Cameron’s 10 days of Christmas, Day 7
On the 7th day of Christmas my true gourmet gave to me…a polish christmas dinner!
I found a few delightful websites for some authentic polish food that is easy to prepare with North American ingredients. To see these sites please click below:
Polish culture, decor, and traditions
Lili’s Recipes
New Poland
New Poland Desserts
From New Poland.com:
Menu:
Pork Chops
Peirogi
Pastry twists
Pork chops (3/4″ thick)
1/2 c Sour cream
1 tb Sugar
2 tb Vinegar
1/2 c Water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides and fry in butter until brown. Mix together vinegar, sugar, water and pour the mixture over the chops. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently about 1 1/4 hours or until chops are tender. Add sour cream and heat to just under boil.
Peirogi
Wrapping
6 servings
2 Eggs
1/2 c Water
2 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
Pepper to taste
Mound flour on kneading board and make hole in center. Drop eggs into hole and cut into flour with a knife. Add salt and water and knead until firm. Let rest for 10 minutes covered with a warm bowl. Divide dough in halves and roll thin. Cut circles with a large biscuit cutter. Place a small mound of filling a little to one side on each round of dough. Moisten edge with a little water, fold over and press edges firmly together. Be sure they are well sealed to prevent the filling from running out. Drop the pierogi into salted boiling water. Cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out of water carefully with a perforated spoon. The dough has a tendency to dry while you are working. A dry dough will not seal completely. We suggest rolling out a large circle of dough, placing small mounds of filling far enough apart to allow for cutting, and folding the dough over the mounds of filling. Then cut with a small biscuit cutter and seal firmly. Never crowd or pile pierogi. The uncooked will stick and the cooked will lose shape and lightness.
Note: Pierogi can be frozen after boiling and they keep well. I prefer all my pierogi fried in butter and onions and seasoned with salt and pepper. They should be fried on a medium low heat till golden brown.
Filling
8 servings
2 c Cottage or farmers cheese
2 Eggs (slightly beaten)
2 tb Sugar
2 tb Butter
6 tb Currants (optional)
1/2 ts Cinnamon (optional)
1/2 c Raisins (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cream eggs and butter together. Add other ingredients and mix well. Note: If using cottage cheese, use only the egg yolks.
PASTRY TWISTS (Chrust/Faworki)
Chrust means brushwood which describes the appearance of these sweet pastry twists. If properly made, they should be very thin and simply melt in the mouth.
250g plain flour
1 tbs icing sugar
25g butter
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 tbs sour cream
1 tbs vinegar
butter or oil for deep frying
icing sugar for dredging
Mix all but the last two of the above ingredients together in a large bowl to form a dough. Roll out as thinly as possible. Cut into narrow strips and make a slit down the middle of each one. Push one end through the slit and pull gently so that you have a twist in the middle. Do this to all of the strips. Heat enough butter or oil in a pan for deep frying. Fry the pastry twists until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper. Pile on plate and dredge with icing sugar.
Pork chops (3/4″ thick)1/2 c Sour cream1 tb Sugar2 tb Vinegar1/2 c WaterSalt and Pepper to taste
Salt and pepper the pork chops on both sides and fry in butter until brown. Mix together vinegar, sugar, water and pour the mixture over the chops. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently about 1 1/4 hours or until chops are tender. Add sour cream and heat to just under boil.
Peirogi
Wrapping
6 servings
2 Eggs1/2 c Water2 c Flour1/2 ts SaltPepper to taste
Mound flour on kneading board and make hole in center. Drop eggs into hole and cut into flour with a knife. Add salt and water and knead until firm. Let rest for 10 minutes covered with a warm bowl. Divide dough in halves and roll thin. Cut circles with a large biscuit cutter. Place a small mound of filling a little to one side on each round of dough. Moisten edge with a little water, fold over and press edges firmly together. Be sure they are well sealed to prevent the filling from running out. Drop the pierogi into salted boiling water. Cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out of water carefully with a perforated spoon. The dough has a tendency to dry while you are working. A dry dough will not seal completely. We suggest rolling out a large circle of dough, placing small mounds of filling far enough apart to allow for cutting, and folding the dough over the mounds of filling. Then cut with a small biscuit cutter and seal firmly. Never crowd or pile pierogi. The uncooked will stick and the cooked will lose shape and lightness.
Note: Pierogi can be frozen after boiling and they keep well. I prefer all my pierogi fried in butter and onions and seasoned with salt and pepper. They should be fried on a medium low heat till golden brown.
Filling
8 servings
2 c Cottage or farmers cheese2 Eggs (slightly beaten)2 tb Sugar2 tb Butter6 tb Currants (optional)1/2 ts Cinnamon (optional)1/2 c Raisins (optional)Salt and Pepper to taste
Cream eggs and butter together. Add other ingredients and mix well. Note: If using cottage cheese, use only the egg yolks.
PASTRY TWISTS (Chrust/Faworki) Chrust means brushwood which describes the appearance of these sweet pastry twists. If properly made, they should be very thin and simply melt in the mouth.
250g plain flour 1 tbs icing sugar 25g butter 1 egg 2 egg yolks 1 tbs sour cream 1 tbs vinegar butter or oil for deep frying icing sugar for dredging
Mix all but the last two of the above ingredients together in a large bowl to form a dough. Roll out as thinly as possible. Cut into narrow strips and make a slit down the middle of each one. Push one end through the slit and pull gently so that you have a twist in the middle. Do this to all of the strips. Heat enough butter or oil in a pan for deep frying. Fry the pastry twists until golden on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper. Pile on plate and dredge with icing sugar.
