where did I get the crazy idea that I was supposed to use mashed potatoes?  No matter what I added – flour, egg or how I handled the dough – disaster.  Not any more.

First, I made the recipe that uses flour.  Grating the potatoes was time consuming; other than that, it was very easy.

Which method did we prefer?

Now, we make the basic recipe, the first one below. I do use Nela’s suggestion of grating the potatoes and onion with my food processor. To me using flour rather than relying on collecting the potato starch, just makes sense, it’s faster and easier, and a sure thing. The mixture was just a little more cohesive that the one with only potato starch. If I needed to make the pancakes gluten free, it’s nice to have that option, but it’s an option, I’ll save for special GF occasions. I include it here in case you need GF.

You’ll notice in the video that the mixure does get watery as it sits. Just give it a stir and keep on cooking. In this case it also oxidized a bit, turning darker because we took the time to set up the camera, but the color corrected itself as the pancakes cooked. You’ll also see in the video that I turn the pancakes around and over. Before flipping them, I rotate them halfway in the pan because the part in the center always browns faster than the outside edge of the pan.

Can you spot the cameo appearance of by Ellie, one of our two new dogs? She and Rigby joined our household a couple of months ago from Bichon FurKids Rescue.

Finally, let’s get around to serving these crisp and tender creations.   We love potato pancakes topped with Gulasz or Pork Goulash.  Polish friends have told me they like to eat them with sugar and cinnamon, or maybe sour cream.   How about sour cream and a dollop of caviar?  The possibilities are mouth watering.  Oh yeah, plain is really good too.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

★★★★★ 4.2 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 9
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A potato pancake recipe that uses flour to thicken

Ingredients

  • 3 potatoes (1.5 pounds)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small egg
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • canola oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Peel potatoes and grate on the fine side of the grater
  2. Grate onion
  3. Drain potatoes and onion
  4. In a bowl, beat egg, stirring in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth
  5. Add drained potatoes and onion, stirring until well combined
  6. Heat 1/4 inch oil in frying pan over medium high heat
  7. Add potato batter, 1/4 cup at a time
  8. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter until the pancake is about 1/2 inch thick, I was able to make 3 at a time
  9. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, my frying pan is larger than the largest burner, so I also rotated them half way through each side to keep the middle from cooking and the outside edge from not getting dark enough
  10. Drain on paper towels.

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Placki Ziemniaczane (Potato Pancakes)

★★★★★ 4.2 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Nela
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 9
  • Cuisine: Polish
Print

Description

A potato pancake thickened with potato starch

Ingredients

  • 3 potatoes (1.5 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon onion
  • 1 small egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • lard for frying

Instructions

  1. Peel and dice the potatoes
  2. Add water to blender or food processor with a steel blade attachment, process the potato and onion in two batches
  3. Using the same water for both batches, process in bursts, so the potatoes are grated finely, but not liquefied
  4. Drain the potato mixture; reserving the water, let the water sit for just a minute, the potato starch will settle to the bottom
  5. Pour off the liquid, being careful to leave the starch in the bowl
  6. Add egg, salt, and potato onion mixture to the starch and combine
  7. Heat lard over medium high heat, drop batter 1/4 cup at a time into hot lard, using the back of the spoon to spread out the batter until pancakes are 1/2 inch thick
  8. Cook until brown on both sides
  9. Drain on paper towels