What’s For Dinner v.13.22: Holy Supper

My love affair with cooking is rooted in my Slovak and Russian heritage. My great grandparents emigrated through Ellis Island in the 1910s en route to the anthracite coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania and my Slovak Grammy lived until I was eleven. I vividly remember her in her row house kitchen, holding court in broken English, making magic with the simplest of ingredients.

Tonight I’ll share some memories of Holy Supper, the traditional Slovak Christmas Eve meal. It technically has twelve courses, representing Jesus’ apostles, but my family served it as five.

First Course: Oplatki (oh-PLOT-kee).

If you have received Catholic communion, this is an unconsecrated host the size of a postcard. If you have not, think of an unleavened wheat cracker with the texture of thin styrofoam that tastes like nothing, but in a good way.

Symbolizing the bread of life, oplatki is embossed with religious images and is meant to be eaten with honey drizzled in the shape of a cross. A perennial favorite at the kids table, the wafers may or may not have been repurposed for less-than-holy projects. Back in the day it had to be preordered from monks in Poland; today it’s available on Amazon because of course it is.

Second Course: Soup

The choices were lentil and sauerkraut. Impossible to go wrong and if you ate fast enough, you might get both.

Sauerkraut Soup
3 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz package mushrooms, chopped (I use baby Bella's)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
1 can (15 oz) sauerkraut with juice
2 cups water or broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add potato, sauerkraut and juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender, adding more water if needed. Season to taste.

Third Course: Stuff fried in butter

Now it’s getting good because here come the Pierogi (pee-DOH-hee) filled with potato, onion, or lekvar (aka prunes.) Big plates of fresh eggs scrambled with the ram’s head mushroom Uncle Pete found in the woods. Finally, crocks of bobalki (bo-BALL-key), dumplings made from bread dough and seasoned with sauerkraut or poppy seeds and honey.

The recipe sounds weird but trust me.

Bobalki

16 oz prepared yeast bread dough (Trader Joe’s pizza dough works great if you don’t want to make your own)

2-3 cups water

½ cup butter (one stick), cut in half

1 cup thinly sliced sliced sweet onion

1 14-oz can sauerkraut

¼ cup white wine or water

¼ cup honey

¼ cup poppy seeds

Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough, arrange on a baking sheet so they’re just touching, and let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes and cool completely.

Sauté onions in butter until soft and fragrant. Add wine and sauerkraut and simmer for a few minutes. Break dough balls apart, place in a colander and pour boiling water over.

Toss half with the sauerkraut mixture and the other half with honey, poppy seeds, and the rest of the butter. Cover and set aside for a few minutes to steam. Serve hot.

Fourth Course: Fish

For maximum authenticity, this is carp that’s been hanging out in the bathtub. As fun as that would have been to describe, my family opted for haddock purchased from the local fishmonger and cooked in even more butter.

Fifth Course: Cookies and coffee

My great aunts were baking machines, making this a diary for another day.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! What’s for dinner at your place tonight?

Edit: Bobalki recipe added