Is it just an ordinary drowner or a perfect delicacy? Of course, this is a point of view, but it is certain that it is one of the classic gems, at least within the framework of Czech pub culture. That’s why we often prepare it at home. We can use a simple trick to do this…
In order to prepare classic drownings, of course, we need a quality cold meat and then also a marinade that turns it into perfection. And we can either prepare the pickle from ingredients such as vinegar, mustard seed, of course water and others… What does it remind us of? Yes – of course it’s more than a coincidental resemblance to pickle polish. We can therefore use this agreement to our advantage.
The drowned – it’s simply a classic:
Don’t spill the valuable raw material
If you’re also pouring out the cucumber pickle after the last bit of this tiny green delicacy has disappeared from the glass, you’re making a big mistake. We live in the age of “recycling”, and we can also preserve this acidic and perfectly seasoned liquid. Simply go to the sausage shop now for some meatballs (okay, feel free to go to the supermarket as well, if you choose better quality goods) and start preparing the drownings.
Careful preparation is the key
The preparation of really high-quality drownings requires, among other things, a lot of patience. But more on that later. We are now at the stage where we have pickles (remains from the pickled cucumbers) and bacon. We completely remove the guts from the sausage and then we can either cut it in half lengthwise, cut it into rounds, or . The goal is to divide the base into such large pieces that the flavor will more easily penetrate to the very core.
It won’t work without onions
At this point, the main ingredients are ready, but something is still missing. It is an onion that we cut into rounds in sufficient quantity. Subsequently, we will intersperse layers of spekáček, which will come into the glass. However, in order to ensure a truly high-quality result, we cannot start stacking the material directly in the canning machine without cleaning it. Therefore, pour the varnish into the pot (we will need to heat it anyway) and steam the glass well with hot water, you can also let it turn several times in the microwave oven.
Fill the glass (and don’t eat)
The following steps are already simple. Put a layer of onion in the glass, followed by the bacon and if you want, you can also add chopped pepper or even hot pepper for even more spice. Then the onion comes again, another one and as Karel Čapek would write after the example of his iconic work Dášeňka – bis, repete ad capo, until the glass is full. Since we will use the complete pickle from the cucumbers, we don’t have to worry about spices anymore.
Recycle the pickle, it pays off
We’re almost at the end, so here comes the recycled pickle itself. Instead of preparing a new let’s use the one that already has perfectly connected and balanced flavors, an ideal pH and contains the entire complex of necessary properties that the new pickle would only acquire over time.
And now the hardest part
Once the glass has been carefully filled to the brim, carefully wipe it, especially in the places where it will touch the lid, which must consistently rest. And now comes the hardest part of the whole process – patience. In order for the drowned people to be really tasty, they have to last in the pickle ideally for at least a week. Premature efforts to “save” them are possible, but you will definitely deprive yourself of a significant part of the taste experience, and that would be a great shame.
