Polish Krupnik Food

TRADITIONAL KRUPNIK: POLISH BARLEY SOUP WITH POTATOES AND PORK RIB

Steps:

• Wash the ribs and place them into a large (5 US qt / 5 litre or larger) cooking pot, together with chicken wings, bay leaves and allspice.
• Peel carrot and parsley root and chop them into large pieces. Pour about 4 liters (around 1 gallon) of cold water.
• Cook for about an hour, skimming scum from the surface.
• Next, remove the vegetables, cool them down and cut into smaller pieces. Continue cooking the ribs until they're tender.
• Peel and cut the onion in half, char it on a dry frying pan and add to the rib stock.
• When the ribs are soft & tender, pull them out of the broth and separate the meat from the bones. Tear the meat into smaller pieces.
• Peel & dice potatoes. Add barley and potatoes into the soup. Cook for about 30 minutes.
• Finally, add meat and vegetables. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Serve with chopped parsley.

KRUPNIK

Steps:

• Add the chicken thighs and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3o minutes while preparing the mushrooms and dicing the vegetables. Skim off any foam.
• Add the dried mushrooms to a small bowl or glass, add enough boiling water to cover. You might need to place another bowl or glass on top of the mushrooms to keep them immersed in the water.
• After 30 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the water; dice and add to the soup. Decant the mushroom water, adding it to the soup, but leave any sediment that has collected at the bottom in the bowl or glass. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, parsnip, celery, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for an hour.
• Add the potato and barley. Simmer until they are tender, 20 - 30 minutes. Carefully, remove the chicken thighs, shred the meat and return to the soup (or use as dog treats). Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with snipped parsley and dill.

POLISH KRUPNIK - OLD FASHIONED HONEY AND SPICE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Place vanilla bean, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns, and nutmeg into cheesecloth and tie with string (like a big tea bag).
• In a saucepan, combine 3 cups of water with the spice bag and whole, unpeeled clementines and bring to a boil. Reduce mixture to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Then set aside.
• In a second saucepan, combine 3 cups of water with the honey and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve honey and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook over the stove. As the mixture cooks, foam will form on the surface, and must be removed. The best way to do this is to use a large metal spoon to gather the foam to one side of the pot, allow it to accumulate and thicken, then skim off with the spoon. As the mixture cooks, it will thicken and continue to produce foam. Continue to remove foam as above, for about 5-10 minutes, until it stops foaming.
• In a large stockpot, combine grain alcohol and both mixtures. Place tight-fitting lid on stockpot, and allow to sit undisturbed overnight.
• The next day, remove the clementines and spice bag, and pour the mixture evenly into two 64 oz containers with lids (64 oz glass growlers work well, but so do 64 oz rubbermaid pitchers).
• The mixture should nearly fill each container. Add 1/2 oz of orange extract to each container. Then add just enough bottled water to each container to get a total of 64 oz of liquid in each container. Cover tightly.
• Allow mixture to sit in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks. During this time, the flavors blend and the krupnik becomes very smooth.
• After 6 weeks have passed, your krupnik is complete and ready to move to bottles or mason jars for storage and use. You will notice that there is sediment in the bottom of the containers. Use care when moving the containers, so as not to disturb the sediment.
• Use the siphoning technique discussed on http://homebrewmanual.com/how-to-siphon-beer-into-bottles/ to get a clear product into your final storage containers. It is worth the effort!

KRUPNIK (POLISH VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP)

Steps:

• Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water until they are soft and flexible (at least 2 hours).
• Drain the mushrooms (reserving water), and chop them coarsely.
• In a heavy 3-4 qt casserole dish, combine the mushrooms, reserved water, chicken, celery, carrot, string beans, and peas.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce to low heat and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is done and vegetables are tender-crisp (20 minutes).
• Strain, setting aside chicken and vegetables and returning stock to the casserole dish.
• Melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the barley, and stir for 1-2 minutes (do NOT let barley brown).
• Add the barley and butter to the stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce to low heat and simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes and barley are done (20 minutes).
• Return chicken and vegetables to the soup.
• Add water if needed, to thin the soup.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste, then let simmer for a few minutes to reheat the chicken and vegetables.
• Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle with dill, if desired.