Mum's Polish kitchen - Sałatka (Polish family salad)

Stan Krawczyk • 23 December 2019

Mum's Krawczyk family salad

Every Polish family seems to have their own version of this salad, here is mum's. Of all the things that remind me of birthdays, Christmas, Easter in fact any special occasions it's this salad. Human beings are a funny lot.

A few notes before we begin.

Most Polish cooking is a faff and takes a fair bit of effort, its not difficult just a lot of preparation and messing such as peeling, chopping so its not worth making just a small amount for 1 person. All mums portion sizes are suitable for a family of 3 or 4 people and will last 3 to 4 days without going off. They are quite filling, healthy and wholesome you wont leave hungry trust me.
Please ensure you buy good ingredients don't skimp on meat or veg, buy well, eat well.

Note to vegetarians: This Salad is suitable for vegetarians just don't add the Polish sausage.

Warning! You have to boil eggs for this one, so the house will cast an aroma!

Ok shall we start then?

Ingredients:

600g Good full fat Mayo, go for your favourite brand not a cheapo one.

290g tin of garden peas in brine.

5-6 large eggs.

6-7 salad potatoes such as Charlotte variety, they need to be firm.

1 packet of radishes

1 jar of Polish Cucumbers in brine (not the pickled ones) only buy Krakus the rest are pants

1 ring (or half) Polish Wiejska - Polish smoked sausage, Costco sell this as well as Deli's

2 peppers , red and green

2-3 sticks of celery

5-6 sweet and firm apples like Jazz or Golden delicious

Optional: small single cream, small salad cream, sugar.

Method:

Wash your hands often (something I do a lot!)

Pour a glass of vino.

Select a large mixing bowl and decent chopping board.

Wash all the veg.

Take the potatoes, skin on, place them in a large saucepan, put the eggs on top of the potatoes add water and let it boil for about 20 mins, so the eggs are hard and potatoes just soft. Whilst that is cooking onto the chopping!

The most important thing here is to cut all the ingredients the same size which is roughly 1 cm square.

Take each veg in turn chop then drop it in the mixing bowl and give it a stir.

Drain the peas then drop them in.

Radishes can be fiddly be careful not to cut yourself. Save a few for decoration later.

Discard the seeds and middle bit of the peppers before you chop them.

Cut about 6 inches off the Wiejska sausage. Peel the outer skin and cut the same as the veg. (Leave this out if you don't eat meat). Mix everything.

Wiejska sausage is a nice smoked pork sausage can be used in many ways. Cut it in slices and place on fresh bread and butter, tomatoes and chopped onion. Cut in slices and pan fry with scrambled eggs, ensure its caramelised a little first, alternative to bacon and eggs, use it in Bigos (another Blog on the cards) and many other dishes where it adds flavour.

Once the eggs and potatoes are cooked, drain and pour in cold water to cool them quickly. Then drain and let it dry a while.

Peel the eggs they should be hard. Chop them same as the veg.

Peel the skin off the potatoes and cut those. The potatoes and egg are the backbone of this salad so ensure you have cooked enough.

Not only should the ingredients be cut the same size but they should be similar proportions however I find, potatoes, eggs and Sausage need to be a little more.

Open the cucumbers in brine and remove about 6 of them, subject to size, if they are small get some more if bigger then less. Cut them and drop in mixing everything in the bowl.

You are almost there.

Open the jar of Mayonnaise empty the whole contents, stirring into the mixture. A mum top tip, drop in some of the dry veg into the jar and with your spoon, use that to capture the nooks and crannies of mayo and remove to the bowl. Give everything a really good mix.

Taste test.

Using a small spoon try some of the mixture? You have to adjust it to offset any particular strong flavours.

Sometimes the cucumbers are too sour or salty, add some brown sugar.

If the mayo is a bit much or bland, add a teaspoon of salad cream to give it some zing?

Mix it and try again?

If you added too much mayo and its quite a wet mix, add some more veg, potatoes, apples etc.

There should be no ingredient more prominent than the other.

If its too strong or acidic (sometimes from the apples) add some single cream.

You wont get the best final flavour until it has been in the fridge overnight to marinade or at least after a few hours.

Ensure you cover the top with a plate or cling film to stop it drying out or going yellow. Keep it refrigerated at all times and take out as much as you need. Don't store in a metal pan use glass or ceramic.

In the morning give it a good mix and taste again, things should have blended nicely and its ready to serve.

There you go Mrs Krawczyk's Polska Sałatka.......................

Serve:

This is a versatile salad, its got enough to be a dinner snack with fresh bread, or a side salad dish to a cold sandwich platter or even hot food, works well. It is actually quite healthy if you ignore the mayo!

Some families put carrots in plus other veg or swap out stuff they don't like give it a try.

This will keep in the fridge for about 4 days but once it starts to taste a little acidic or fizz, its time to ditch.

Smacznego (Bon appetite)

More recipes to come keep an eye and nose out for them.