Recipes Using Caraway Seeds

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg/2lb 4oz braising steak or venison
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, leaves and all, diced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsp good sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds, crushed
• 60g/4 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 litres/3½ pints good beef stock
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• flaked sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• soured cream and flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

METHOD

1. Trim the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl, mix the flour with a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss so that all the chunks are dusted with flour.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in small batches, setting each batch aside while you brown the next. Take care not to crowd the pan or the beef will steam rather than brown.
3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until they start to soften.
4. Add the beef, paprika, caraway seeds, tomato purée and bay leaves, then pour in the beef stock.
5. Stir well, cover the pan and simmer for at least 1½ hours until the beef is starting to get tender. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving.
6. Serve the soup in bowls with a generous swirl of soured cream and a good sprinkling of parsley.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 red peppers, cut into long slices
• 2 green peppers, cut into long slices
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato or red pepper purée
• 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 8 free-range eggs
• 85g/3oz feta, crumbled
• 8 tbsp thick natural yoghurt or labneh
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Add the onions and peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a medium heat until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin and caraway seeds and the cayenne pepper. Stir in the tomato or red pepper purée and cook for a couple more minutes until the paste starts to separate. Add the tomatoes with a splash of water.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, until reduced a little. Taste after 5 minutes and add a little sugar if you think the tomatoes need it. Keep an eye on the texture – you don’t want it runny, but it mustn’t get too dry, either. Add another splash of water if necessary. When the sauce is reduced, stir in the herbs.

RECIPE TIP

Make 8 small wells in the sauce. Break an egg into a cup and drop carefully into a well, repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook for a few more minutes until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Serve with yogurt on the side.

INGREDIENTS

• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 100g/3½oz fine dried breadcrumbs or matzo meal
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 large chicken breasts, butterflied and flattened
• salt
• vegetable oil, for frying

For the garlic mayonnaise

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp mustard
• 250ml/9fl oz sunflower or groundnut oil
• squeeze lemon juice or a few drops vinegar

For the coleslaw

• 300g/10½oz red cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 crisp eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp garlic mayonnaise (see above)
• pinch caster sugar

METHOD

1. For the chicken, put the flour on a large plate. Mix in the smoked paprika, mustard powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Put the eggs in a shallow bowl and mix the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds together in another shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast with the flour mixture and pat off any excess. Dip in the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside.
2. Pour the oil into a large frying pan until 2cm/¾in deep. Heat to a medium temperature. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) This is important – too hot and the outside will burn before the chicken is cooked, too cool and the coating will just absorb the oil. To test, add a cube of bread to the hot oil, it should be crisp and golden-brown after 2-3 minutes.
3. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden-brown. You may have to do this in batches – if so, keep the cooked chicken warm in a low oven and make sure the oil returns to a medium heat before you cook the second batch.
4. For the garlic mayonnaise, mash the garlic to a paste with a little salt. Put in a bowl with the egg yolks and mustard and mix well. Start drizzling in the oil, a few drops at a time, whisking constantly, until you have an emulsion. Keep adding the oil, very gradually, until you have incorporated it all. If the mayonnaise is becoming greasy or too thick to work with, add a few drops of warm water and whisk thoroughly before adding any more oil. Taste, and add more seasoning and a squeeze of lemon or vinegar if it needs acidity.
5. For the coleslaw, put the red cabbage, carrot and onion in a bowl. Toss the apple in the lemon juice to stop it from browning and add this to the cabbage. Sprinkle in the caraway seeds and mix thoroughly. Whisk the vinegar with 2 tablespoons garlic mayonnaise, the sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this over the coleslaw and stir well. Keep the remaining mayonnaise in the fridge, either in a jar or covered with cling film.
6. Serve the schnitzel with the coleslaw alongside.

INGREDIENTS

• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 300g/10½oz lean pork belly, cubed
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 500g/1lb 2oz sauerkraut
• half a white cabbage, shredded
• 200g/7oz fresh chopped tomatoes or 400g tin tomatoes
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken or beef stock
• 10g/¼oz dried mushrooms
• 300g/10½oz smoked Polish sausage, such as kabanas, chopped
• 1 apple, grated

METHOD

1. Melt the butter in a large casserole. Add the onion and sauté over a medium heat until the onion is softened and translucent. Sprinkle over the juniper berries and caraway, then add the pork. Sprinkle over the brown sugar. Turn the heat up high for a couple of minutes, turning the meat so it browns well.
2. Drain the sauerkraut well and give it a rinse if you want to reduce the vinegar flavour. The easiest thing to do is squeeze it out with your hands. Add to the casserole with the white cabbage and chopped tomatoes, then pour over the stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water. When they have softened, drain, adding their soaking liquor to the casserole. Chop the mushrooms finely and add these to the casserole, along with the sausage and apple.
4. Simmer for a further hour and a half and serve or cover overnight and reheat the following day.

RECIPE TIPS

Many Polish recipes recommend making this stew two days in advance, cooking properly the first day, for a further hour the second day, and another hour before serving on the final day. But it will still taste really good on the first day too!

INGREDIENTS

For the pickle

• 1 beetroot, peeled and cut into long, thin matchsticks
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• pinch allspice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar

For the fritters

• • 100g/3½oz leftover baked, boiled or raw potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, grated
  • ½ tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 50g hard cheese, such as parmesan, finely grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3½ tbsp cold beer or water
  • 50g/1¾oz self-raising flour
  • sunflower oil , for deep frying

METHOD

1. 1. For the pickle, put the beetroot in a bowl and season with the sugar and allspice, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Mix well and set aside for a few minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, then trickle over the vinegar and mix well.
   2. For the fritters, put the potatoes in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and the caraway seeds. Mix in the spring onions and cheese. Pour in the egg and beer, stir, then mix in the flour to make a thick batter.
   3. Pour 2.5cm/one-inch oil into a deep saucepan and heat to 180C/350F. To test if it’s hot enough, dribble some of the batter into the hot oil. It should sizzle and turn golden-brown after a minute or so. Watch the pan. Carefully lower tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil and cook for one minute, then turn and cook the other side until golden and firm. Transfer to kitchen paper using a slotted spoon.
   4. Season with a little salt and pepper and serve with the pickled beetroot.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg carrot
• 25g butter
• 1 tsp caraway seed
• small handful chopped parsley

METHOD

1. Peel the carrots and trim off the ends. Cut in half lengthways, then cut on the diagonal into slices about ½cm thick. Place the carrots in a steamer basket and steam for 5-7 mins until softened, or place in a heatproof bowl with a little water and microwave on High for 3-5 mins.
2. To finish the dish, gently heat the butter in a frying pan. Tip in the caraway seeds and cook for 30 secs until they start sizzling. Add the carrots and stir into the butter until glossy and heated through, about 3 mins. Toss through the parsley and serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2-3 tsp caraway seeds

METHOD

1. Cook the cabbage in boiling water for 3 mins until tender, then drain. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 mins until starting to soften and turn golden. Sprinkle over the caraway seeds and cook for a further 2 mins until fragrant. Stir in the cabbage and heat through.

INGREDIENTS

• 100g/3½oz lard
• 25kg/2lb 12oz onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1½ tbsp hot paprika, to taste
• ½ tsp caraway seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1½ tsp salt
• 12 turns of the black pepper mill
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 5kg/3lb 5oz shin of beef, cut into 3cm/1in pieces
• 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• soured cream, to serve

METHOD

1. Heat the lard in a large pot and fry the onions until they are deep golden brown. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the tomato purée, paprika, crushed caraway seeds, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar and cover with 1 litre/1¾ pints of water.
2. Bring to a boil, then add the beef. Turn down to a gentle simmer and cook for 2½ hours. Check the pan fairly frequently and stir, adding more water to cover the meat if necessary. Check the meat for tenderness, if not tender add a little more water and cook for a little longer. Remove the meat when done and, if needed, continue to cook the liquid to thicken the sauce.
3. Serve sprinkled with a little chopped parsley with new potatoes, spätzle or dark rye bread. Top with a spoonful of soured cream