For your Easter table

LET’S  COOK   LITHUANIAN
with Dana Siliūnas

Easter is a very special event for Lithuanians.The Easter meal usually includes a variety of meats to celebrate the end of long fasting during Lent.
ROASTED   DUCKLING
Kepta  antis
1 duckling, 5 to 5 1/2 pounds, excess fat removed
1 orange, quartered
1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), quartered, cored
8 large sprigs fresh thyme
Salt, ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°.  Rub duck inside and  out  with  a  few  orange  quarters.Sprinkle with salt and pepper inside and out. Place orange and apple quarters and 4 of the thyme sprigs in cavity. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part.Roast  25  to  30  minutes  per pound, about  2  to  2%  hours.  Baste with  pan juices  occasionally.  Duckling  is  done when meat thermometer registers 190°. Remove duckling and let rest on plat­ter  15 minutes before carving.  Garnish with the remaining thyme sprigs. Serves 3.

BEEF  ROLLS
Suktinukai  (Zrazai)
8 thin quick-fry steaks
1 cup onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 pound ground meat (mix beef, pork and veal)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour Sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
In skillet saute onions and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons oil. In large bowl, mix meat,  bread  crumbs, parsley,  egg,  salt and  pepper.  Add  sauteed  onions  and mushrooms;  combine  well.  Lay  out steaks on waxed paper and pound with mallet to tenderize. Place 2 tablespoons of meat filling at one end of steak and
roll up; secure with toothpick. In skillet heat  remaining  2  tablespoons  of oil. Dredge meat rolls in flour; brown in oil. Place in roasting pan.  Mix beef broth, bay leaf, wine vinegar, and tomato paste. Pour sauce over meat rolls and bake at 325° for 1 to 1 1/ 2 hours. To serve, place beef rolls  on  platter;  add 1/2  cup  sour cream  to  liquid  in  roaster.  Pour  over meat or serve separately. These delicious beef rolls  can  be served with potatoes,rice or noodles. They freeze well and are easy to  reheat.  Smaller  rolls  look very
elegant as a buffet dish.

PORK   WITH   RED   CABBAGE
Kiauliena  su  raudonais  kopūstais
1 large tart green apple, peeled and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 1/2 pounds fresh pork, cubed
2 tsp. cornstarch, optional
2 Tbsp. bacon fat
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup sugar
2 whole cloves
Salt and pepper
Saute apples  and onion  in bacon fat until  the  onions  are  soft.  Add water, sugar, salt,  pepper, cloves and bay leaf. Bring to a rolling boil and add cabbage. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes stirring from time to time. Ren­der a little pork fat in a separate pan and brown the cubes of meat in it along with the  minced  garlic.  When  the  meat  is nicely brown, add the wine and simmer gently while  the cabbage cooks.  Com­bine  the  cabbage  and  the  meat  and thicken,  if desired, with the cornstarch in  a bit of cold water,  and heat  again. Great with potato pancakes and beer.

CHICKEN   OR   TURKEY  ROLL
Vyniota   višta  arba  kalakutas
1 7-8 pound chicken or turkey Stuffing
2 pounds ground chicken or veal
2 eggs, beaten
3 slices white bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped dill
2 onions, chopped and sauteed in oil or butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the bread and onions together in a food processor, add to the meat and other ingredients. Mix thoroughly, add­ing salt  and pepper.  Bone the  chicken (begin by slitting the back and scraping
the meat away from the bone with a very sharp knife), leaving the breast meat in­tact.  Sprinkle with salt.  Place chopped meat mixture in center of boned chick­en, shape the meat and skin into a roll,fasten  with string or skewers.  Rub  the skin with oil, bake at 350° for  1/2 to 2hours.  This  recipe  freezes well  and  is
delicious hot or cold. It is a very popu­lar Lithuanian buffet dish.