Here
in Warsaw, Chanterelle mushrooms (kurek or kurka in
Polish) still abound at the summer markets such as Hala
Mirowska. Hopefully, the locals will continue to bring them in from the
nearby forests especially since we are having a rainy spell.
I
recently was looking for new inspiration to use up a fresh batch of kurek. I took a peak at my new Polish
cookbook, From a Polish Country House Kitchen, by authors Anne
Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden, published last year. (My mother-in-law
kindly brought me five cookbooks in July).
Appelbaum,
a Pulitzer Prize winner, lives in Poland part-time as her husband, Radoslaw
Sikorski, is a Polish politician and writer. She also is a columnist for the Washington Post and Slate.com. Crittenden
currently works for the online journal of the Huffington Post Canada.
This
excellent cookbook features gorgeous photography as well as 90 recipes for
modern takes on traditional Polish food such as pierogies, chlodnik (cold beet soup) and sernik
(Polish cheesecake). And I happened to find several recipes utilizing mushrooms
including one for chicken breasts with a creamy Chanterelle mushroom sauce. I didn’t
have chicken on hand, but I did have thin, boneless pork chops.
Off
to the kitchen I went to break in my new cookbook.
This
recipe took a bit of time as the mushrooms required some extra cleaning.
However, I don’t mind spending time in my kitchen as long as I have my music
turned up.
The
end result is a casserole dish brimming with cooked pork chops baked in a
Chanterelle mushroom cream sauce flecked with loads of onions and dill. My side
dishes were simple steamed green beans and boiled summer potatoes with dill.
I’m
sure Applebaum’s Polish recipes will make a regular appearance on our dining
table.
Smacznego! (Bon appétit
in Polish)
Our Polish-American dinner enjoyed outside on our balcony in Warsaw. |
Polish
Chanterelle Mushrooms with Pork
Adapted
from From a Polish Country House Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
500-600 g. (about
1 ¼#) thin pork chops
2 T. butter
3 medium onions, diced
4-6 ea. garlic cloves, chopped
350 g. (12 oz.) Chanterelle
mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
240 ml. (1 cup) chicken
stock
240 ml. (1 cup) water
180 ml. (3/4 cup) cream
(I used 18% cream in Poland.)
To
taste salt
and freshly ground black pepper
To
taste fresh
dill, roughly chopped
1.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C.
2.
Pat the pork chops dry. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tablespoon
of butter and olive oil together. Then, fry the pork chops until golden brown
on both sides. I had to do this in two batches. When done, set aside in a
medium-sized baking dish (about 8x11 inches).
3.
In the same pan, add the remaining butter. As it melts, scrape up any of the
browned pork pieces with a spatula.
4.
Add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
5.
Add the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the
mushrooms are softened and have released some of their liquid.
6.
Add the chicken stock, scraping up any more bits on the bottom of the pan.
Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened a little, about 10 minutes or
so.
7.
Stir in the cream. Season with salt, pepper and some dill. Pour the sauce over
the pork. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and
lightly browned on top.
8.
Garnish more fresh dill on top of the finished dish.
6 comments:
I love chaterelles and your dish looks so delicious!
@Barbara, thank you! It was delicious, but definitely a treat with the cream. :-)
thanks for the link! i just bought the cookbook and i don't buy cookbooks anymore! i can't wait to get it. this recipe looks so good and i just bought chanterelles!
@Joyce, it's a great cookbook! I found so few modern-day Polish books so this was an awesome find! I think you'll love it! :-)
All I can say is "Yes, it was delicious!" Enjoyment to all those who try it.
@Jason, thank you!
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