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 app�tit in Polish)
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| 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 �#) 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. Saut� 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.
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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.