POLISH KISZKA--HOW TO COOK IT.

Around the holidays, ethnic foods are enjoyed as the family celebrates the season and celebrates being together as a family.  I was lucky to grow-up in a neighborhood that had a Polish-German meat market every couple of blocks.  I ate Kiszka because the family ate it and I loved it.  My children ate Kiszka and loved it.  We never called it by its American name--blood sausage.


Not too long ago, people had to use every part of an animal when it was slaughtered.  It was an economic necessity.  Now it is considered a sign of respect for the animal that has given its life to feed us.  Every country has some form of blood sausage.  The English have Blood Pudding or Black Pudding, the French have Boudin Noir, the German have Blutwurst and the Spanish Morcilla.  In the Netherlands blood sausage is called Bloedworst.


We purchase out Kiszka at a fantastic meat market on Grand Rapids' West Side called 20th Century.  It was established in 1906.  My Grandma use to shop in the same store that I do now.

The white spots are buckwheat groats or barley, not fat.  Enjoy!!!

KISZKA


1 ring of Kiszka
Butter
A little olive oil

Ingredients:  Kiszka, butter, and olive oil.

Cut Kiszka ring into sections.  Put a pat of butter and a little oil in a heated frying pan.  The oil helps keep the butter from burning.  Put down each section of Kiszka on the cut-side in the butter.  Fry until crispy.  Turn over to the other cut-side and fry until that side is crispy.  Serve and enjoy!!!

Cut the ring of Kiszka into sections.

Put a pat of butter and a little oil in a hot pan.  Allow butter to melt.

Put in sections of Kiszka, cut-side down, in the frying pan.

Cook until the bottoms are crispy.  Then turn over the sections to cook the other side.

The tops are brown and crispy.  Bottoms are cooking.

So tasty and so good!!!  Enjoy!!