Anglo Polish Society

Direcly from Pionka’s Chocolate Polish Chocolatier Mariusz Pionka started his career in Bristol when he decided he wanted to make chocolate from scratch.  The very first chocolates didn’t work out, but he didn’t let that stop him!  That’s when he fell in love with chocolate. He started researching and realised he needed to find work experience that would train him and show him the magic ways of Chocolate.  He found a job in a small chocolate factory in Spain.  After 2 years he came back to Bristol and started trading his own chocolates in and around Bristol Markets. Mariusz opened … Read more   

Christmas is coming and it’s time to get the mincemeat ready.  This is one of my favourite recipes.  It makes over 5 x 1-lb jars of mincemeat and will keep for a long time.  I make this every year and it sells well at Christmas Fayres.  Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 lb of currants 1 lb of raisins 1 lb of sultanas 1 lb of suet or vegetable suet 1 lb of apples, peeled, cored & finely chopped or grated 1 lb of caster sugar 4 oz of candied peel 1 lemon Teaspoon of salt Cinnamon and nutmeg 150 mls of brandy, … Read more   

Gołąbki means “little pigeons” and as with many Polish recipes, there are as many variations to the ingredients and cooking methods as there are Polish families! The filling is usually made with meat and rice, but you could replace the rice with buckwheat; or for a vegetarian version use mushrooms and onions instead of meat. Cooking methods can also vary.  They could be cooked in the oven, in a saucepan on the hob or, alternatively fried.  They are often eaten with a sauce, usually tomato or mushroom. Gołąbki are excellent from frozen, either raw or cooked. This recipe details gołąbki … Read more   

Being a butcher’s daughter, it has been difficult to choose my favourite main course meal.  I suppose it could be sirloin steak, however, I am going for something with a lot of flavour, relatively economic in terms of ingredients, easy to prepare and pop into the oven whilst getting on with other jobs.  Have you guessed?  It’s casserole with braising steak and vegetables. Here’s my recipe, and there is no set quantity of any ingredient so you can choose what amount you prefer according to taste. Braising steak (or stewing steak)CarrotsOnionsSwedeMushroomsGravy or sauce Directions:      Chop vegetables as required, cut beef … Read more   

Zupa Ogòrkowa is a traditional Polish soup made from “ogòrki kiszone” or cucumbers in brine. You can buy these from Polish shops or delis. If you can’t find ogòrki kiszone, the more readily available pickled cucumbers or gherkins will do just as well. This soup is easy to make and delicious. To make it even better you can make your own stock but this is not necessary if you don’t have the time or inclination.  All Polish cooks have their own version; this is a very easy one based on what I remember of my mother’s recipe. Ingredients: Serves 4 … Read more   

When I was little, we moved into a house in Wembley, London. From the neighbour’s garden, lush pears fell into ours. The lovely neighbours have encouraged my mother’s use of the pears and also enjoyed the chutney as much as we all have over nearly sixty years. My mother is still making it – wonderful. Ingredients                                          25g / 1oz Root ginger, roughly chopped1x5ml spoon / 1 teaspoon Cloves2.75kg / 6lb Pears, peeled, cored and chopped500g / 1lb Onions, peeled and chopped100g / 4oz Stem ginger, finely choppedGrated rind and juice of three oranges750g / 1.5lb Granulated sugar900ml / 1.5 pints … Read more   

When we bought a slow cooker I never thought of using it for puddings; however it makes excellent bread and butter pudding every time! Use the recipe as a guide; don’t follow it slavishly.  Any dried fruit will do, and obviously the amounts you use will depend on how big a pudding you want.  It is almost impossible to make this wrong – it will either be really good or excellent! You can also vary the flavour by adding lemon or orange zest and other interesting flavours. I’ve used all types of bread, but found it worked best for us … Read more   

One of the Polish Christmas Eve traditions is Compote – as the Polish climate is extreme, fresh fruits would not traditionally have been available in midwinter.  In fact, various different compotes made from fresh or preserved fruits are consumed all the year round. This one, using prunes and figs, goes back to the middle ages and echoes the cuisine of the Holy Land and is a Christmas favourite.  It is simplicity itself to make. Ingredients: 10 ounces of stoned prunes (My personal favourites are those lovely prunes d’Agen from the South of France) 10 oz dried figs One cinnamon stick … Read more   

Tea Brack is a sort of cross between cake and bread. The word Brack comes from an old Irish word, ‘breac‘, meaning speckled, which I imagine, refers to the fruit. The Irish are great tea drinkers so there would always be tea left in the pot at the end of the day to soak the fruit. The night before…375g/12oz mixed Raisins/Sultanas300ml/ ½pint Cold Milk-less Tea Place fruit and tea in a bowl and leave to soak overnight The next day…. Preheat oven, 170C/325F/Gas3. Grease and base line a 900g/2lb loaf tin, or a 20cm/8” round cake tin. To the bowl … Read more   

This recipe for a Strawberry Jelly Cake is from my father’s cousin, Zosia Ciesielska, in Krakow. She was a founder member and chair of the Sybir Association there, and how I found her is another story! Cake base Determine the size of your cake.  The proportions below are given per 1 egg. The standard round cake tin has an 9 in (approx. 23 cm) diameter – 4 or 5 eggs are recommended.  Six to seven eggs would be required for baking in a 10-inch tin. Ingredients per 1 egg: 40 g granulated sugar 30 g plain flour A few drops … Read more   

A Babka is often a sweet, rich yeast dough often baked with additional dried fruit, in a fluted baking tin which gives it the name “Babka”, or little grandmother.  The fluted shape resembling a grandmother’s skirt pleats In this example it is a two- flavoured/coloured version baked without the use of yeast. As specified in the recipe, Poles tend to measure ingredients using a glass.  When you bake this cake, simply measure all the ingredients using the same glass, or cup, then you can’t go wrong with this easy, delicious cake. Ingredients                                          5 egg 11/2 glasses sugar 21/2 glasses plain … Read more   

The original recipe was for Courgette & Hazelnut Cake, from one of the physicists in the Bristol Radiotherapy Department, but it works equally well with desiccated coconut, or ground pecans/walnuts/ pistachios instead of hazelnuts. Ingredients: 100g chopped/ ground hazelnuts (if doing your own grinding, make sure to use blanched hazelnuts so no skins) 225g caster sugar 3 medium eggs 210ml sunflower oil 30ml walnut oil 225g courgettes (topped, tailed but not peeled) 280g s/r flour 1/4 tsp salt 1tsp ground cinnamon Method Whisk sugar, eggs, oils in mixer till thick and pale. Grate courgette, and squeeze in a tea towel/ … Read more   

I chose this recipe because my family love it. I used to cook this for myself, my husband and our 6 children. The quantity can be halved for less people, or multiplied for more. 2 or 3 sausages (or more) per person Lard or oil for cooking Recipe for the Yorkshire Pudding 220 grams plain flour 1/2 tsp of salt 2 eggs 500 mls milk Method Sift the flour and salt into a basin and make a well in the middle, crack the egg into the well and add a little of the milk. Beat well until smooth using a … Read more   

When visiting Wiola and Tom Hola-Peryer, I was offered this unusual but delicious fruit cake. Thinking of you dear members, I asked and received the recipe. Enjoy, I did! Ingredients: 450g / 1lb mixed dried fruits and nuts, such as roughly chopped apricots, quartered glace cherries, roughly chopped nuts, sultanas and raisins 100g / 4oz soft butter 1x5ml spoon / 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 175g / 6oz light muscovado sugar 225ml / 8fl oz water 2 large eggs, beaten 300g / 10oz self-raising wholemeal flour 2x5ml spoon / 2 teaspoon ground ginger 100-175g / 4-6oz stem ginger, drained of … Read more   

This recipe makes 12 slices. Ingredients: 15g butter 200g self-raising flour 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder 75g golden caster sugar 725g dessert apples (cored, peeled and sliced) 125g stoned raisins 1 teaspoon nutmeg 2 eggs (beaten) 110ml sunflower oil 150g Lancashire cheese Preparation: Generously butter a loose-based 23cm (9inch) cake tin. Preheat oven to 170oC / 325oF / Gas 3.. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add sugar, apples, raisins and nutmeg. Beat eggs into the oil and stir into the mix. Spoon half of the mixture into the tin. Add cheese. Top with the remaining apple mixture. Bake for … Read more   

These placki can be eaten as a savoury dish with sour cream, salt and chilli jam or sweet with sugar and lemon. Peel and grate about a pound and a half of peeled potatoes Place in a sieve and allow to drain for a few minutes. Squeeze out the rest of the liquid Into the raw potato mix in about one ounce of plain flour and 1-2 eggs so the mixture holds a good pancake shape Season and stir well to blend all the ingredients Heat a little fat or oil in a large frying pan When the fat is … Read more   

The muesli biscuits are a healthy addition to any lunch box and very filling for a coffee break or to snack on throughout the day. Ideal for hungry children when returning from school and a healthy alternative to usual shop bought snacks. They are very quick and easy to make and my grandchildren enjoy making these with me and then eating as soon as they are ready, we have often made them in all different fun shapes. Ingredients: 100 g (4 oz) margarine 50 g (2 oz) demerara sugar 15 ml 1 tbsp (tablespoon) honey 50 g (2 oz) self … Read more   

When I was little, we moved into a house in Wembley, London. From the neighbour’s garden, lush pears fell into ours. The lovely neighbours have encouraged my mother’s use of the pears and also enjoyed the chutney as much as we all have over nearly sixty years. My mother is still making it – wonderful. Ingredients                                          25g / 1oz Root ginger, roughly chopped 1x5ml spoon / 1 teaspoon Cloves 2.75kg / 6lb Pears, peeled, cored and chopped 500g / 1lb Onions, peeled and chopped 100g / 4oz Stem ginger, finely chopped Grated rind and juice of three oranges 750g / … Read more   

Oh, my favourite Polish recipe is just the simplest thing – Jajecznica. Scrambled egg , boosted with the smokey flavours of sausage or pork.  My father used to make it for us when mum was busy – so, even though it was man-cooking, it was always a special treat. My favourite version is with sliced Krakowska, but you can use smoked pork loin or even smokey bacon , perhaps even adding some sliced fresh mushrooms. Ingredients for 2 portions: 4 eggs, 6 slices of Krakowska sausage or smoked pork loin. Method: Chop your sliced Krakowska into bite-size pieces and cook … Read more   

With autumn approaching, English apples will be in season and being in Bristol we are spoilt for choice when it comes to good quality, dry cider. This recipe is easy to do and pork chops are an economic choice when it comes to meat. Ingredients: 4 pork chops (preferably nice thick ones) freshly ground black pepper and salt olive oil 1 large onion, or 2 small ones chopped 2 English eating apples, each cut into 8 wedges, and at least 3 whole apples a few fresh sage leaves (4 maximum) 1 generous glass of dry cider   Preparation and method: … Read more   

I first had this soup at a pavement restaurant in Prague, served as it was just starting to rain (we were under umbrellas!). It was most comforting and warming. Serves four to six Ingredients: 500 gm carrots 750 ml vegetable stock 2-3 cm fresh ginger root Salt and pepper 200 ml cream Parsley as garnish Preparation and method: 1.  Warm the vegetable stock (vegetable stock may be made by adding a vegetable cube to water); peel and dice the carrots. Add to stock and boil until carrots are just soft. 2.  Meanwhile peel the ginger root and grate finely. Add … Read more   

As specified in the recipe, Poles tend to measure ingredients using a glass.  When you bake this cake, simply measure all the ingredients using the same glass, or cup, then you can’t go wrong with this easy, delicious cake. Ingredients:  Cake 2 eggs 1 glass of sugar 2½ glasses flour 1 glass yoghurt ½ glass vegetable oil 2 teaspoons baking powder Fruit (this can be fresh, frozen, tinned or bottled) Crumble ½ pack of butter or margarine 1 packet of vanilla sugar ½ glass sugar ½ glass flour Preparation: 1.  To make the cake, beat the eggs with the sugar … Read more   

Do you tend to ignore the Asparagus in the supermarket as “too difficult?” or scary?  Certainly we used to until we discovered this easy method.  Much easier than baking, boiling or steaming it. Now we’ve found out how to reliably cook asparagus in the microwave, we eat it much more often.  As it’s been on offer quite a bit recently we’ve had quite a lot of it this year. Ingredients: 1 Asparagus bundle 1 Approx tablespoon olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preparation: Wash asparagus spears and chop off the woody bottom part. Cut the spears in half … Read more   

Zupa Ogòrkowa is a traditional Polish soup made from “ogòrki kiszone” or cucumbers in brine. You can buy these from Polish shops or delis. If you can’t find ogòrki kiszone, the more readily available pickled cucumbers or gherkins will do just as well. This soup is easy to make and delicious. To make it even better you can make your own stock but this is not necessary if you don’t have the time or inclination.  All Polish cooks have their own version; this is a very easy one based on what I remember of my mother’s recipe. Ingredients: Serves 4 … Read more   

Ingredients: 1 packet digestive biscuits 8 oz/250 g unsalted butter 8oz/250 g dark chocolate 1 egg 1 oz/25g caster sugar Melt chocolate in a basin over hot water (this can also be done in microwave) Melt butter Whisk egg and sugar together Beat butter into chocolate, then egg Break biscuits into small pieces and add to mixture Turn into loose-bottomed sponge tin. Chill in fridge NB besides digestive biscuits, nuts, cherries or dried fruit can also be added Roz Rowe

Considered by some as the national dish of Poland; it is ancient in origin, traditionally cooked in a cauldron over a fire.  The ingredients were whatever game was shot from the forest, plus smoked meat and sauerkraut which travelled well.  Bigos is a wonderful winter dish which seems to improve each time it is reheated! Ingredients: 3 bottles or bags of sauerkraut (c.900gm) 1 fresh cabbage 400gm lean diced beef 800gm diced pork 1 large onion 1 large carrot 6 strips dried forest mushrooms 1 tablespoon peppercorns 4 bay leaves 2 tablespoons vegetable seasoning half a bottle white wine Preparation … Read more   

Ingredients 8oz (225g) short crust pastry 3/4pt (450ml) sweet cider 1lb (450g) cooking apples (peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices) 2 eggs 2oz (50g) sugar 1oz (25g) cornflour 1oz (25g) chopped almonds 1oz (25g) icing sugar Method 1.    Roll out the pastry and line a 7in (17.5cm) flan tin. 2.    Prick with a fork and bake at 400oF/200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 25 minutes. 3.    Bring the cider to boiling point and add the sliced apples. 4.    Simmer the apples until cooked and remove from the cider. 5.    Top up the cider if necessary to ½ pint (300ml). 6.    Beat … Read more   

‘Chrust’ means brushwood which perfectly describes the appearance and texture of these sweet pastry twists.  In some parts of Poland they use the diminutive ‘chruściki’, and in other parts ‘faworki’, meaning ‘grace’ or ‘favour’.  It is connected with the name ‘faworki’ that used to describe colourful ribbons attached to male or female clothes (especially those that were given by knights to their ladies). And so fried faworki resemble twisted ribbons.  When properly made, they should be very thin and simply melt in the mouth. Chrust are often eaten during carnival (the time following the Christmas period and before Lent) but … Read more   

Over 80 years ago, this recipe was given to my grandma by a lady from East Chinnock in Somerset. 10oz self-raising flour 6oz butter 6oz caster sugar 3oz currants 1 egg ½ – 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg A little milk and extra sugar Oven 325F, fan assisted oven 145C Gas Mark 3.  Cook 15-20 mins (check after 10 mins) until pale gold. Mix flour and nutmeg, rub in the butter until like breadcrumbs.  Add sugar and currants.  Make a well (hollow) in the centre of the mixture.  Put in the beaten egg and mix to a firm paste.  Knead well.  … Read more   

Dough 2 whole eggs 1 egg yolk 500g plain flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons double cream 1 tablespoon baking powder 250g unsalted butter 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or vanilla extract to taste Filling 1.5-2kg cooking apples Brown sugar and cinnamon to taste Crumble 250g plain flour 100g sugar 125g unsalted butter Flaked almonds (optional) Mix eggs, yolk and sugar.  Add flour, baking powder, cream and melted butter.  Mix gently to form a soft dough.  Note: You may not need all the flour, so add gradually until you have a soft dough.  Put the dough into a baking tray and … Read more   

Pierogi (stuffed dumplings) are a quintessential Polish comfort food. Read more   

Esme Ottewell’s Welsh Cakes
Like lots of us, I fondly remember my Mum’s cooking from when I was a child. These were my favourite cakes (and still are!). Read more