Can anyone give me some authentic Polish recipes please?

Question

We have a really great Polish food shop which has just opened nearby, stocking fresh produce as well as hundreds of different sausages, frozen dumplings, soups etc.

I would love to know what to do with it all.

Answer 1

Here's three that sound interesting...

Bigos - Hunter's Stew

Ingredients:
3 pounds sauerkraut
2 pounds ham -- with bone
2 bay leaves
1 ounce dried mushrooms -- chopped
20 black peppercorns
10 allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon salt
11 cups beef broth -- bouillon or water
2 pounds cabbage -- chopped like sauerkr
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound Polish sausage links -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound Polish white sausage with garlic -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound bacon -- cut into 1/2-inch cubes


Instructions:
Rinse sauerkraut with cold water; drain well. In a large stockpot, combine sauerkraut, ham or pork, bay leaves, mushrooms, peppercorns, allspice and salt.
Add 6 cups broth, bouillon or water. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes over medium heat.
Cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes. Remove meat. Let meat cool.
Place cabbage in a large saucepan. Add remaining 5 cups broth, bouillon or water. Bring to boil.
Cook, uncovered, over medium heat, 1 hour or until cabbage is tender.
Add to sauerkraut mixture. Bone cooked meat. Cut cooked meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet. Add cooked meat, smoked sausage and white sausage. Saute over medium heat 10 minutes or until browned.
Add to sauerkraut mixture. In same skillet, saute bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add to sauerkraut mixture.
Cover; cook over low heat 1 hour or longer. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve hot. Notes: Use only meat with large bones, so bones can be removed easily. The secret of old-time Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated on successive days, peaking at the 6th or 7th day. In between, store covered in the refrigerator.


Herring Salad (Salatka ze Sledzia)
10 herring filets,
1 jar (370ml) of dill pickles,
1 jar (370ml) of beets,
1 jar (370ml) of pickled onions,
3 apples,
½ cup of white vine vinegar,
½ cup of olive oil,
2 tsp. of horseradish;
salt and pepper.

Instructions:
1.cut herrings into wide slices. Wash, core, and slice apples. Slice pickles, onions and beets. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Combine vinegar with horseradish, salt, and pepper. Add oil constantly mixing. Pour mixture over salad, and let stand for 2 hours before serving.



Red Beet Borsch

The souring of beets is very simple: carefully wash the red beets (about 1.4kg/3lbs), peel and slice thinly. Place them in a glass jar and cover completely with barely lukewarm water. Place a slice of wholemeal bread on top, which hastens the souring process. Cover the jar with gauze and place in the warmest place in the kitchen. After four or five days carefully remove the foam from the surface and pour the clear ruby-red soured juice into clean bottles. In tightly corked bottles that are kept in a cool place they can be stored for several months!

Red beet borsch is prepared with the concentrated stock of the following vegetables: celeriac and parsley root, carrots, leeks and one onion. Cook the vegetables along with four red beets, peeled and sliced thinly, adding ten grains of black pepper, two grains of pimento (allspice) and a small piece of bay leaf.

In a separate pot cook 2-3 oz dried mushrooms (boletus) in two cups water. Pour both the vegetables and mushroom stocks through a sieve and mix together. Now add an appropriate amount of soured beet juice (3/4 pint juice for about 2½ pints stock). Heat the borsch until it starts to boil, but not more. If the colour of the borsch is not right, it may be corrected with the juice of a fresh beet, grated to a pulp.

Flavour the borsch very carefully. Its final flavour depends on individual preferences. Apart from salt, the taste may be corrected with a little sugar. The acidity may be enhanced with a little glass of dry red wine or lemon juice, but never with vinegar.

About 15 minutes before serving, add a crushed garlic clove, which gives it an interesting taste and aroma.

Answer 2

Halushki - A quickie noodle dish
1 head cabbage
1 package wide noodles
Onions to taste
Butter
Salt and pepper

Variation 1: Cook wide noodles and drain. Cut up cabbage, onions, add butter and water. Cook until cabbage is done, making sure no water remains (5 to 7 minutes). Pour cabbage over noodles and mix well. Add salt and pepper.

Variation 2: Cut the cabbage up any way you like, do the same with the onion. Heat a large pan (I use medium-high heat on an electric range). When the pan is hot, add bacon grease (If you ever make bacon, always save the grease! It keeps a long time in the fridge.) or the 'grease' of your choice. When the grease is hot, add cabbage and onions and saute for a few minutes. Turn down the heat (medium) and cover the pan. Let this cook until the cabbage is soft. If you want the cabbage browned more, remove the lid and turn up the heat again. Add grease as you need it. Add the cooked noodles and serve.

The amount of ingredients you use depends on how much halushki you want to make. Experiment!

Answer 3

Grandma's Polish Perogies
Original recipe yield: 60 perogies.

Prep Time:
2 Hours
Ready In:
2 Hours
Servings:
20 (change)

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 2 cups sour cream
* 2 eggs
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*
* 8 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 2 tablespoons processed cheese sauce
* onion salt to taste (optional)
* salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until well blended. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Place potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with shredded cheese and cheese sauce while still hot. Season with onion salt, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
3. Separate the perogie dough into two balls. Roll out one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface until it is thin enough to work with, but not too thin so that it tears. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter, perogie cutter, or a glass. Brush a little water around the edges of the circles, and spoon some filling into the center. Fold the circles over into half-circles, and press to seal the edges. Place perogies on a cookie sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer storage bags or containers.
4. To cook perogies: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop perogies in one at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Do not boil too long, or they will be soggy! Remove with a slotted spoon.

Answer 4

When you go in, ask the butcher if they have "fresh" keilbasa not "smoked". if the butcher says "yes we just made it" he doesn't know what your talking about. If he shows you to a case with keilbasa that is white in color he knows what he is talking about. Buy some, go home and put it in cold water and boil for 10 minutes and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Now the recipe:

1 jar saurkraut, drained and squeezed
1 large onion, sliced and diced
1 jar mushroom pieces
1 stick or more of butter
salt and alot of pepper
the keilbasa you just cooked cut into 1 inch pieces after it is boiled.

Melt butter in a large pan, add onions and cook down for about 20 minutes ot until golden. Add saurkraut and mushrooms and salt and pepper....cook for about 20 more minutes stirring often and adding more butter if it dries out. At the end put the keilbasa in stir and serve with rye bread and butter.

Answer 5

Piernik - Honey Bread 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 4 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup honey 4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) In a large bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and eggs. Stir in the milk and oil, and mix in the baking soda. Place honey in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Stir honey into the bowl. Mix flour into the bowl. Fold in the raisins and walnuts. Stir by hand with a sturdy spoon for 10 minutes. Allow the dough to sit 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease four 8x4 inch loaf pans. Fill each loaf pan with about 2 inches of the batter. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Bread will be brown in color and will crack on top. ----------------- ---------------- ----------------- Halushki 1 1/2 pounds pork chops garlic powder to taste salt and pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped 1 large head cabbage, cut into squares 1 pound large egg noodles 1 tablespoon butter DIRECTIONS Sprinkle pork chops with garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in a large greased sauce pan or deep skillet with chopped onion and fry until very brown and well cooked. It is ok if they stick a little, as the drippings are essential in this dish. When done, remove chops and set aside. Add a little water to the saucepan or skillet and mix up the drippings a bit. Place cabbage into the pot, and allow to cook down completely. In a separate large saucepan, boil the egg noodles in water until cooked. Drain noodles and mix in butter. Cut up the pork chops to bite size pieces and set aside. When the cabbage has cooked down, add pork and cooked noodles and mix completely.

Answer 6

**Pat's Potato Pierogis "Elegante" **
Recipe courtesy Pat Edgcomb
Show: Emeril Live Potato Contest

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: about 30 pierogis

Filling:
4 to 5 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled in water until fork tender
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Additional ingredients for frying:
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 stick butter, plus extra for frying

Filling: This may be made ahead of time! Mash hot potatoes. Saute onion in the butter and add this to the hot mashed potatoes along with the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. You may add a little milk if too dense. The consistency should be a little thicker than mashed potatoes.
Dough: In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, cream cheese, egg, butter, and milk. With your hands mix together until dough forms a ball. Turn out on a floured board and knead until smooth. You may add a little more flour to make the dough pliable. Divide dough into fourths. Put the pieces under a damp cloth, so it won't dry out. Roll the first piece to 1/4 inch of thickness and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter or a glass. Put pierogi rounds under damp cloth while cutting the rest.

Assembly of pierogis: For each pierogi, place 1 tablespoon of potato mixture in the center of the dough circle. Fold over to form a half circle. Seal edges by pinching together with your fingers. I then take a fork and press all along the edges. Repeat with remaining dough filling.

Cooking pierogis: Fill a large pot half full with water and bring to a boil. Drop 5 or 6 pierogis in at a time. When they float to the top, cook for 1 minute. Place in a colander to drain. They will stick to paper towels. Repeat with remaining pierogis.

Frying pierogis: In a large frying pan saute onion in butter and remove onion to a separate bowl. Place pierogis in pan and cook for 2 mintues on each side. You may have to add more butter for frying. Remove and place in a covered casserole dish. When all pierogis are prepared, pour sauteed onion over the top. Serve with sour cream or applesauce.

Answer 7

POLISH SOUR CUCUMBER SOUP
(Zupa Ogorkowa)
2 large cans chicken or vegetable broth
5 medium potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 carrots (diced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 pint sour cream
4 dill pickles (diced)
salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
1 bay leaf
Peel and dice potatoes. Place broth into a crock pot, bring to quick boil, add potatoes and boil them in the broth until soft. Meanwhile peel the cucumbers and grate them coarsely. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add onions, pickles, carrots and garlic and let them cook until onions are soft and clear. Put the mixture into a pot, add bay leaf, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Taste and add a little dill pickle juice if necessary- the soup should have a pleasantly sour taste. Mix the sour cream with the flour and slowly stir into the soup. Allow to simmer until soup is lightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and with thick, crusty bread.

HERRING IN SOUR CREAM
(Sledzie w Smietanie)
12 salted herring fillets
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
2 tablespoons Dill or parsley
Rinse the herrings and cut into small cubes. Mix herring with onion, eggs, lemon juice. Combine sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Add to herring mixture and mix well. Sprinkle with dill or parsley. Serve with rye bread.

POLISH APPLE CAKE (Szarlotka)
6 medium apples (washed, peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup toasted almonds 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons ground up flax seeds
1/2 cup oil
2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
ground cinnamon (optional)
Place the apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice. Set aside. Mix the flour, oats, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, flax seeds, oil and almond extract. Combine egg and flour mixture and mix well. Fold in the fruit, nuts and raisins. Mix very well. You can add some more if the mixture is extremely wet (but it WILL be wet).
Put into a Large Baking Dish and smooth out the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 1 hour until risen and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Take out of the oven and cool in the baking dish.

http://www.polishpotteryonline.com/polishrecipes2.html

Buy a Polish Cookbook, you'll have a better understanding of recipes, products, culture.
http://www.polartcenter.com/cgi-bin/shop.pl/page=cookbook.htm

Answer 8

Here is a page with tons of polish recipe's and links!
http://polish-food-recipes.epicurean.com/recipe_results.jsp?cultural_type=Polish

Answer 9

Here's a great place to find some Polish recipes: http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/polish/indexall.html

Enjoy :)

Answer 10

This link has all kinds of authentic polish recipes.

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/polish/indexall.html