Fryderyk Chopin's Zrazy Supper
Cooking the Polish beef roulades, braised cabbage, and dumplings that comforted Fryderyk Chopin while he lived abroad.
Intro
Hey, it is Kaz with another episode of Kaz Cooks History, and today we are cooking one of Fryderyk Chopin’s favourite dishes: zrazy, also known as rolady slaskie. Chopin was the poet of the piano, a Warsaw prodigy giving public concerts at eleven, dazzling Vienna in his twenties, and eventually becoming a star in the salons of Paris. He published around 230 works, almost all for piano, but his career was shadowed by homesickness and chronic illness. Letters from friends and family talk about the food he missed most, and beef roulades stuffed with bacon, pickles, and onions were right at the top of that list. So we are cooking a 19th century plate that might have made Paris feel a little more like Warsaw.
Rolling the Zrazy
Slice and pound beef topside into thin sheets, spread each piece with spicy mustard, then line up sticks of smoked bacon, pickled cucumber, and sliced onion. Roll each parcel tightly and secure it with twine or toothpicks. Brown the roulades in a hot pan so they pick up deep colour, then add water, bay, allspice, and the reserved bacon skin. Once it comes to a simmer, cover the pot and braise in a 180C oven for about ninety minutes so the beef turns tender.
Braised Red Cabbage
A Polish plate needs braised cabbage. Finely shred red cabbage and simmer it with water, bay leaves, and allspice until the liquid evaporates and the cabbage collapses. In another pan cook diced smoked bacon and onion until golden, then fold everything together with a spoon of vinegar and sugar. The result is sweet, smoky, and sharp enough to cut through the rich beef.
Kluski Slaskie Dumplings
For the starch we are making Silesian potato dumplings. Boil floury potatoes, rice them, and let the steam escape. Level the mash in the bowl, remove one quarter, and replace that space with potato flour. Add an egg, salt, and pepper, then knead gently. Roll the dough into ropes, cut into equal nuggets, roll into balls, and press an indent into each one. Boil until they float and hold them warm for plating.
Gravy Finish
Once the roulades are tender, take them out of the pot and strain the braising liquid. Reduce it on the hob and thicken with a little flour slurry so it coats the meat. That glossy gravy ties the entire plate together.
Shot List Notes
- Quick shots of chopping onion, pickles, and bacon
- Slicing and pounding the beef slices
- Filling each roulade with mustard, onion, pickles, and bacon, then securing with twine
- Browning the rolls in a hot pan and covering with water and spices before the oven
- Cutting cabbage, dicing onion and bacon, simmering the cabbage, and finishing with bacon and onion
- Boiling, ricing, and mixing potatoes; rolling the dough, shaping dumplings, and dropping them into boiling water
- Removing roulades, straining and reducing the gravy, and pouring into a gravy boat
- Final plating with cabbage, dumplings, and beef drenched in sauce
Serve
Plate the roulades with braised cabbage and dumplings, then spoon over the reduced gravy. It is hearty, nostalgic, and the kind of comfort food that might have helped Chopin feel a little more at home far from Warsaw.
Recipes from this Episode
Chopin's Zrazy with Cabbage and Dumplings
Rolady slaskie stuffed with bacon, pickles, and onion, served with braised red cabbage and potato dumplings inspired by Fryderyk Chopin's favourite comfort dinner.