The cuisine of Wielkopolska
Wielk
opolska
Location Wielkopolska Province is located in the basin of Warta river, in the central part of Wielkopolsko-Kujawska Lowland. Simultaneously, it is situated on the crossroads of the main European East-West track leading from Berlin to Moskow (via Poznań, Konin and Warsaw) and the track from Prague towards the north (via Wrocław, Leszno, Poznań). As a result, the province has very favourable transportation connections with other European countries as well as the rest of the world.
Area The province occupies the area of 29 826 km2, which is 9,5% of the Polish territory.
Population Wielkopolska is inhabited (approximately) by 3,4 million people, which is 8,7% of the whole population of Poland.
The Capital The capital of the province is Poznań, a city with population of 600 000 people. Due to its economic, commercial, scientific, cultural and tourist significance, the city is considered the centre of western Poland. Also, Poznań has its own airport (Ławica airport) performing both national and international functions.
Important Cities Gniezno, Kalisz, Konin, Leszno, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Piła.
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The tastes of Wielkopolska
Cooking traditions in Wielkopolska are as old as the region's history. Archaeologists and historians alike are scrupulously investigating into the mysteries of our ancestors' eating habits.
O
ver the centuries Wielkopolska maintained its status of one of Poland's best developed regions. This fact was reflected in Wielkopolska's cooking – on tables in landowners' manors as well as in more humble abodes in both towns and the countryside. It is the nineteenth century, however, that had the largest influence on shaping the cooking tradition's unique character. The Prussian partition, too, exerted a considerable impact on Wielkopolska's cuisine. Under the influence of German culinary traditions, a number of previously unknown recipes were added to the existing heritage. After the Second World War, in effect of the inflow of repatriates from the East, Lithuanian and Ukrainian specialities travelled along with the newcomers. Today, as Poland has opened up to the world, culinary borrowings keep arriving on a daily basis not only from all over Europe but also from other more distant parts of the globe. Despite those processes, Wielkopolska's cuisine has preserved its unique regional character. It may not be a very sophisticated cuisine in the variety of tastes it offers but we can eat well here.
Until not long ago, Wielkopolska was associated with potatoes (dialectal pyrki) and cabbage, which constituted a staple element of the diet. The names of the dishes were not very revealing to people in other regions of Poland, either. Today, some of the traditional dishes like pyry z gzikiem (potatoes served with cottage cheese), duck blood soup or duck served with yeast dumplings and red cabbage or golonka (pork knuckles) can be ordered not only in Wielkopolska's restaurants but also in many places all over Poland. Wielkopolska's cooking traditions are strengthened with all sorts of competitions, fairs and regional festivities at which we can try traditional regional specialities. Cooking programmes on television enjoy a tremendous popularity, too. To get a taste of Wielkopolska's cooking, visitors are invited to dine at one of the old inns or restaurants. For every recipe, we supply information on where the particular dish can be tasted. In selecting the restaurants for the present brochure, we were not guided by any sophisticated ratings – we simply chose places located in various parts of the region where we liked the dish the most.
d soup
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zernina is a thick soup known all over Poland. Its key ingredients are blood (usually duck blood but chicken, rabbit or goose blood may sometimes be substituted for duck blood) and clear poultry broth. The characteristic sweet and sour taste of the soup is owed to the addition of sugar, apple vinegar and dried fruit (pears, plums or raisins). There are still many amateurs of this soup in Wielkopolska. It is usually served in restaurants where the traditional duck dish is served too. In some regions of the country it is known as czarna polewka (black soup); in the past, when a young man was served a bowl of black soup, it meant that his marriage proposal had been rejected. Czernina is served with dumplings or other kind of pasta, and sometimes with potatoes.
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2 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
ajka) w e l a rna z (czernina, czarnina or cza
I n g red i e nt s:
2 glasses of duck blood 100 g giblets (duck, hen or goose) soup vegetables prunes, dried pears 1 tablespoonful cream marjoram, cinnamon, clove salt, pepper dumplings or lazanki apple vinegar
Rycerska Restaurant ul. Chrobrego 3 64-500 Szamotuły Tel. 61 292 00 94, 61 292 00 94 Tel./Fax 61 293 21 20 restauracja@rycerska1979.pl www.rycerska1979.pl
R ec i p e:
Prepare stock from the giblets and soup vegetables such as celery, carrots, leak and parsley. Steep the dried fruit in warm water and then boil them, in the same liquid. Add the fruit and the sour to the broth. Prepare a blood, flour and cream mixture and add it to the broth. Heat the soup through gently without bringing it to a boil, stirring frequently. Add, salt, sugar, lemon juice, clove, marjoram, cinnamon and pepper to taste. Serve with traditional Polish lazanki (square-shaped noodles) or other kinds of pasta (for example, Polish laid dumplings).
The restaurant is located in Szamotuły on the exit road in the direction of Poznań, by road no 184. The old cafeteria building was converted for restaurant purposes in 1979. The restaurant has seating for 100 guests and it specializes in Wielkopolska's cuisine. There are two stylish rooms available to guests: the knight hall and the hunter hall, with furnishing to match their names. The chef prepares dishes according to the oldest known regional recipes. Besides czernina, other specialities of the restaurant include duck served with yeast dumplings and red cabbage and venison dishes.
PHOTO MICHAŁ BENDKOWSKI
Du c k bloo
ge a s u a s Sour rye soup with
I n g red i ent s:
PHOTO ARCHIVES OF RESTAURANT
Olandia Restaurant Prusim 5 64 – 420 Kwilcz Tel/Fax 61 29 15 379 Mobile 608 467 367 olandia@olandia.pl marketing@olandia.pl Olandia is a restaurant located in Prusim, a village 1 kilometer off no 24 road, between Kwilicz and Kamionna. The village is situated in the Olandia Heritage Park, itself a part of a manor house complex located by Lake Kuchenne. The restored Baroque building houses a restaurant spread on two floors, with seating for 150 guests, and hotel rooms. The neighboring Spichlerz (Granary) hides the Olenderska Inn and Winiarnia (wine cellar). The restaurant serves Olandia-style, European and Polish dishes.
2 tablespoonfuls of cooking oil 1 tablespoonful of lard 100g smoked bacon 100g onion (finely chopped) 6 berries of allspice 4 bay leaves 4 cloves of garlic (chopped) 150g Polish white sausage marjoram - to taste 2l smoked broth 100g potatoes (diced) 0.5l sour rye starter 0.25l cream (18% fat content) egg - 0.5 per bowl (hard-boiled) 1 small onion-flavor bread per person salt pepper
T
he popular żurek or borscht soup is a popular dish served in homes and restaurants alike, not only in Wielkopolska. In shops, mainly at greengrocers', we can buy a readymade bottled sour rye starter. The original sour takes 4-5 days to make so it is often substituted with the ready product to save time. Żurek is served with a boiled egg, potatoes or dumplings. It has recently become a fashion to serve żurek in a dish made of a hollow roll or a small loaf of bread.
T
R ec i p e:
Heat oil and larder in a pot, fry bacon cut into small cubes. Add onion, allspice, bay leaves and cloves of garlic. Add half-slices of white sausage, fry for a while and then add marjoram. Stir carefully and add the broth cooked on smoked bacon. Then add the potatoes and simmer until they're cooked through. Toward the end, add the sour rye mixture and then the cream. The soup should best be served with a half of a hard-boiled egg, in a miniature loaf of bread. The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 3
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en soup is Wielkopolska's most popular meat soup. As much as beef, pork and lamb were used to make this soup in the past, now it is predominantly the chicken or hen. A real hen soup is a dish served on religious holidays (Easter, Christmas) and during family celebrations. The best addition to the hen soup is homemade egg noodles.
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4 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
PHOTO ARCHIVES OF RESTAURANT
Wielk opolska-style hen soup
I n g red i e nt s:
1 hen soup vegetables fresh lovage salt, pepper sugar onion R ec i p e:
Dress the hen and put into a large pot. Pour in water. Add salt, a pinch of sugar and bring to a boil on a high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Turn down heat and simmer gently for about half an hour. Add the vegetables and continue to simmer until the meat is tender. Towards the end, add an onion char-grilled over open flame. Serve the soup with homemade noodles or rice.
Pięterko Staropolska Restaurant ul. Zamkowa 12 62-800 Kalisz Tel. 62 757 53 02 The Pięterko Staropolska restaurant is located in the very center of Kalisz in the tenement house. In a few separate rooms, the restaurant offers seating for 180 guests. The kitchen serves a wide selection of Polish dishes with European accents.
p u o s e g Parzybroda cabba
I n g red i ent s:
PHOTO ARCHIVES OF RESTAURANT
Pomarańczowy Fortepian Restaurant ul. Paderewskiego 14 64-920 Piła Tel./Fax 67 353 23 20 info@pomaranczowyfortepian.pl www.pomaranczowyfortepian.pl Pomarańczowy Fortepian is a restaurant located in the center of Piła, in the neighborhood of the Stanisław Staszic Public Park. It is a large gastronomical complex specializing in organization of and providing services for mass events, such as conferences and trainings. The restaurant with the eponymous orange grand piano organizes events with participation of various artists and music groups. The restaurant features a rustic-style interior design and comprises four dining rooms with 240 seats and a summer garden, with seating for another 150 guests.
700g pork shoulder young savoy cabbage 3 carrots 1 parsley root half a celery root half a leek 5 average-sized potatoes 2 stock cubes allspice salt pepper
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arzybroda is one of Wielkopolska's most characteristic dishes made of vegetables. The soup is known also in other regions of northern Poland. The unusual name of the soup comes from the hot cabbage leaves, which scalded the chin (the Polish name of the dish comes from „scalding the chin”). Parzybroda is prepared from savoy cabbage and potatoes, on a meat broth base, often with an addition of dried wild mushrooms.
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R ec i p e:
Pour 1.5l water into a large pot. Place the meat in the pot and bring to a boil. Over the next five minutes, gather the foam off the surface. Add shredded carrots, chopped leak, parsley and celery roots. Add 1 tablespoonful of salt, allspice and stock cubes. Simmer for 15 minutes. Shred the cabbage and add it to the pot. In a separate pot cook cubes of potatoes in salted water, until halfcooked. Drain the potatoes and add them to the soup. Continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes. Season with pepper before serving.
The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 5
Potat o
pancakes (Plyndze plendze)
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otatoes (called pyry in Poznań) have been a staple food in Wielkopolska at least since the 19th century. They are served in a number of different ways. One of the easiest and most popular dishes to make was and still is plyndze, or potato cakes, a dish made of shredded raw potatoes fried on oil.
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6 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
I n g red i e nt s:
1 kg potatoes 3 tablespoonfuls of wheat flour 1 egg 1 onion frying oil salt R ec i p e:
Peel the potatoes and the onion, shred both into a bowl. Add an egg and stir well. Heat oil on a frying pan. Pour the batter onto the pan, forming small oval pancakes. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with a little salt or the sweet way, with sugar, cream, jam or homemade fruit preserve.
Pota toes
with cottage cheese
I n g red i ent s:
PHOTO ARCHIVES OF RESTAURANT
Hotel Poznański *** ul. Krańcowa 4 62-030 Luboń k/Poznania Tel. +48 61 649 99 88 Tel./Fax 61 649 99 89 biuro@hotelpoznanski.pl www.hotelpoznanski.pl Restaurant of the Poznański Hotel is situated near the exit from the motorway connecting Berlin and Warsaw. This convenient location allows travellers to get acquainted with Poznań, the capital city of Wielkopolska, without the necessity of taking a detour. The Hotel’s modern interiors contain elements which are characteristic of the whole city. The casual atmosphere of the restaurant and club are perfect for relaxing, and the exquisite dishes recommended by the Chef will satisfy all tastes. In the menu of the restaurant you will find regional dishes such as pyry z gzikiem (potatoes with cottage cheese), żur staropolski (old Polish sour rye soup), Poznań-style beef roulade with beet salad and potato dumplings (pyzy). The restaurant can seat 150 Guests.
300 g cottage cheese 1 glass of sour cream 1 onion and chives 2- 3 potatoes per serving butter salt and pepper R ec i p e:
Combine the cottage cheese with sour cream and mix well into a smooth paste. Add cream and stir again. Add chopped onion, chives and mix again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The paste should best be served with potatoes cooked in their skins, with soured milk or buttermilk.
iem) k i z g z y (pyr
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t is Wielkopolska's flagship Lenten dish. Potatoes, or pyrki, as they are called in Wielkopolska, or kartofle, as they are called in some other parts of Poland, must be boiled in their jackets. It is best to use the original rural cottage cheese, preferably with a high fat content. The same holds true for the cream – both can be bought from farmers' wives offering their products at rural marketplaces. Ready half-products are available at every grocer's shop. Potatoes served with cottage cheese mixed with cream, onion and chives are a fasting dish whose popularity is now expanding beyond the borders of the Wielkopolska province.
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The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 7
Korb ol pumpki
n s ou p
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In gre d i en t s :
0.6 kg pumpkin 3 glasses of milk 1 tablespoonful of butter salt, sugar clove, cinnamon
he korbol soup is one of Wielkopolska's most unique dishes. Korbol is a dialectal word for the common pumpkin, ubiquitous in the region's kitchens. Pumpkins are used in Wielkopolska to make soups, cakes, fillings for dumplings and pancakes. The korbol soup is sometimes served with potato balls or groats.
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R e ci pe:
Peel the pumpkin and cut into cubes. Cook the pumpkin cubes in a small amount of water. When cooked, cool the pumpkin, rub through a sieve, and blend well with an electric blender. Put the pumpkin back into the pot, add milk and spices, bring to a boil. Season to taste. The korbol soup can be served with millet groats, dumplings or potato balls.
Ślepe
ryby („blind fish”) soup
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here are no beads of fat in this traditional fasting soup of Wielkopolska hence its dialectal name Ślepe ryby (in Polish we speak of „eyes” of fat, not „beads”). Contrary to its name, the soup has nothing to do with fish. Its other names include rzadkie pyrki (rare potatoes), leek soup with myrdyra (roux) or potato soup with cream. In wealthier homes, the soup was cooked on smoked meat or sausages, with vegetables. The soup was served with bread and butter. In the past the soup would often be the sole dish served for dinner so it had to be thick and nourishing. Today it is usually prepared on a meat broth base, mainly in the countryside.
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8 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
Ingr ed ient s:
2 carrots soup vegetables 0.5 kg potatoes onion salt, pepper marjoram, bay leaf cream 200 g smoked pork ribs Recip e:
Cut the smoked ribs into smaller chunks and cook them with vegetables in a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and steam them separately. Fry finely chopped onion on butter mixed with flour to prepare the roux. Add the roux to the soup. Rub the cooked vegetables through a sieve. Separate the meat from the bones and add the meat to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, adding the cream. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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rogi e i p ( s Dumpling
I n g red i ent s:
Gryszczeniówka Guesthouse 64-605 Wargowo II nr 87 Tel. 61 2972 067 Tel. 509 443 085 poczta@gryszczeniowka.pl www.gryszczeniowka.pl The guesthouse is situated halfway between Poznań and Oborniki, by road no 11, in the neighbourhood of Chludowo. To reach the guesthouse, turn off the main road towards Wargowo II (300 meters). The guesthouse was built in 2003 in an old orchard. Its interior features a country-style design. The restaurant has seating for 40 guests. Gryszczeniówka runs also an agritourist business, which can accommodate up to 24 guests. The kitchen prepares a wide range of dishes typical of Wielkopolska. The most popular are Wargowo's pierogi, registered as a Traditional Product with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. We recommend also homemade deli meats (venison pates, salo, blood sausage, brawn, liver sausage) and homemade jams and other fruit preserves, fruit juices, pickles.
wheat flour, type 450 3 kinds if meat (pork, poultry and beef) 1 onion salt, pepper, mild paprika eggs butter R ec i p e:
Mince the meat. On a frying pan melt butter and fry the chopped onion. Add eggs and spices to the mince. Fry the mixture stirring carefully. Knead the dough from combined flour, eggs and some water. Roll the dough on a floured board and cut circles of dough with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. On each dough round place a small ball of filling and fold the dough over forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork. Put the dumplings into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook gently until they float to the surface. Pierogi dumplings taste best when served with fried smoked bacon and onion.
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he history of pierogi dumplings is centuries long. They were imported into Wielkopolska from the eastern borderlands of Poland, where a large variety of pierogi dumplings is known. At present pierogi are some of the most popular dishes in Polish diets. We can order them at nearly every bar and bistro, less commonly also at restaurants. The kinds that have become particularly popular in Wielkopolska are pierogi with meat and sauerkraut fillings, Russian-style pierogi stuffed with sweetened cottage cheese paste and pierogi filled with fruit. Unfortunately, most of the dumplings available are readymade deep-frozen products. We should appreciate then even more an opportunity to taste freshly made dumplings offered at selected eateries.
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The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 9
Potat o
dumplings (szare kluski)
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otato dumplings make some of the more popular dishes in Wielkopolska, since potatoes became a staple food in the 19th century. They are prepared in a number of ways from raw potatoes, flour and eggs. The recipe remained unchanged over the decades. The dumplings are known under a variety of names depending on a particular region (szare kluski, kulanki, skubanki, kulachy, kluchy z pyrek, kluchyi z pokrywki). Until recently, the dish was considered to be a meal for the poor but today it is served in elegant restaurants, replacing potatoes. Potato dumplings are often served with smoked bacon and braised sauerkraut.
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10 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
I n g red i ent s:
1 kg potatoes 1 egg 5 tablespoonfuls of wheat flour 30 g lard or smoked bacon 1 onion salt
Kołodziej Inn ul. Poznańska 10 62-085 Skoki Tel. 61 812 4046
R ec i p e:
Peel, wash and grate the potatoes. Press to drain the excess juice. Combine the potatoes with flour and egg, mix well, season to taste. Form small shapes and use a spoon to put them in a pot with salted boiling water. The dumplings are ready when they float to the surface, after about 5 minutes. Melt the lard or bacon on a frying pan, fry the chopped onion. Drain the dumplings, place them on a plate and pour some fat on them. Serve with sauerkraut or butter poached carrots.
Just outside Skoków, by road no 196 leading from Poznań to Wągrowiec, an old inn is situated, built there at the beginning of the 20th century. In a few rooms on the ground floor and in the cellars there is seating for 100 guests. The inn's cooking is based on traditional local recipes. Apart from the dumplings, the roast pork chop in herbs is recommended (served with kopytka dumplings). We can try also the traditional duck blood soup (czernina) with specially made egg noodles.
zagów s ( s g n i Potato dumpl
Ingredients:
Stajenka Restaurant Głosiny 6 63-810 Borek Wielkopolski Tel. 65 571 6739; 604 609 326 www.reges.pl/stajenka The restaurant is situated just outside Borek Wielkopolski, by the road from Gostyń to Jarocin. It occupies a new building (1997) with a glass veranda and a winter garden. Inside the building there are two dining rooms with seating for 48 guests. The chef prepares regional dishes typical for the region of Wielkopolska.
1 kg cooked potatoes 2 eggs 1 glass of wheat flour 1/2 glass of potato flour salt Recipe:
Wash the potatoes and cook them in their skins. When ready, peel them and pass them through a mincer. Add flour, eggs, salt and knead the dough. Roll out the dough into a snake shape about an inch high and thick and cut on the bias into shapes resembling hooves (hence the dumplings' other name kopytka, Polish diminutive of „hooves”). Boil in batches until they rise to the surface. Serve with fried bacon or as a side dish with meat.
ki)
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t is a meal typical of Wielkopolska as it is made of its traditional vegetable – the potato. Szagówki are ubiquitous on Wielkopolska's tables as they are made of the region's staple product and flour. Their name comes from the way they are cut: on the bias (Polish: na szagę). They can be served on their own or as a side dish accompanying the main course of roast or poached meat. A meal composed of szagówki, braised or poached spare ribs, sauerkraut or vegetables is becoming increasingly popular in various parts of the country.
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The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 11
Veal shanks
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he meat from young calves used to be reserved for the most affluent tables only. Roast veal has never been a common dish. It was served at Easter and during the most important family celebrations such as wedding receptions. Today veal still is one of the more expensive meats and not many restaurants are offering it in their menus (veal shanks or roast veal chops). Veal is served in Wielkopolska as a hot dish with cooked vegetables or rice on the side or as a cold hors d'oeuvre.
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12 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
I n g red i e nt s:
1.5 kg veal 5 tablespoonfuls of vegetable oil 1 onion 1 glass of white wine salt, pepper chef's choice of herbs R ec i p e:
Scald the meat (preferably a leg of veal) with boiling water on all sides. Dry the meat and season it with herbs and spices, roll the meat. Place on hot oil in a large pot and braise on moderately high heat for about one hour, basting the roast and pouring some white wine on it from time to time. When the veal is tender, carve it into slices. The veal tastes best with potatoes or rice and vegetables.
Przystań Restaurant Borgowo 1 63-100 Śrem Tel. 61 2832 739, 602 795 880 przystan1996@02.pl www.przystanborgowo.pl The restaurant is situated by the exit road from Śrem (no 434) leading to Dolsk. The building of a complex architectural design houses small club rooms and a larger dining room ideal for large celebrations. There's also an outdoor garden terrace available to diners, beautifully located by a pond and Pyszczyca stream. Przystań has seating for a total of 150 guests. The kitchen is run by young talented chefs serving Wielkopolska's regional dishes, including venison.
Pork k ge a b b a c nuckles (golonka) with
I n g red i ent s:
Husarska Inn Czacz ul. Wielichowska 1 64-030 Śmigiel Tel. 65 5180 228 Tel. 605 893 684 www.karczmahusarska.pl Czacz is a well-known village situated on no 5 road between Kościan and Leszno, near Śmigiel. The inn occupies the interior of a late-Classical building, erected between in years 1960-1970. The two rooms of the inn offer seating for 100 guests. The local cuisine is typical of Wielkopolska. Its specialities include sour rye soup żurek and beef roulades (zrazy) with yeast dumplings (pyzy) and Bavarian-style pork knuckles (golonka).
700 g cured pork knuckles vegetables: celery, carrot, parsley 2 onions 2 apples 500 g sauerkraut 100 g peas 2 tablespoonfuls of lard garlic allspice, bay leaf salt, pepper horseradish
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olonka is a dish that came to Wielkopolska from beyond its western border nearly one hundred years ago, when the region was part of Prussia. Its popularity quickly spread into other provinces of the country. The dish is delicious and easy to make, which makes it one of Wielkopolska's favourites. Not all the eateries, however, offer an equally delicious, properly cured golonka. Wielkopolska's pork knuckles are usually served with potatoes, bread or, less commonly now, on traditional peas.
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R ec i p e:
Cured pork knuckles should first be rinsed well. Place the knuckles in a large pot, pour in boiling water, add the vegetables, allspice, bay leaf and cook on a low heat for about two hours. Press the sauerkraut to remove excess liquid and put into a pan on hot lard. Add spices, fried chopped onion, some pork bouillon, and braise until the sauerkraut softens. Serve on peas, with potatoes or bread, with grated horseradish or mustard.
The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 13
Roast du
ck with red c ab
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Ingredients:
1 duck 4 average-sized apples 4 oranges mild paprika powder parsley 100 ml cooking oil salt, pepper, marjoram
oast duck with braised red cabbage and yeast dumplings cooked over steam on a cloth (pyzy) is a typical Polish meal served in Polish homes on Sundays and public holidays. Fortunately, it is also served in all restaurants for demanding gourmets. The duck should be golden brown and crunchy, on the plate always accompanied by yeast dumplings called pyzy in Wielkopolska but known under a different name in some other parts of Poland (kluski parowe), which often leads to amusing confusions.
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Recipe:
FOT. ARCHIWUM RESTAURACJI
14 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
bage and yeast dumplings
Dress, wash and dry the duck. Rub the salt-pepper-marjoram mixture inside the duck. Stuff the duck with peeled apple quarters and sew it up. On the outside, rub the duck with salt, pepper and paprika powder. Sprinkle the duck with oil. Heat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade and bake the duck for about 2 hours, basting it with the fat melted from the bird every 20 minutes or so. To prevent the duck from browning too quickly we can cover the more sensitive parts (wings, legs) with some orange slices. Use the remaining oranges to make some juice. Save the orange zest, too. When the duck is browned, take it out of the oven and cut it into halves. Remove the bones carefully (leave the bones in wings and legs only). Put the bones into a pot, add orange zest, parsley and half the orange squash. Add some fat melted from the duck and any apple quarters that remain. Heat the sauce, substituting the evaporated liquid with some duck broth. Place the duck halves on a baking tray and pour the sauce over them. Put the tray back into the oven and continue baking until the meat is tender. Before serving, thicken the sauce with flour, season with salt and pepper to taste.
RED CABBAGE Ingredients:
1 head of red cabbage 250 g lard 100 g bacon 2 onions 1 apple vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper przepis:
Shred the cabbage and scald it with boiling water. Do not boil or it will turn too soft. Melt lard in a pot, add chopped onion, cubed bacon and apple. Fry the ingredients for a while and then add the cabbage, stirring well. Finish the side-dish with sprinkles of vinegar, some sugar, salt and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.
YEAST DUMPLINGS (pyzy) – about 5 servings Ingredients:
500 g flour 10 g sugar 300 ml milk 2 eggs 25 g yeast 50 g butter salt Recipe:
Morena Restaurant Mickiewicz Tourist Center ul. Jarocińska 35 63-210 Żerków Tel. 62 740 20 82 Fax 62 740 20 88 biuro@mct.zerkow.pl www.mct.zerkow.pl Morena Restaurant is situated in Żerków, a small town in the center of the ŻerkowskoCzeszewski Landscape Park. The building of the restaurant is the town's former bathhouse erected in 1943. The building is a part of the Mickiewicz Tourist Center, a complex of hotelconference-training premises and open-air swimming pools. The restaurant has four separate dining rooms and it specializes in regional cuisine.
Mix the yeast, sugar and salt in lukewarm milk. When the starter has risen, add eggs and flour, knead the dough. Add melted butter, knead again. Put aside in a warm place until the dough rises. Form the dough into small ball shapes. Pour some water into a large pot, tie a clean loose weave cloth around the pot. Find a bowl matching the size of the pot so that it can be covered with it and the vapor cannot escape. Place the dumplings on the cloth over boiling water, cover the pot with the bowl and steam for about 15 minutes.
The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 15
Beef ro
ulades (zrazy)
B
eef for roulades used to be selected from premium cuts of beef only. For this reason roulades were served mainly in affluent homes and on important family occasions. Today beef roulades are much more ubiquitous. The recipes vary depending on the particular region of the country. Largest differences are observed in the filling put inside the rolled meat. The main ingredients for the Wielkopolska-style filling are lard, bread crumbles, onion and sometimes also mushrooms.
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16 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
Ingredients:
1 kg beef 2 onions wholemeal bread 5 tablespoonfuls of butter 1 glass of clear stock lard salt, pepper Recipe:
Slice the beef and pound each slice out thin. Divide the lard, chopped onion and bread crumble among the steaks. Roll each steak tightly, securing with a toothpick, by sewing up or using special pins. Place the beef rolls in a roasting pan and braise on a low heat until the meat is tender, pouring some water or stock over the meat from time to time. The best side dishes include potatoes (or bread) and braised beets.
Zamkowa Restaurant pl. Zamkowy 1 64-130 Rydzyna Tel./Fax 65 538 85 39 Tel. 510 043 882 zamkowa@zamkowa-rydzyna.pl www.zamek-rydzyna.com Rydzyna is a charming little town situated just off no 5 road (Poznań – Wrocław), outside the town limits of Leszno. The restaurant is located in the Baroque castle, formerly the residence of Stanisław Leszczyński, King of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, and the Sułkowski princes. King Leszczyński's daughter Maria became Queen-Consort of France as wife of Louis XV. The castle restaurant has seating for 150 guests in two adjoining dining rooms, in rooms located in the corner tower and in a drink bar. Zamkowa Restaurant serves traditional Polish and regional dishes as well as a selection of European specialities.
e s e e h c Fried
I n g re d i ent s:
1/2 kg cottage cheese 1 tablespoonful of butter 2 eggs salt, pepper, caraway R e c i p e:
Crumble the cheese (it is best to use the home-made rural cheese) and rest it in a warm place for 2 or 3 days. When a yellowish rind starts to appear on the cheese, when the cheese has matured, it is ready to fry. Melt the butter on a frying pan, add the cheese and scrambled eggs. Fry the cheese on a low heat, stirring into a smooth paste. We can add a tablespoonful of caraway seeds or chopped dill. Pour the cheese into small bowls and let the cheese set.
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heese has long been one of Wielkopolska's basic products made from milk. The widespread use of fried cheese is attributed to German settlers (Hauländer) arriving in Wielkopolska in the 18th century. Because the region of Nowy Tomyśl was the area with the largest number of Hauländer settlements, we should not be surprised at the fact that the best fried cheeses are produced just there. The fried cheese of Nowy Tomyśl is a registered regional product protected in the European Union.
The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 17
St. M artin croiss ants
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he tradition of baking St. Martin croissants (rogale świętomarcińskie) is said to date back to pagan times. It was subsequently taken over and bound to the figure of St. Martin by the church. St. Martin croissants were begun to be baked in Poznań, where tons of them are consumed every year, as late as the break of the 20th century. The tradition was initiated in Poznań by a baker based near St. Martin church. Today this most characteristic product of Poznań cake shops, baked to celebrate the 11 November (St. Martin's Day), must first be approved for sale by a special Chapter of the Poznań Traditional St Martin Croissant, which was established on the initiative of the Poznań Chamber of Crafts and the City Office. In 2008, St. Martin croissant was registered as a protected product name and a protected geographical indication in the European Union.
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18 | The cuisine of Wielkopolska
I n g red i e nt s:
Dough: 1 kg wheat flour 6 eggs half a cube of butter (125 g) 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar 50 g yeast 1 glass of milk Filling: 1.5 glass of caster sugar 200 g almonds and walnuts 100 g white poppy seed cream R ec i p e:
Whip eggs with sugar. Melt butter and combine with beaten eggs. Continue whisking, adding flour, lukewarm milk and yeast dissolved previously in a small amount of milk. Knead the dough until it starts to bubble. Rest in a warm place until the dough rises. Scald the almonds, walnuts and poppy seeds with hot water, grind with sugar and cream for a smooth thick paste. Roll out the dough and cut into squares. Place a portion of the filling on each square, form the croissants and rest in a warm place until they rise. Bake in a hot oven.
ns u b m e Szneki z glanc
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he popular Polish bun (drożdżówka) is called szneka z glancem in Wielkopolska. It is of course a relic of the partitions of Poland, one of the few Germanisms surviving in the colloquial language. A yeast bun rolled and iced is one of the many sweet snacks consumed everywhere, often virtually on the run. We can get it in the street and at every cake shop. There are a number of varieties of the specialty: with sweet cream cheese, poppy seeds, plum preserve or fruit.
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Ingredients:
0.5 kg flour 3 eggs 1 cube of butter 1 glass of milk 50 g yeast 1 teaspoonful of salt 1 tablespoonful of sugar Recipe:
Prepare the yeast dough. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk and rest the mixture in a warm place. Cream the sugar with melted butter and eggs, adding flour, salt and yeast. Knead the dough until it's no longer sticky. Roll out the dough into small snake shapes and spiral each „snake” inward. Rest the buns in a warm place until they rise. Top them with streusel and bake in a hot oven (about 250°C until golden). Let them cool before you sprinkle them with caster sugar or top with icing.
The cuisine of Wielkopolska | 19
Tourist information Poznań
Piła
Regional Tourist Information Centre 61-772 Poznań, Stary Rynek 59/60 tel. 61 852 61 56 61 855 33 79 it@cim.poznan.p
District Tourist Information Centre 64-920 Piła, al. Niepodległości 33/35 tel. 67 210 94 80 pit@powiat.pila.pl
City Information Centre 61-816 Poznań, ul. Ratajczaka 44 (entrance, ul. 27 Grudnia) tel. 61 851 96 45 61 856 04 54 centrum@cim.poznan.pl City Information Centre – Branch at Poznań International Fair 60-734 Poznań, ul. Głogowska 14 tel. 61 869 20 84 centrum@cim.poznan.pl City Information Centre – Branch at Airport Ławica 60-189 Poznań, ul. Bukowska 285 tel. 61 849 21 40 lawica@cim.poznan.pl Tourist Information and Services „Glob-Tour FB” at Poznań Railway Station 60 – 801 Poznań, ul. Dworcowa 1 tel. 61 86 606 67 info@globtourfb.poznan.pl
Gniezno District Tourist Information Centre 62-200 Gniezno, ul. Rynek 14 tel. 61 428 41 00 info@szlakpiastowski.com.pl
Selected incoming travel agencies MARPOL TRAVEL ul. Dworcowa 1 64-500 Szamotuły tel./fax 61 292 38 21 www.marpoltravel.pl info@marpoltravel.pl
Nowy Tomyśl Commune Tourist Information Centre 64-300 Nowy Tomyśl, pl. Niepodległości 10 tel. 61 44 23 806 r.ratajczak@nowytomysl.pl
Travel agency „ATUR” ul. Mielżyńskiego 18/3 61-725 Poznań tel. 61 85 16 292, 61 85 60 881 fax 61 85 13 604 www.atur.com office@atur.com.pl
Puszczykowo Ekoinfo Centre 62-040 Puszczykowo, ul. Poznańska 1 tel. 61 633 62 83 61 898 37 11 promocja@puszczykowo.pl
Śrem Union of the Śrem Region – the Śrem Centre for the Support of Small Business 63-100 Śrem, ul. Okulickiego 3 tel. 61 283 27 04 unia@srem.com.pl
Travel agency – Karolina Gnusowska-Weiss ul. Mścibora 62/9 61-062 Poznań tel. 61 65 33 650 fax 61 65 33 659 office@weiss-travel.com
Wolsztyn Commune Tourist Information Centre 64-200 Wolsztyn, ul. Roberta Kocha 12a tel. 68 347 31 04 gci@wolsztyn.pl
Kalisz Tourist Information Centre 62-800 Kalisz, ul. Zamkowa tel. 62 598 27 31
it@um.kalisz.pl
Konin Tourist Information Centre 62-510 Konin, ul. Dworcowa 2
tel. 63 246 32 48 biuro@lotmarina.pl
Leszno Tourist Information 64-100 Leszno, ul. Słowiańska 24 tel. 65 529 81 91 65 529 81 92 65 529 81 92 infotur@leszno.pl
Wielkopolska in Internet
www.wielkopolska.travel www.turystyka-kulturowa-wlkp.pl
Map of Wielkopolska
Publisher:
Wielkopolska Tourist Organisation www.wot.org.pl
Text:
Zbigniew Szmidt
Photo:
Zbigniew Szmidt
Map:
Autograf www.autograf-poligrafia.pl
Translation:
Piotr Woryma
ISBN
978-83-61454-82-3
Brochures promoting Wielkopolska are supported by mobile technologies.
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Poznań 2012
www.wielkopolska.travel www.turystyka-kulturowa-wlkp.pl