Polish Krokiety
Updated: Mar 26
Krokiety is one of my most favourite Polish autumn/winter dishes. I love them for convenience, once they are prepared and ready in the fridge you can pan fry them and eat them anytime you want, binging for few days in mushroom heaven :)
At my home, we do prepare them for Christmas as well as on casual days, usually served with Barszcz Czarwony - Polish Beetroot Soup.
Where to source good sauerkraut?
The best way to obtain the best quality sauerkraut is by fermenting it yourself. If you are not familiar with the process the second-best choice is to get it from a good supplier. In some shops, sauerkraut is sold from the barrel imported from European countries like Poland or Germany. You can also use bag packed or jarred sauerkraut, make sure you read the label for any information on any preservatives or flavour enhancers added.
Always pick Kapusta Kiszona not Kwaszona :)
Preparation time: around 4 hours (cooking sauerkraut takes the longest)
Portions: 10 Krokiets enough for 4 people (this may vary depending on the pancake size)
Ingredients for pancakes:
300g (10.6oz) plain flour
400ml of milk
200ml of water
2 eggs
pinch of salt
vegetable oil for frying
Ingredients for filling:
300g (10.6oz)of white mushrooms
100g (3.5oz) of dried wild mushrooms
800g (1.76 Pounds) of sauerkraut with the liquid
3 medium-size onions, small dice
3 bay leaves
5 allspice berries
1tsp of sugar
1tsp of Vegeta seasoning
2tbsp of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for pane:
2 eggs
200g (7oz) breadcrumbs
Instructions:
1. Place sauerkraut with the juice in the pot and add enough water to cover it. Add bay leaves, allspice berries, and simmer it on low heat until softened (3-4 hours). Add more liquid if necessary to keep sauerkraut submerged throughout the process.
2. In the meantime rehydrate the dried wild mushrooms, place them in a glass jug or a small pot, and pour enough boiling water to cover them with a liquid. After 15 minutes they will be nice and soft, take them out of the liquid and chop them ready for later (use mushroom water to add to your cabbage, be careful not to add any sand that accumulates at the bottom of the container).
3. On the frying pan, medium heat, fry onions to soften but not brown (5 minutes), then add sliced white mushrooms and turn up the heat and continue cooking until mushrooms start to brown. Season with Vegeta and black pepper to your taste and remove from the stove.
4. Now prepare the thin pancakes, blend all the ingredients together until a smooth batter is achieved. Cook on a medium-size non-stick frying pan, place a small amount of batter on the hot pan with oil and spread it around by swirling motion. Once the pancake is set remove it and place it on the plate. Repeat until all pancakes are made.
5. Once the cabbage is cooked through, sieve from the liquid and remove the spices. Place in two bowls and cool down enough to work with. Chop with a knife and mix with both mushrooms and onions. Season with 1tsp of sugar to balance the sourness, black pepper, and salt to your taste.
6. ''Farsz'' for Krokiety is ready now, spread 2tbsp of filling inside the pancake and slightly fold left and right side to the inside then roll it as you can see on the pictures.
7. Once all Krokiety are rolled, whisk 2 eggs and dip them in followed by breadcrumbs ready to be fried (You can keep them in this state in the fridge for up to three days ready to be fried when needed)
8. Shallow fry on medium heat in the frying pan for around 3 minutes on each side (Use enough oil to cook the sides of Krokiet).
9. Serve with Polish beetroot soup called ''Barszcz'' or enjoy on its own!
Subscribe here for new weekly recipes to your mailbox.
