​A quick, budget dish for New Year’s Eve and beyond. It works best with Ewa Wachowicz’s recipe

Forszmak This is one of those dishes that will especially appeal to people who don’t like wasting food. If you are a fan of the so-called zero waste cuisine and are always looking for a way to give leftovers a second, equally tasty life, try this recipe.

Ewa Wachowicz is an undisputed culinary expert. For over a dozen years, he has been revealing to viewers his recipes for delicious home-made dishes. He often combines traditional recipes with culinary innovations. In one of the episodes of her program “Ewa cooks”, she revealed how she prepares forshmak. This dish is not very popular, which is a pity, because it helps to get rid of cold meats and cold cuts from the fridge, which we often accumulate, for example, after Christmas. If you are looking for “last minute” dishes for New Year’s Eve with ingredients that you most likely already have in the fridge, forshmak will be a hit.

Forszmak is a dish that probably comes from the Lublin regionit is usually quite thick, meaty soup with various additions. You can find versions with pork, sausage, pickled cucumbers and mushrooms, others with chicken or, as in Ewa Wachowicz’s case, cold meats. The dish is served as an appetizer or as a main course. It is best to serve it with bread. Cuisine connoisseurs may associate it with hot dishes popular at parties, such as stroganoff or bogracz. Perfect as a New Year’s Eve or Carnival dish, or just a warm meal for winter days.

To prepare this dish, you will need:

• approx. 600 g of cold cuts and meats,
• approx. 100 g bacon,
• 1 ½ l of any broth or water,
• 1 onion,
• 1 red pepper,
• 1 teaspoon of sweet pepper,
• 1 teaspoon of marjoram,
• 1 bay leaf,
• a few grains of allspice,
• 4 pickled cucumbers,
• 1-2 tablespoons of tomato puree,
• 1 slice of lemon,
• salt and pepper.

Preparation:

1. Start by cutting cold cuts and meats into strips.
2. Cut the pepper and onion into cubes and set aside.
3. Cut the bacon into cubes, then throw it into the pot and fry until the fat renders.
4. Add chopped meat and fry everything.
5. Add diced onion and pepper. Mix everything and fry for a while.
6. Season everything with paprika, marjoram, bay leaf and allspice.
7. Pour the prepared ingredients with broth or water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Add chopped pickled cucumbers, tomato puree and lemon.
9. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serve the finished forszmak warm with your favorite bread.

Sources: Terazgotuje.pl, “Ewa cooks” episode 449