Krokiety z Kapusta i Grzybami (Pancake Croquettes with Sauerkraut and Mushrooms)

Polish ‘krokiety’ are usually rolled pancakes filled with meat, cabbage, cheese or mushrooms, fried in breadcrumbs. They can take longer time to prepare, but they’re definitely worth it. ‘Krokiety’ with cabbage and mushrooms are a traditional Christmas Eve meal, but they are also served for an everyday’s dinner or lunch. They go very well with beetroot soup or mushroom sauce.

Prep time: 30 min, moderate

Cook time: 60 min

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

Pancakes

250g flour

2 eggs

¾ glass milk

¾ glass water

Half-teaspoon salt

Oil for frying

Filling

1 kg sauerkraut (get a bag or a jar from a Polish Shop)

200g dried wild mushrooms or 500g fresh ones

2 onions

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon sweet pepper (powder)

1 tablespoon spicy pepper (powder)

2 bay leaves, 3 grains of allspice

1 tablespoon ‘vegeta’ (a selection of spices from a Polish Shop) or ‘Maggi’

Salt, pepper for taste

Coating

1 glass breadcrumbs

1 or 2 eggs

Salt

Method:

Pancakes

1.     Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

2.     Pre-heat some oil on a frying pan, make sure it’s hot before you start frying your pancakes.

3.     Fry thin pancakes, on both sides.

4.     Fried pancakes drain with a paper towel, and leave to cool down.

Filling

1.     If you use dried mushrooms, soak them in water (or chicken stock) for several hours, or cook them for an hour. If you use fresh mushrooms, peel them and wash.

2.     Put the cabbage from the jar or a bag on a chopping board and chop it into smaller pieces. Steam it in the water from dried mushroom, chicken stock or water, as long as the cabbage becomes soft. Add all the spices to the steaming cabbage.

 

Sauerkraut in a jar

3.     Peel onion and garlic and chop them finely (I usually use an electric blender), and then add them into the cabbage.

4.     Chop mushrooms into small pieces - use the blender again. Add them into the pan and steam all together for about 30 minutes.

5.     Season with salt and pepper. The filling should be sour, but you can regulate its flavour with lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

6.     Pre-heat oil on a frying pan and fry cabbage for about 15 minutes, stirring. Leave it to cool down.

‘Krokiety’

1.     When pancakes and the cabbage cool down, spread the cabbage over each pancake.

2.     Roll ‘krokiety’ as shown below:

 

Fold two opposite edges of the pancake

Roll the pancake starting with an unfolded edge

Close the roll

3.     Dip rolls in salted eggs and then breadcrumbs. The coating will hold the rolls.

4.     Pre-heat frying pan and fry coated rolls on both sides, so they golden brown.

5.     ‘Krokiety’ with cabbage and mushrooms and delicious served with beetroot soup or mushroom sauce. Enjoy!

Kapuśniak (Sauerkraut Soup)

Sauerkraut is an important ingredient, or even a base, of many polish dishes. Sauerkraut soup, sour but sweet and spicy at the same time, can be a nice and warming dish in winter, or a light soup in summer. Depending on the amount of meat used for the soup, it could be a light starter or a rich main meal. It’s definitely at the top of the favorite dishes list at my home… Plus, the soup is very healthy and contains lots of vitamin C!

Prep time: 30 min, easy

Cook time: 70 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1-1,5 kg Sauerkraut, you can get in bags or in jars from Polish shops

2-2,5l Water or chicken or vegetable stock

500 g or more smoked pork ribs (alternatively fresh ribs, smoked bacon or chicken)

2 carrots

1 Parsnip

1 Onion

Half of celeriac

2 Bay leaves

3 grains of allspice

Salt, black pepper, cumin and marjoram

3-4 medium size potatoes

Method:

1.     In a stockpot boil water and cook meat to make a stock. If you cook fresh meet, skim the scummy foam. Add some bay leaves, old spice and salt.

2.     After 20 minuets of cooking meat, add all the vegetables, in whole pieces. Cook them on low heat as long as they become soft.

3.     When the vegetables are soft, take them and the meat out, or strain the soup. Peel potatoes and chop them into small pieces then, cook them in the stock, for about 10-15 minutes.

4.     Chop sauerkraut finely and put into the stock. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

5.     Add spices, salt and black pepper for flavor.

6.     Slice cooked vegetables and the meat, and put them back into the stockpot. Cook for a short time and leave it for a while to rest.

7.     Kapuśniak can be served with bread, you can add little sauer cream or cream. Put more meat if you want to make the soup richer, or use the cooked meat for a separate dish if you want the soup to be lighter. Decorate with fresh a parsley or dill leaf. Enjoy!