Soma
Senior Cook
This we also called "Capushniuk"(not sure of the spelling, could be 'kapusnik' or some variation of such....My Mom called it simply: "Cabbage-Peas". The cabbage was really sauerkraut and the peas were dried, split yellow peas cooked but not to a mush as in soup.
This was served at every special event, Christmas, Easter, birthday feasts, especially Grandpa's birthday, all usually at his house.
The sauerkraut and peas were added to mashed potatoes, which gave it a nice firm consistency; then onions, fried in melted pork fat rounded it off for taste.
He made his own sauerkraut, in a crockpot weighed down with a plate and a big stone.....in the coal storage basement of his house in Montreal. He was a big man, liked big helpings and hardy, fatty meals. He died of heart failure at age 72. Not bad for that time....no heart surgery yet, no BP meds like today. My Irish father, now 85 and still kicking, ate this greedily too, learned to make it after Grandpa died, then passed the recipe and technique on to me. (there's always a technique, right? - and if you don't get the technique correct, the dish will not taste as is should).
Now on to the recipe:
* 2 large cans or jars sauerkraut
* 5 pounds white potatoes, peeled and boiled
* 8 ounce package of dried, yellow split peas
* 1 large or 2 medium sized onions, chopped.
* pork fat (maybe a half pound?) with bits of meat attached, melted in cast iron frying pan. Grandpa used 2 inches of melted fat in an 8-inch pan (which seems a lot, but it helps grease up the potatoes. There is no butter in this dish). You can save the excess trimmings from all your pork roasts and pork chops in freezer so you'll have "enough" when ready to make this dish.
* caraway seed, if you like it...to taste, just a sprinkle, say 1/4 tsp.
You'll need at least two pots (1 large, 1 medium) and an 8-inch cast iron frying pan (cuz the pork fat in which you'll fry the onions, is going to cook hot for a long period of time).
In frying pan, get the fat melting....cut it very small, into say: quarter-inch chunks, keeping some of the meat too (this adds color, flavor). Melt this on low while preparing rest of dish.
1.In a medium-large pot, cook your split peas, just covered in water, bring to a boil then low, and watch carefully. You will need to add water frequently over the time it takes to cook it to perfection (i.e. your choice of texture).
2. In a large pot, cook the peeled potatoes, then mash these.
3. Add sauerkraut and cooked peas to the potatoes, and mix together to a nice consistency. SALT to your personal taste preference. My family likes salt a lot, but we all have heart issues so please use your own judgment.
4. When the fat in frypan has all melted, fry up the onions until just golden. Here's where you can add caraway seed. Lately, I prefer cumin seed, which I believe is in the same family as caraway but less bitter. Some bitter is good for us, apparently.
Mix it all together, heat again if necessary, and yum!
I think this recipe must have been created in wartime, cuz it's a complete meal in itself, is filling and satisfying, goes a long way and lasts about a week in fridge, or can be frozen for several months.
Let me know if you make this, please!
I am also looking to try eliminating the pork fat, making a more vegetarian version by using some kind of oil.....but unsure how that would effect the Slavic ethnic taste. All suggestions are welcomed.
This was served at every special event, Christmas, Easter, birthday feasts, especially Grandpa's birthday, all usually at his house.
The sauerkraut and peas were added to mashed potatoes, which gave it a nice firm consistency; then onions, fried in melted pork fat rounded it off for taste.
He made his own sauerkraut, in a crockpot weighed down with a plate and a big stone.....in the coal storage basement of his house in Montreal. He was a big man, liked big helpings and hardy, fatty meals. He died of heart failure at age 72. Not bad for that time....no heart surgery yet, no BP meds like today. My Irish father, now 85 and still kicking, ate this greedily too, learned to make it after Grandpa died, then passed the recipe and technique on to me. (there's always a technique, right? - and if you don't get the technique correct, the dish will not taste as is should).
Now on to the recipe:
* 2 large cans or jars sauerkraut
* 5 pounds white potatoes, peeled and boiled
* 8 ounce package of dried, yellow split peas
* 1 large or 2 medium sized onions, chopped.
* pork fat (maybe a half pound?) with bits of meat attached, melted in cast iron frying pan. Grandpa used 2 inches of melted fat in an 8-inch pan (which seems a lot, but it helps grease up the potatoes. There is no butter in this dish). You can save the excess trimmings from all your pork roasts and pork chops in freezer so you'll have "enough" when ready to make this dish.
* caraway seed, if you like it...to taste, just a sprinkle, say 1/4 tsp.
You'll need at least two pots (1 large, 1 medium) and an 8-inch cast iron frying pan (cuz the pork fat in which you'll fry the onions, is going to cook hot for a long period of time).
In frying pan, get the fat melting....cut it very small, into say: quarter-inch chunks, keeping some of the meat too (this adds color, flavor). Melt this on low while preparing rest of dish.
1.In a medium-large pot, cook your split peas, just covered in water, bring to a boil then low, and watch carefully. You will need to add water frequently over the time it takes to cook it to perfection (i.e. your choice of texture).
2. In a large pot, cook the peeled potatoes, then mash these.
3. Add sauerkraut and cooked peas to the potatoes, and mix together to a nice consistency. SALT to your personal taste preference. My family likes salt a lot, but we all have heart issues so please use your own judgment.
4. When the fat in frypan has all melted, fry up the onions until just golden. Here's where you can add caraway seed. Lately, I prefer cumin seed, which I believe is in the same family as caraway but less bitter. Some bitter is good for us, apparently.
Mix it all together, heat again if necessary, and yum!
I think this recipe must have been created in wartime, cuz it's a complete meal in itself, is filling and satisfying, goes a long way and lasts about a week in fridge, or can be frozen for several months.
Let me know if you make this, please!
I am also looking to try eliminating the pork fat, making a more vegetarian version by using some kind of oil.....but unsure how that would effect the Slavic ethnic taste. All suggestions are welcomed.
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