Wigilia - Christmas Eve Recipes

Pickled Herring
Sledzie Marynowane

3 whole salt herrings          4 peppercorns
2 large onions chopped      4 whole allspice
1 cup vinegar                     1 tsp. sugar
Soak herrings in cold water for at least 24 hours changing it every 8 hours or more often. Remove the milt, skin, bones and cut each herring into 4 pieces. Arrange onions and herring in layers in a jar, pour boiled vinegar mixed with sugar. Keep in cool place overnight.

Mushroom Soup
Zupa Grzybowa

2 qt. vegetable stock
6 large dried mushrooms
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
Dill or parsley
Soak dried mushrooms overnight. Simmer dried and fresh mushrooms in vegetable stock for 1 hour. Take out mushrooms, cut into strips and put back into the pot. Add some parsley or dill.

Carp in Aspic
Karp w Galarecie

3 lbs. carp                         1 T gelatin
4 cups vegetable stock       2 T water
4 peppercorns                    1 egg white
3 bay leaves
Clean fish. Remove head and clean it. Cook head and spices in vegetable stock for half hour. Strain. Place whole fish in a pan. Cover with strained stock and simmer for half hour until tender. Remove fish and place on a serving platter. To clarify stock, add slightly beaten egg white and bring to boiling point, stirring lightly. Strain through napkin twice. Dissolve gelatin in water, add stock. Pour over the cooled fish. Garnish with carrot rings, hard boiled eggs, and lemon slices.         

Hot Vodka with Honey
Krupnik

2 Tbs of cold water       1 small cinamon stick
2 cups sugar                10 peppercorns
4 cups boiling water      20 allspice berries
1/4 vanilla bean            1 1/3 cup honey
1/4 nutmeg                   orange rind
2 cloves                       2 cups vodka
Heat sugar in 2 Tbs of water until it dissolves, then stir in the boiling water. Add vanilla bean, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and allspice berrier. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the caramel mixture and return to the pan. Stir in honey and orange rind and heat, stirring, until the honey has completly dissolved. Bring to a boil. remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir vodka. Serve hot or cold.

Barszcz

12 medium beets          1 onion sliced
1 qt. water                    juice of 1 lemon
1T sugar                       2 cups vegetable bouillon
salt and pepper             1/2 cup sour cream
Wash and peel beets. Cook beets and onion in water until beets are tender. Add lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Leave overnight. Strain and add bouillon. Heat and add sour cream.
You can buy Barszcz (Borsch)

Dough for Pierogi or Uszka

14 oz of flour
1 egg
pinch of salt
lukewarm water
On a pastry board mix flour, egg and salt, slowly adding water and kneading. The dough is ready if it does not stick to the hand or pastry board. Divide dough into four parts, and roll each one out thinly. With a wine glass cut out circles that are 2 - 21/2 in. in diameter. (For Uszka, cut out small squares). Place a teaspoon of the filling on each circle, fold over and press the edges firmly. Cook for 5 minutes.

PIEROGI FILLINGS
Sauerkraut and Mushroom Pierogi Filling
Kapusta z Grzybami - nadzienie

2 cups of sauerkraut          1 cup mushrooms
1 onion chopped               butter, salt, pepper
Cook sauerkraut for 10 minutes. Drain and chop well. Fry onion and chopped mushrooms in butter, add sauerkraut and fry until flavors are blended. Cool and fill dough circles.

Potato Filling (Ruskie Pierogi)

1 lb. cooked potatoes and 6oz. cottage cheese through a meat grinder. Add 1 small raw egg to this along with 1 medium onion, finely chopped and browned to golden brown. Add salt and pepper.

Cheese Filling (Pierogi z Serem)

rub 1 lb well drained cottage cheese through a wire sieve, then mix thoroughly with 1 small egg (raw) and salt. The filling swells during cooking, so do not use too much. Serve immediately, after pouring butter over them.

Dried Fruit Compot
Kompot z Owocow Suszonych

1 lb. mixed dried fruit
2 cups of water
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
6 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups of sugar
Rinse and soak fruit in 2 cups of water overnight. Add sugar and heat till it dissolved. Add lemon juice, rind and cloves. Refrigerate.