Poland: Wigilia

The Polish traditional Christmas eve feast, Wigilia, has changed very little in its structure since it first started to be celebrated hundreds of years ago. Possibly the clearest proof of this is that the feast is meatless: in the older forms of Christianity, because Christmas Eve still falls in Advent, which is a fasting season, meat is not permitted until the fast breaks on Christmas Day. Only the quantity of food available breaks with the older Catholic tradition of fasting, in which the amount of food eaten on a fast day was also regulated. One polish tradition is to fast "until the first star, Gwiazdka, appears in the sky." But there is also a a Polish saying, "As Christmas goes, so goes the next year" -- so the idea is that, after that first star appears, the family should eat well and sumptuously on this special night, so that the New Year will reflect the same plenty and good cheer.

There are usually twelve dishes in this supper, representing - depending on who you ask -- the twelve months of the year, or the Twelve Apostles. (Other Polish traditions suggest that the number of dishes should be odd.) The most traditional forms of the feast start with family members and guests sharing oblatek, a special Christmas wafer, symbolic both of the holiday and of the general sacredness of breaking bread. After that comes a soup -- either fish- or vegetable-based: borscht is a favorite -- followed by fish dishes, both hot and cold. Some dishes normally made with meat, such as the savory dumplings called pierogis, turn up stuffed with fish instead, or with vegetables or mushrooms. Other traditional dishes appearing on the table include red borscht, mushroom or fish soup, sauerkraut with wild mushrooms or peas, dried fruit compote and kutia, a dessert of eastern Poland. Regional variations abound: as long as there are twelve dishes, people in given areas of Poland will substitute some favorite or specialty of the area where they live.

Click on "read more" for an assortment of typical Wigilia dishes.

(Polish speakers: don't forget to visit Wigilia.pl.)

Herring in oil -- Drain 12-16 oz. jar of marinated herring, discarding onions and spices. Plunge into cold water for no more than 1 min. and drain well in colander. Place in clean jar or bowl and drench with salad oil to cover. Refrigerate over night or longer. When ready to serve, remove herring with fork to serving platter. Top each piece with a half a spoonful of very finely-chopped onions. Decorate platter with parsley sprigs, pickled mushrooms and/or gherkins.

Creamed herring -- You should avoid store-bought creamed herring if possible: they tend to be full of preservatives (the only way to keep the cream from going south). This "scratch" version works nicely:

Drain a 12 - 16 oz. jar of marinated herring, discarding onions and spices. Plunge into cold water for no more than 1 min. and drain in colander. If desired, cut herring into smaller, bite-sized pieces and arrange on a lettuce-lined serving dish. Fork-blend 3/4 cup dairy sour cream (or plain low-fat yogurt for dieters) with 1/4 cup mayonnaise (regular or light), 1 teaspoon sharp brown prepared mustard, the juice of half small lemon and several dashes of white pepper. Drench herring with sauce just before serving. Note: herring are served either with rye bread or boiled potatoes.

Herring salad: A more economical way to serve herring. Drain an 8-oz. jar marinated herring and discard onions and spices. Dice herring and place in salad bowl. Add 2 cups cold, cooked diced potatoes, 2 peeled, diced apples, 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped dill pickles and/or 10 gherkins and 1 t. chopped fresh parsley. Toss gently and fold in sauce: fork-blend 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1- 2 tablespoons brown prepared mustard. Chill at least 2 hrs before serving. Optional: for a gourmet twist add 1 heaping teaspoon capers.

Clear beetroot soup: In pot combine 3 cups beet juice (from canned beets) and 2 cups apple juice, and heat. In it dissolve 3 vegetable bouillon cubes (enough for 3 cups bouillon). Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and season to taste with a little garlic powder, liquid mushroom extract, pepper, sugar and a pinch of marjoram. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, simmer a few min., switch off heat and let stand a few min. covered for flavors to blend. Serve in large teacups with hand-held paszteciki (below).

Filled soup pastries: Simmer 2 finely chopped onions in a little butter until tender and just barely browned. Combine with 1 cup cooked rice, 4 finely chopped hard-booked eggs, 1 raw egg, a heaping tablespoon fresh chopped dill (now available year round in better supermarkets!) and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well. Open a tube of refrigerator crescent-roll dough and with floured thumb obliterate manufacturer's perforations. Instead cut dough sheet into 2 parallel strips and run filling down the middle of each strip. Roll dough over filling snugly to form a roll and cut it at an angle into 2- 3 pastry rolls. Pinch together ends of each pastry roll to keep filling inside. Repeat with other roll. Bake according to instructions on package or until nicely golden brown. Serve hot with beetroot soup.

Clear mushroom soup: Soak 1-1/2 ounces dried boletus mushrooms in 3 c. water several hrs or over night. Cook mushrooms in the water in which they soaked until tender. Cut cooked mushrooms into thin strips or dice. Combine mushrooms, their liquid and 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock and bring to boil, then reduce heat. Brown 2 finely chopped onions in 2 tablespoons butter and add to soup. Simmer several minutes longer. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice and serve over cooked noodle squares or ribbon-type egg noodles. Optional: Garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Fried fish: Wash and dry 2-1/2 - 3 pounds fresh or thawed fish fillets (pike, carp, walleye, lake or ocean perch, catfish, cod, haddock, pollock, etc.), salt well, drizzle with lemon juice and intersperse with lemon slices and refrigerate several hrs or overnight. (Optional: If desired, intersperse also with onion slices.) Rinse and allow to drip-dry, salt & pepper, dust with paprika and sprinkle with a pinch of sage, roll in 50-50 mixture of plain bread crumbs and flour and fry in hot oil until golden brown on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Drain on paper towel and serve with horseradish sauce: fork-blend 2/3 cups mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream and 1 heaping tablespoon prepared horseradish. Season to taste with lemon juice, sugar and a pinch of salt. Serve fish with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut salad (below).

Cream-baked fish: Wash and pat dry 2-1/2 - 3 pounds northern pike, walleye or perch fillets, sprinkle with juice of 1 lemon, salt well and refrigerate several hrs or overnight. Rinse and pat dry. Brown fillets in a little oil or butter until just barely golden on both sides, then transfer to casserole. In skillet in which the fillets were browned, gently simmer 2 small onions sliced wafer thin until transparent, adding more fat if needed. Spoon onions over fish and bake in pre-heated 375° oven uncovered about 15 min. Meanwhile, in saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, stir in 2 tablespoons flour, stirring into a paste and diluting with 3/4 cup milk. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, gradually stir in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Heat but do not boil. Pour sauce over fish and bake another 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley and/or dill just before serving.

Walleye Polonaise: Cut 2-1/2 - 3 pounds walleye fillets into 4" pieces and cook in 1 quart gently boiling vegetable stock (home-made or bouillon-cube type) containing 1 tablespoon vinegar 5-10 min. or until done (but not overcooked). Transfer with slotted spoon to warm serving dish. Chop 3-4 hard-cooked eggs and toss in 3 tablespoons hot melted butter, but do not cook. Add a heaping tablespoons fresh chopped dill, salt & pepper and toss to blend ingredients. Sprinkle hot fish with lemon juice and cover each piece with a little of the egg topping. Note: Other fish fillets may be prepared the same way.

Cheese and potato-filled pierogi: For pierogi dough, sift 2-1/2 cups flour onto board, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, deposit whole egg and 2 tablespoons salad oil at center and blend ingredients. Add about 1/2 cup cold water a little at a time, working the dough constantly to absorb it. Knead dough until smooth, roll it into a ball and let is rest beneath an warm inverted bowl 10 min. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: cook 1 pound potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and cool. Add 1/2 pound crumbled farmer cheese and mash well together with the potatoes until mixture is uniform. In 2 teaspoons oil lightly brown 2 chopped onions and add to mixture. Mix well and salt & pepper to taste. Roll dough out thin on floured board, cut into rounds with glass or biscuit-cutter, place a spoonful of filling at center of each round, fold in half and pinch edges together to seal. Cook in batches in a large enough pot of boiling salted water so they float freely without crowding. Cooking time is roughly 10 minutes but test one for doneness just to be sure. Remove with slotted spoon and drain. Serve with melted butter, bread crumbs browned in butter or sour cream

Sauerkraut salad: Drain 1 pint sauerkraut, reserving juice. Rinse in cold water, drain, press out moisture and chop coarsely. Place in salad bowl. Add 1 finely-grated carrot, 1 coarsely grated peeled apple and 1 finely-chopped onion. Toss to blend ingredients and season with a little sugar and dress with 2-3 tablespoons oil. Optional: Sprinkle with several pinches caraway seeds. If salad is not as tart as you like, sprinkle with reserved sauerkraut juice.

Sauerkraut and mushrooms:. Rehydrate 1/2 - 1 ounce dried boletus mushrooms over night and cook in same water until tender. Chop mushrooms and return to their stock. Drain 1 qt sauerkraut, reserving juice. Swish sauerkraut around in a large pot of cold water, drain in colander, press out moisture, and chop coarsely. Place sauerkraut in pot, scald with boiling water to cover, add 1/2 a bay leaf, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook uncovered on med. heat about 1 hour. Replace water that evaporates and stir occasionally. While sauerkraut cooks, in 3 tablespoons oil fry up 8 ounces. diced fresh mushrooms and 2 chopped onions on med. high heat, stirring frequently, until fully cooked and browned. Drain sauerkraut of excess moisture, add the cooked bolete mushrooms and their stock, the fried fresh mushrooms and (optional) 2 - 3 canned anchovy fillets, finely chopped. Season with a few dashes of pepper, mix well and bake in covered casserole in 350° oven for one hour. After switching off heat, leave in oven until cooled to room temp. Prepare a day ahead. Refrigerate over night and bake another hour or so before serving.

Oat pudding: Bring 2 cups milk to boil and remove from heat. Fork-blend or whisk 1/2 cup oat flour with 1/2 cup cold water to a smooth paste and whisk into hot milk. Add 1 heaping tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspooon vanilla extract and cook on low several min., stirring frequently. Pour into dessert dishes and let cool to room temp. Serve at room temp. (the traditional way) or chilled with a little fruit syrup or preserves. Note: To get oat flour, simply whirl uncooked rolled oats in food-processor to a fine powder and sift through sieve.

Stewed prunes and rice: Soak 1 cup pitted prunes in 2 cups water several hrs. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 tablespoon grated lemon rind and cook in same water 15 minutes or until very tender. Season with a pinch of cinnamon if desired. Cook 2 cups rice in 2 quarts boiling water until tender. Drain well. Serve stewed prunes over rice.

Noodles and fruit: Cook a package of lasagna-type noodle squares or flat egg noodles. Usually the package directions are for the chewy, somewhat rubbery 'pasta al dente' Italians like so cook a little longer until noodles are really tender. Drain in colander. Transfer to serving dish. Dot with butter or Butter Beads, tossing lightly, and spoon 2 cups room-temp. canned cherry-pie or apple-pie filling. Toss lightly. Variation: The canned fruit fillings are also good over cooked rice.

Gingerbread cakes: Cream 2 eggs with 1 cup sugar until white. Combine with about 4-1/2 cups flour, 1 cup honey and 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and work ingredients by hand into a dough. Knead on floured board, sprinkle with a little flour and roll out to a thickness of 1/4". With biscuit-cutter cut into circles and bake on greased cookie sheet in pre-heated 400° oven about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool, store in air-tight tin. Prepare at least a week ahead, as the cakes becoming tender during storage. Enjoy them just as they are or glaze with white or chocolate icing before serving. Variation: Other than rounds, they can be cut into stars, hearts, angels and other shapes as desired.

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