Polish Food: traditional food and recipes from Poland

Polish Food

Polish food is wonderful! On this part of our site you will find recipes for some of the best Polish dishes. As the Polish would say, "Jedzcie, pijcie i popuszczajcie pasa"... "Eat, drink and loosen your belt".

Related Recipe Links: Freshwater Fish Recipes, Polish Vodka

BIGOS (Hunter's Stew)

The secret of Bigos is that it gets better as it's reheated. The more it heated the better it gets. Serve with good bread.

4		lbs sauerkraut
1		cup apple juice
1		lb smoked pork
1		lb spareribs
1/4		lb bacon
1		can tomatoes (large)
2		cups water
2		bay leaves
		black pepper
		salt
4		lbs cabbage
1		lb pork loin chop or pork ribs
1		lb smoked kielbasa (sausage)
1/2		cup onions (chopped)
16		ounces mushrooms (fresh)
1		ounce mushrooms (dried)
2		tablespoons flour

1.	Brown pork and spareribs in a large heavy pot.
2.	Add smoked pork with 1 cup of water and simmer until 1 hour.
3.	Add the sauerkraut and one cup apple juice.
4.	Chop the cabbage fine and add to sauerkraut.
5.	Add lots of pepper and salt cover and simmer 1 hour.
6.	Remove lid and keep pot on a very low simmer.
7.	In a pan, fry bacon until crisp, then crumble into sauerkraut mixture.
8.	Remove most of the bacon fat and fry onions and mushrooms and flour until they just brown.
9.	Mix into sauerkraut mixture.
10.	Cut kielbasa into slices add to sauerkraut mixture with the tomatoes.
11.	Bring to a boil, simmer 30 minutes and serve hot.

Savoury Sausage and Sauerkraut

A cold weather favorite. Good served with pierogies or even baked beans.

2		tablespoons butter
1		medium onion, chopped
1/4		cup chopped green peppers
1		large apple, peeled,cored,and chopped
2		tablespoons brown sugar
1/2		teaspoon caraway seeds
3		red potatoes, cleaned and diced
1 1/2		cups sauerkraut, drained,rinsed,& packed
1-2		lb smoked sausage (kielbasa), cut in 3 inch pieces

1.	Melt butter in saucepan.
2.	Add onion and green pepper.
3.	Cook until tender.
4.	Add apple, brown sugar, caraway seeds, potatoes, and sauerkraut.
5.	Mix well.
6.	Place sausage on top of sauerkraut mixture.
7.	Cover.
8.	Cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes.

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

This is a recipe for traditional Potato and Cheese pierogi. Serve with chopped fried bacon and onions.

Potato and Cheese Filling
1		tablespoon grated onion
2		tablespoons butter
2		cups cold mashed potatoes
1		cup cottage cheese (or more)
		salt and pepper
Pierogi
2 1/2		cups flour
1/2		teaspoon salt
1		egg
2		teaspoons oil
3/4		cup warm water

1.	Potato and Cheese Filling: Cook the onion in butter until tender.
2.	Combine it with potatoes and cheese.
3.	Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.	Vary the proportions and ingredients in this recipe to suit your taste.
5.	Mix the flour with the salt in a deep bowl.
6.	Add the egg, oil and water to make a medium soft dough.
7.	Knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth.
8.	Caution: Too much kneading will toughen the dough.
9.	Divide the dough into 2 parts.
10.	Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes.
11.	Prepare the filling.
12.	The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape.
13.	Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board.
14.	Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter, or the open end of a glass.
15.	Put the round in the palm of your hand.
16.	Place a spoonful of filling in it, fold over to form a half circle and press the edges together with the fingers.
17.	The edges should be free of filling.
18.	Be sure the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out.
19.	Place the pierogi on a floured board or tea towel and then cover with another tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
20.	COOKING: Drop a few pierogies into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water.
21.	Do not attempt to cook too many at a time.
22.	Stir VERY gently with a wooden spoon to separate them and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
23.	Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes.
24.	The cooling period will depend upon the size you made it, the thickness of the dough and the filling.
25.	Pierogies will be ready when they are puffed.
26.	Remove them with a perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and drain thoroughly.
27.	Place in a deep dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter to prevent them from sticking.
28.	Cover and keep them hot until all are cooked.
29.	Serve in a large dish without piling or crowding them.
30.	Top with melted butter- chopped crisp bacon and/or chopped onions lightly browned in butter.
31.	REHEATING: One of the great things about pierogies, is that they can be made in large quantities, refrigerated, frozen and reheated without lost of quality.
32.	Many prefer reheated pierogies as compared to freshly boiled ones.
33.	To re-heat, you can: 1) pan fry pierogies in butter or bacon fat until they are light in color or, 2) heat the pierogies in the top of a double boiler or in the oven until they are hot and plump or, 3) deep fry them.

Polish Wild Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms are an important part of the Polish diet and this recipe is perfect for those cold winter evenings. Serve with bread. Buy genuine Polish wild mushrooms!

1/4		lb dried wild mushrooms
9		cups vegetable or meat stock
1		cup butter
1		cup finely chopped onion
1		tablespoon cornstarch
		salt
		white pepper
		sour cream
		chopped fresh parsley

1.	Cover mushrooms with cold water and soak overnight.
2.	Drain the mushrooms reserving the soaking liquid, strain the liquid through a fine cloth.
3.	Rinse the mushrooms in cold water to remove any remaining sand then slice into strips.
4.	Add the mushrooms, 8 cups of of the beef stock and the soaking liquid to a 3 quart saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat 4 hours.
5.	Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, add the onion, saute until golden brown then add to the soup.
6.	Whisk the cornstarch with the remaining cup of beef stock, add to the soup, stir and simmer until slightly thickened.
7.	Season to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into individual bowls, top each with 1 tbls sour cream and sprinkle with parsley.

Potatoes baked with Eggs and Cream

Delicious and very easy to make traditional dish.

2		tablespoons butter, melted
3		cups diced cooked potatoes
		salt and pepper
2		eggs, beaten
1		cup sour cream
2		tablespoons chopped chives or spring onions

1.	Preheat oven to 350�F.
2.	Pour butter into the bottom of an oven proof casserole.
3.	Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
4.	Mix together, eggs and sour cream and pour over potatoes.
5.	Top with chives, cover and bake for 1 hour.

Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Golabki is the Polish word for pigeon, but don't be put off you don't need to use pigeon! Smacznego!

1		cabbage, center core removed
3		lb minced meat (turkey or pork)
2		cups cooked white rice
1		cup chopped onion
1		cup tomato paste
2		cans crushed tomatoes
1 1/2		cups vegetable stock
1		tablespoon brown sugar
1/2		teaspoon salt
1/2		teaspoon pepper
1/4		teaspoon celery salt
1/4		teaspoon parsley
1/4		teaspoon nutmeg
1/4		teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4		cup butter
4		carrots, sliced
16		ounces mushrooms, quarted
2		bay leaves

1.	Parboil cabbage in a large pot, removing leafs as they fall off into the water and are tender.
2.	Cook till all leaves are tender, but not ripping apart; usually 15.
3.	Run under cold water and drain.
4.	Cut the thick membrane off back of each leaf.
5.	While cabbage is cooking saute onion in butter until lightly browned.
6.	Put all the uncooked meat into a large mixing bowl add eggs.
7.	Add the sauted onions.
8.	Next add salt pepper, celery salt, parsley, nutmeg, and worcestershire sauce along with the cooked rice.
9.	Mix thoroughly.
10.	Lay out leaves and depending upon their size, place 2-3 tablespoons of meat mixture on the wider side.
11.	Roll leaf up and over meat, tuck in sides of leaf, and continue to roll to use all leaves and stuffing.
12.	Place rolls, seam down into a greased roasting pan.
13.	Then layer carrots and mushrooms over cabbage.
14.	Mix together the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water and brown sugar and pour evenly over all the rolls.
15.	Season with salt and pepper to taste and bay leaves.
16.	Cover roaster and bake 325 degrees for 2- 2&1/2 hours.
17.	Half way through baking check to make sure there's enough liquid; additional water can be added.
18.	To serve, spoon sauce over rolls.
19.	Serve with Mashed potatoes!

Ch�opski Posi�ek (Peasants' Bacon and Cabbage)

Chlopski is the Polish word for peasant, and literally translated this dish is called 'Peasants' Meal'. It's a dish which is most popular in the provinces like Lubuskie, in the far west of Poland.

1		medium green cabbage, coarsely chopped
6		slices fatty bacon, diced
1		medium onion, chopped
1		large leek, chopped
1/4		cup water
2		cloves garlic, chopped
1		lb. Polish sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2		teaspoons salt and pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, reserving drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add all other ingredients except sausage to dripping; cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat, turning cabbage once. Add sausage; cover and cook 5 minutes or until sausage is heated. Transfer to serving dish with a slotted spoon; sprinkle with bacon.
Makes 4 servings.

Here's a fuller list of Polish delicious dishes and foods:

Soups
Ch�odnik litewski: cold yoghurt-and-beetroot soup served with a cooked egg.
Barszcz bia�y: sour thick wheat and potato starch soup with marjoram, sometimes with cream
Barszcz czerwony: hot refreshing beetroot soup, sometimes with dumplings, a hard boiled egg or beans
�urek: sour rye soup with potato, sausage or an egg, sometimes served in a bread loaf
Krupnik: barley soup with smattering of vegetables and smoked meat
Kapuœniak: sour cabbage soup
Zupa og�rkowa: hot cucumber soup
Zupa koperkowa: dill soup
Roso� z kurczaka: golden chicken consomme with noodles
Flaki wo�owe: pork tripe

Hors d'Oeuvres
Smalec: - partially double fried lard. It is often spread over bread and served as an appetizer before dishes or while drinking beer!
Jajecznica: - scrambled eggs with dill
Œledzie w œmietanie: herring in sour cream
Œliwka w boczku - Deep-fried plum in bacon

Main course
Baranina: roasted or grilled lamb - a traditional dish in the south and west of Poland
Bigos: appetizing, seasoned sauerkraut "hunter" stew with various kinds of meats and sausages (see recipe above)
Dziczyzna: wild game
Eskalopki z ciel�ciny: veal in the blanket
Fasolka po bretonsku: cheap bean and sausage stew
Go��bki: "little pigeons" - cabbage parcels, stuffed with mushrooms and meat
Go�onka w piwie: pork knuckle, sometimes in beer sauce, often served with horseradish sauce
Kotlet schabowy: breaded pork cutlet
K�opsiki: meatloaf stuffed with eggs
Kaczka na jab�kach: baked duck in apple
Karp po �ydowsku: carp in a green sauce
Kie�basa: Sausages are very tasty in Poland, they go well with og�rek kiszony (pickled gherkins) in combination with Polish beer, vodka and fresh air.
Krokiet: deep-fried pieces of potatoes, rice or meat stuffed with spinach, cheese etc.
Kurczak de volaille: Chicken steaks filled with mushrooms, spread with butter and covered with breadcrumbs
�oso�: salmon, often boiled in a dill sauce
Pierogi: small white dumplings larger than ravioli filled with meat, potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, or strawberries
Pol�dwiczki wo�owe: beef tenderloin often with mushroom sauce
Pstr�g: trout, sometimes flamb�
Oz�r wo�owy: soft steamed beef tongues
Sandacz: perch
Szasz�ik: chunks of meat grilled on a spit
Sztuka mi�sa w sosie chrzanowym: cooked chunk of beef in horseradish sauce
W�tr�bki drobiowe: chicken liver with mushrooms
Zrazy zawijane: rolled fillets of hashed veal in a spicy sauce
�eberka w miodzie: spare pork ribs in honey

Side Dishes
Kopytka - hoof-shaped dumplings
Kluski �l�skie - Silesian dumplings
Kasza gryczana - buckwheat groats
Placki kartoflane - potato pancakes

Sweet Deserts
Faworki - pastry twists
Galaretka - sweet jelly
Makowiec - sweet poppy cake
Naleœniki - omelettes stuffed with meat and many more things like jam, fruit, etc. very similar to crepes
P�czki - doughnuts
Sernik - cheese cake

Ask us a question about Polish food or suggest a recipe or dish

Other Recipe websites: Exmoor and Somerset Recipes; Food and Recipes