Alissa Timoshkina’s mushroom mačanka stew with potato pancakes. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Rosie Reynolds. Prop styling: Florence Blair. Food styling assistant: Stevie Taylor. View image in fullscreen Alissa Timoshkina’s mushroom mačanka stew with potato pancakes. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: Rosie Reynolds. Prop styling: Florence Blair. Food styling assistant: Stevie Taylor. Food Mushroom magic: Alissa Timoshkina’s eastern European soup and stew recipes A tangy mushroom stew with potato pancakes for dipping, and a rustic but versatile cabbage and mushroom soup
Prefer the Guardian on Google A thick, creamy and tangy wild mushroom stew, inspired by Belarusian mačanka and traditionally served with thick buckwheat pancakes for dipping. My version, however, features another Slovak dish in the form of lokše , which are crepes or flatbreads made with mashed potato dough. The result is so good. Then, a simple, seasonal soup made with just a handful of ingredients that captures the heart and soul of eastern European soup making. While it doesn’t belong to any single location, I hope it will taste like “home” to readers connected to the region.
I first came across this dish a few years ago when working on my previous cookbook, Kapusta . The recipe was brought up in a conversation with a wonderful food writer of Belarusian lineage, Anastasia Zolotarev, whom I’d asked to contribute to the book. Mačanka did not make it into Kapusta, but I was very glad to see it in Anastasia’s own debut book, Sour Cherries and Sunflowers . Looking into the origins of the dish, I have discovered that mačanka exists in Slovak cuisine, too, where it appears as a thick soup infused with sauerkraut brine – oh my! Both dishes are rooted in central and eastern European peasant culture of simple, hearty, nutrient-rich stews made with a handful of accessible ingredients. So here is my own play on both recipes.
For the stew 100g salted butter 1 onion , peeled and thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves , peeled and minced 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme 600g chestnut mushrooms , sliced Salt and black pepper , to taste 30g dried porcini , soaked in 250ml just-boiled water 150ml sauerkraut brine , or to taste 30g plain flour 300ml single cream 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley , to garnish
For the topping 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion , peeled and finely sliced 1 small pinch sugar 1 small pinch salt
For the pancakes 350g potatoes , quartered 125g plain flour , plus extra for dusting 1 small egg , beaten 1 pinch salt Butter , melted, for brushing
Melt half the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the onion, garlic and thyme, and fry for 10 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the sliced fresh mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt, cover and cook for about eight minutes, until they release their liquid. Strain the porcini through muslin, reserving the liquid. Rinse the porcini to get rid of any residual grit, then chop finely and add them and the reserved soaking liquid, plus the sauerkraut brine to the pan. Season with black pepper and simmer on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, to develop the flavours.
In a second pan, melt the remaining butter, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps, for two to three minutes, until lightly golden. Gradually whisk in the cream to make a smooth sauce. Stir this into the mushroom base and cook uncovered for about five minutes, to thicken.
To make the topping…