The story behind the recipe
Potato soup, known as kartoflanka, is according to Polish Wikipedia a simple soup made from potatoes, to which celery, parsley, carrots, and onions are also added, along with bacon or sausage, sometimes both; in the meatless version, they are replaced with butter. In Krakow, it is also referred to as ziemniaczanka, as noted by Wikisłownik based on Doroszewski's dictionary. Kartoflanka should not be confused with zalewajka: in zalewajka, cooked potatoes are poured over with separately prepared sour rye soup, hence its name. Kartoflanka also has its own song: in 1966, Wojciech Młynarski recorded "Kartoflanka" by Roman Orłow on his first album.
Old cookbooks know two types of kartoflanka. Marta Norkowska in "Najnowsza kuchnia" from 1903 describes kartoflanka with dumplings, cooked in a broth made from root vegetables and thickened with onions browned in butter, and "Dutch-style" kartoflanka, strained through a sieve and thickened with cream. Elżbieta Kiewnarska in her books from 1929 and 1930 writes that "true kartoflanka is a pureed soup," and diced potatoes, in her opinion, belong more to broth or vegetable soup. However, she adds that kartoflanka is "excellent" with smoked bacon or ham bone, and serves it with toast topped with spicy cheese. When the thick version with pieces of potatoes and sausage became popular in homes, it is not known for sure.
Since July 29, 2013, Silesian "potato soup, ziemnioczonka po meszniańsku" from Meszna in the Silesian Beskids has been on the List of Traditional Products. According to the entry, potato soup was the most popular dish in Silesia, cheap but very nutritious, providing strength for work in the fields. In Meszna, potatoes with onions and grated carrots are first sautéed in lard with caraway seeds and bay leaves, and only then covered with water, and finally, kondrotka, or ground ivy, is added. It is eaten with bread as a one-pot dish. We did not find potato soup on the list of Polish names protected in the European Union.
Ingredients
Zupa
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800 g ziemniaki (najlepiej ogólnoużytkowe, w kostkę około 1 cm, czyli ½ cala)
Abroad: USA i Kanada: Yukon Gold albo Russet; Wielka Brytania: Maris Piper albo King Edward; Niemcy: vorwiegend festkochend - 1.25 l woda (zimna; może być bulion albo rosół)
- 150 g marchew
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100 g korzeń pietruszki
Abroad: USA: parsnip; Niemcy: Petersilienwurzel -
50 g seler korzeniowy (opcjonalnie)
Abroad: USA: celery root (celeriac) albo 1 łodyga selera naciowego -
100 g boczek wędzony w kawałku (bez skóry)
Abroad: USA: smoked slab bacon; Wielka Brytania: smoked streaky bacon w kawałku; Niemcy: Räucherspeck - 2 pcs liść laurowy
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4 pcs ziele angielskie (ziarna)
Abroad: allspice berries; Niemcy: Piment - 4 pcs pieprz czarny (ziarna)
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150 g kiełbasa wędzona (np. podwawelska, w kostkę)
Abroad: USA: smoked Polish sausage; Niemcy: geräucherte Mettwurst albo Bockwurst
Zasmażka
- 2 tbsp (about 29 g) masło
- 150 g cebula (drobno posiekana)
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1 tbsp (15 ml) majeranek suszony (roztarty w dłoniach)
Abroad: dried marjoram; Niemcy: Majoran -
2 tbsp (about 15 g) mąka pszenna
Abroad: USA: all-purpose flour; Wielka Brytania: plain flour; Niemcy: Type 405
Do podania
- sól i pieprz (sól na końcu, po spróbowaniu)
- 1 handful natka pietruszki albo koperek (posiekane)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) śmietanka 30% (opcjonalnie)
Method, step by step
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Peel the potatoes, rinse them, and cut them into cubes about 1 cm (½ inch) on each side. Small cubes cook faster and are easy to scoop with a spoon.
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Peel the carrot, parsley root, and celery, and cut them into small cubes.
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In a pot with a capacity of at least 3 liters, place the potatoes, carrot, parsley, celery, and the whole piece of bacon. Add bay leaves, allspice, and black pepper, and pour in 1.25 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook covered for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Do not add salt yet: the bacon and sausage will release salt into the soup.
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In the meantime, make the roux. In a pan, melt the butter, add the chopped onion, and sauté over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it becomes translucent and lightly browned. Add the marjoram and sauté for another minute.
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Add the flour to the onion and stir until it combines with the fat into a smooth mixture without lumps. Do not burn it: the roux for this soup should be light golden.
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Temper the roux: remove the pan from the heat, pour in a ladle of hot soup, and stir vigorously until smooth. Only then pour the thinned roux into the pot while stirring, and bring the soup to a boil once until it thickens.
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Remove the bacon, cut it into small cubes, and return it to the soup along with the diced sausage. Cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
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If you like the soup creamy, mix the cream with a few tablespoons of hot soup and only then pour it into the pot. After adding the cream, just heat the soup, but do not boil it.
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Taste and only then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley or dill and serve hot, with croutons or a slice of bread.
Photos
