I·ATE: Taste Czech Republic

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Here we come with a new series of I-ATE articles based on books published by different EU institutios that highlight recipes from each European Union Member State. For this week’s I-ATE Food Term, we will focus on Czech Republic.

Bohemian dumplings (České knedlíky)
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
• 500 g of wheat flour type 1050 (‘polohrubá’)
• 3 to 4 eggs
• 500 ml of milk
• 1 packet of yeast or 100 ml of beer
• 60 g of butter
• Water, nutmeg and
• 1 teaspoon of salt

PREPARATION
Dissolve the crumbled yeast in the warm milk (or add the beer), add the flour, eggs, salt and a sprinkle of ground nutmeg and knead well until it forms a smooth dough. Cover with a linen cloth and leave for at least 90 minutes. Then knead it again and allow to rest for another 30 minutes. Form the dough into a long roll and wrap it in either a linen cloth or buttered parchment paper
and cook for 20 minutes in boiling salted water. Remove the roll from the water, unwrap it and cut into slices using wire or sewing thread. Serve as an accompaniment to meat dishes or fry the slices in butter and serve as a main dish.

 

 

 

 

Rabbit with garlic and spinach (Králičí hřbet na česneku)
INGREDIENTS (serving 1 child – primary school)
For the rabbit:
Rabbit 100 g
Wheat flour 10 g
Butter 5 g
Salt
Chives
Pepper
For the spinach:
Spinach 100 g
Rapeseed oil 5 g
Garlic As needed
Onion

Rabbit with garlic:
1. Mix salt, pepper, fresh chive, oil and garlic well together with the rabbit meat.
2. Put it in the baking pan, add onion and water.
3. Bake at 170°C till the meat is soft.
4. Bake the flour at 160°C until it gets brown.
5. When the meat is done, put it out of the sauce and keep it at 75°C at least.
6. Put the sauce to the pot and thicken with the browned
flour mixed with boiling water and add the butter.
Spinach:
1. Boil the spinach shortly in water and let drain.
2. Sauté small pieces of onion, add the garlic and spinach.
3. Braise shortly.
4. Season with salt, pepper.

Serve the spinach and rabbit meat on the plate and spill with the sauce.

KOLÁCE (koláˆce)
INGREDIENTS

Sweet dough: Filling: Toppings:
• Dry yeast – 2¼ tsp or fresh yeast 18g
• Warm milk 400ml
• Sugar 5 tbsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Unbleached allpurpose flour 500g
• Egg 2 pcs
• Unsalted butter, softened 120g
• Cottage cheese 500g
• Egg 2 pcs
• Sugar to taste
• Raisin to taste, ideally soaked in rum
• Plum jam 1 cup
• Streusel (optional) – combine 200g of each: sugar, butter and flour.
Then add some vanilla or cinnamon to taste.

 

PREPARATION
• Prepare the dough by mixing and whisking milk, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Then add eggs and gradually stir in the flour. Knead the dough with a mixer or by hands on a lightly floured surface until it gets smooth and springy. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours.
• Prepare the filling by mixing cottage cheese, eggs, raisins and sugar.
• Take a spoonful of the dough and roll into balls. Press the middle of the balls to create a dent to stuff in the fillings and toppings. Then place them on a greased cookie sheet.
• Preheat oven to 200°C and bake for 10-15 minutes until they turn golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool down.

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

  • European Commission, Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development, 2013. Tastes of Europe: A culinary voyage through Europe in 27 recipes. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, pp 8-9
  • European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao, 2018. Sweet Europe, pp 6-7
  • European Commission, 2016. Lunch at school: Recipe book. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, pp 5

Written by Marta Guillén Martínez – Communication Trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament (Luxembourg). She holds a Degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Alicante, Spain and she did her European Voluntary Service on communication and european youth mobility in Milan, Italy. She speaks Spanish, Catalan, English and Italian.