Salt-brined fermented radishes

4 tbsp salt

2 tbsp honey

2 qt water

1 1/2 lb radishes

1 tbsp allspice berries

 

Dissolve salt and honey in water. Remove leaves and stalks from radishes, put radishes and allspice in the jar, covering with brine. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 4-5 days. They should be crisp, not mushy at all. Store in the refrigerator for up to a few months.

 

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Kopytka with mushroom-mustard sauce

1 lb yukon gold potatoes

1 large egg

1 cup/130g flour

salt

 

3 tbsp butter

300g fresh mushrooms, sliced into quarters

1/4 cup bison grass or other herbal vodka

1 cup cream

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 tsp honey

parsley

 

Boil potatoes in skins 30-40 minutes, cool, mash. Add egg and stir, add flour and 1 tsp salt and stir. Knead about 2 min until smooth but not elastic. Divide into 4 pieces, roll each piece into a rope about 1/2 inch thick, and cut into diamond-shaped pieces.

 

Boil a pot of salted water. Drop dumplings in, cook until they float to the surface, drain. Save 1 cup of cooking water. 

Heat butter, cook mushrooms until golden, 7 min. Add vodka, stir until evaporated; add cream, mustard, and honey, cook 2 minutes. Add dumplings and dumpling water, toss until heated through, top with parsley and salt and pepper.

 

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Potato salad with radish and pear

2 lbs waxy potatoes, halved

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp whole grain mustard

1/4 cup canola oil

2 pears, cored and chopped

1 1/2 cups fermented radishes (probably substitute with another pickled vegetable instead of fresh radish)

1/2 cup/15g parsley, chopped

 

Put potatoes in cold water, boil then simmer about 15 min until tender. Mix honey, lemon juice, mustard, and oil, salt and pepper, and shake. Mix everything.

 

Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Barley Risotto

3 cups vegetable broth

200g/1 cup pearl barley

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 lb asparagus, trimmed, 1 inch pieces

1 cup dry apple cider

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp soft goat cheese

 

Boil broth, stir in barley, cook 20-30 min until mostly absorbed. In another pan, cook onion in butter until nearly soft, add garlic and asparagus, cook 2 min. Stir in barley and cider, cook on high until barley absorbs liquid, 2-3 min. Add lemon zest, Parmesan, and goat cheese.

 

 Source: Fresh from Poland by Michał Korkosz

Mojardara

400ml oil

4 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

275g or 1.5 cups green lentils

1 tbsp cumin seeds

300g or 1.5 cups basmati rice 

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp turmeric

2.25 cups water

 

Fry onions in oil until golden brown and crispy, drain on a plate with a paper towel. Discard oil.

Boil lentils for 15 minutes until they soften but don't turn to mush. Rinse in cold water.

In the former onion pan, fry cumin seeds for a minute and add rice, spices, and a good amount of salt. Then add lentils (and optional: raisins) and stir. Add water, stir again, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to cook through. Mix in the fried onions and serve.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Khoresh-e-Fesenjan

2 large onions, diced

1 tbsp flour

600g walnuts, finely ground in food processor

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper

5 cups cold water

3 tbsp sugar

2 cups pomegranate molasses

seeds from 1 pomegranate, to serve

 

Fry onions in oil.

In another pan, toast flour until beige, add ground walnuts and cook through.

Once the onions are browned, season chicken with salt and pepper, increase the heat on the onion pan, and add the chicken to it and sear both sides.

Add water to the walnut pan, stir, cover, and simmer for 1 hour over low-medium heat.

Add sugar and pomegranate molasses to the walnuts, stir 1 minute, then add the chicken and onions to the walnut-pomegranate mixture, cover, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with pomegranate seeds.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Khoresh-e-Gheymeh

Dried lime, lamb, and split pea stew

 

3 tbsp olive oil

3 small or 2 large onions, roughly diced

1kg boneless lamb neck fillets, sliced into 1" pieces (or lamb stew meat

2 tsp turmeric

2 pinches saffron threads

1 tsp cinnamon

150g tomato paste

salt and pepper

8 Persian dried limes (aka black limes) or preserved lemons

1 cup/200g yellow split peas

 

Cook onions on medium until translucent. Increase to high, fry lamb about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, saffron, and cinnamon to coat the meat, then add tomato paste, salt, and pepper, cook 1 minute.

Prick limes with a fork, add them, add just enough cold water to cover the pan, then slow cook for 1.5 hours.

Add split peas, cook 1 hour more.

Serve with basmati rice.

 

Source: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour