Uncommon Lithuanian dishes

SAMOGITIAN HASH
žemaitiškas šiupinys

½ cup dried fava beans (pupos)
½ cup dried whole peas
½ cup barley groats or pearl barley
2 lbs. fresh pork with bone
2 potatoes (pieces of smoked shoulder, ham
butt, or daisy ham may be added
for flavor)
Soak beans, peas and barley over- night. Add meat. Pour on more water to cover meat. Bring to boil. Simmer until meat is tender adding more water if necessary. Remove meat. Grate peeled potatoes, gradually add to bean mixture, stirring constantly. Cook ½ hour longer stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Consistency must be thick, not watery. Meat may be cut up and added to hash, or served separately.

CARROT PANCAKES
Morkų blynai

8 cups raw carrots, peeled and grated
2 eggs
4 Tbsps.  potato flour
6 Tbsps. sour cream
5 Tbsps. sugar
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Beat egg yolks with salt and potato flour, add to grated carrots. Mix well. Beat egg whites and fold gently into carrot mixture. Place spoonfuls of carrot mixture into hot oil, brown both sides. Carrot pancakes are eaten hot with sour cream, sprinkled with sugar.

FISH CAKE
žuvies tortas

2 lbs. fish fillets
4 eggs
1 lb. carrots, cooked and finely grated
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 slices white bread
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley and dill for garnish Grind fish fillets, add onions fried in butter, bread soaked and squeezed dry, beaten eggs, sour cream and seasonings. Mix all ingredients well. Grease cake pan, spring form preferable, fill with fish mixture and bake in preheat- ed oven at 325 ° for about 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven, cover top of cake with mixture of carrots and peas, pour 1 beaten egg with salt over the vegetables and return to oven for another 15 minutes. The baked fish cake can be decorated with garnishes made from scallions, thick sour cream sprinkled with finely chopped parsley and dill. The cake is eaten warm with hot potatoes or cold with black rye bread.

MUSHROOM PATTIES
Grybų maltinukai

2 lbs. fresh mushrooms
3 eggs
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbsps. sour cream
¾ cup butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook mushrooms, drain and chop finely. Fry onion in 2 tablespoons butter. Add beaten eggs to sour cream, mix well, Add fried onion, salt, pepper, Uncommon Lithuanian dishes mushrooms and bread crumbs. Blend well and let set for ½ hour. Then form medium patties, roll patties in flour and fry in hot butter, both sides, for about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with hot potatoes and dill pickles.

POTATO PUFFS
Bulvinės bandelės

8 potatoes, peeled and grated
2 cups sour milk or yogurt
4 cups flour
Salt to taste
Drain some liquid from potatoes, add sour milk or yogurt, 1 cup flour and mix well. Let rest overnight. The next day add remaining 3 cups flour, salt and blend well until dough is of a good consistency. Form flat buns and bake on greased cookie sheets in a preheated oven at 350 ° until nicely browned. Serve with fried bacon and sour cream.

JELLIED PIGS FEET
Košeliena / šaltiena

2 quartered pigs’ feet
2 quarts water
1 large onion
2 carrots
5 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Salt
Singe (scorch lightly to remove hair and fuzz) and wash pigs’ feet. Place in pot with other ingredients. Bring to boil, then simmer slowly about 2-3 hours or until meat separates from bones. Liquid should be reduced to about ½ of original quantity. Strain liquid into a large bowl or mold. Separate and discard bones. Cut up meat into small pieces, add to liquid. Mix and refrigerate until congealed. Before serving, remove fat from surface. Invert onto serving plate. Slice and serve cold with horseradish or mustard, or sprinkled with vinegar or lemon juice. (Košeliena can also be spooned into individual serving bowls.)