Eat, eat, eat!: A (nearly) Polish Chrismas

Christmas Eve sunrise

I have come to the conclusion that I'm probably a bad Polish wife. The most obvious failing is that I’m not actually Polish (my husband is the Polish contingency of our family) but the main reason for my failing involves Christmas. In keeping with the vast majority of mainland Europe, Polish people place a huge emphasis on celebrating Christmas Eve with food playing a central part in these celebrations. The tradition is to share a 12 course (or 12 dish) evening meal which is usually fish centered (no meat). Ask any Pole about their family's traditions and he or she will have stories to share. My husband has vivid childhood memories of sitting with his father, waiting for the appearance of the first evening star before sitting down to the shared family meal.

As families and traditions merge I have tried to embrace both cultures. Through the eyes of a purist I would appear to fail but we've reached a family compromise. For those who are able to plan to the nth degree and spend days cooking, freezing, list making and snapping at all who venture near the kitchen, it is possible. I do engage in some of this pre-Christmas preparation but everyday life always conspires against me; if I went the whole hog my kitchen would resemble a battlefield and my vodka bottle would be empty! So, we end up with a workable compromise. I usually cook a fish meal (two courses maximum!) and we make Christmas Eve as sociable, celebratory and spiritual as we can, at the end of the day this is what makes for a true Christmas celebration.

Our family does have a real affection for many traditional Polish dishes and they always make their appearance at Christmas. I include two of them here. They both happen to be vegetarian, incredibly ‘moreish’ and easy to eat. They are Pierogi (pronounced pi-rogi) and Paszteciki (pasta-shiki). My children have always known and loved them. They make ideal grazing food when you really don’t feel like sitting down to another big meal.

Pierogi (small morsels similar to ravioli) are deceptively simple in their composition but taste much more than their composite parts. The range of fillings is as wide as your imagination but our favourite is cheesy potato. Paszteciki is traditionally served alongside a bowl of Borscht (beetroot soup) thus making a complete meal, but there’s nothing to stop you eating them on their own, treating them as a Polish version of sausage rolls.

So, here I am, doing my bit to disseminate a little bit of Polish culture and boost my 'Polish' standing in the community!

I’m grateful to Robert and Maria Strybel's book Polish Heritage Cookery for these recipes. They use American measurements so I include an equivalence list at the end.

Paszteciki with mushroom filling

Flaky pastry

Combine 2 cups of flour, 1½ sticks of butter ½ teaspoon of salt, Two teaspoons of baking powder; rub together to resemble breadcrumbs. Add 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Work into a dough and rest in the fridge.

Mushroom filling.

Saute 1lb of sliced fresh mushrooms and 2 chopped onions. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and cook until all the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms begin to sizzle. Blitz in a food processor until the mixture is finely ground. Add 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and a grind of black pepper.

To assemble

Roll out the pastry to a ¼ inch thick rectangle whose shorter edge measures about 8 inches. Cut the rectangle in two lengthways. Run the mushroom mixture lengthwise down the centre of each rectangle then fold one long side over filling so it overlaps the other side by ½ inch. Slice into two inch rolls and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush each pastry with beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes at 190 degrees centigrade (gas mark 5)

Pierogi

Cheesy filling

Boil 1 lb potatoes until tender then mash. Add grated cheese to taste (a good strong cheddar works well). Season to taste.

Dough

Sift 21/2 cups of flour with ½ a teaspoon of salt. Mix in one egg and work the ingredients into a dough, slowly adding about ½ cup of cold water. Knead the dough until firm and smooth. Roll in into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Take about 1/3 of the dough at a time and roll as thinly as possible. With a glass or biscuit cutter cut dough into circles. Place a spoonful of filling on each circle, slightly off centre. Fold in half and press edges together with your fingers (or the end of a fork) to make a sealed, crimped edge. Drop small batches of pierogi into a fairly large pot of boiling salted water, making sure not to crowd them. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes and the pierogi are floating on the surface. Test one to see how well the dough is cooked. Remove to colander with slotted spoon. Serve hot, topped with melted butter and ground black pepper. They can also be cooled and fried to a golden brown in butter. Makes 25 to 30 pierogi.