Dishes of Transylvania
In the Apuseni Mountain area, in Transylvania, self reliance is the norm. People work hard, and therefore their food is rich and heavy. Pork and mutton, cabbage, potatoes and dairy products are the norm. Lard is used rather heavily, alongside plenty of smoked fatback eaten with onion and homemade bread. Homemade spirits are also a local staple.
Ștefan Baciu, 07.02.2016, 14:05
In the Apuseni Mountain area, in Transylvania, self reliance is the norm. People work hard, and therefore their food is rich and heavy. Pork and mutton, cabbage, potatoes and dairy products are the norm. Lard is used rather heavily, alongside plenty of smoked fatback eaten with onion and homemade bread. Homemade spirits are also a local staple.
One local recipe you might be interested in is rich soup made with smoked meat, based on either cabbage or potatoes. Another local specialty is the pork and sausage stew, with lard-fried onion. Another delicious local preparation is pies that resemble a stuffed crepe, with salted cheese inside. The crepe dough resembles bread dough, a plain flour, water and salt combination. After the dough is left to rise, it is rolled into thin sheets, which are then layered with cheese in-between. The resulting pie is served topped with butter or sour cream. It can also be served as a desert if the filling is sweet.
Another rich dish is layered polenta, prepared in various ways throughout the country. It is typically made in a metal or clay pot. Take sliced sausage and finely cubed pork and brown them separately, preferably in a Dutch oven. Also separately make a soft polenta. Use some of it to cover the bottom of a larger oven dish, previously greased with the liquid left from browning the meat and sausage.
Spread out over the polenta the above-mentioned meat products, then another layer of polenta, add on top of that crumbled hard sheep cheese, the salty kind, then another layer of polenta. You can also beat an egg and brush it on top of the whole thing. Bake in the oven until golden brown. When serving you can top it with a dollop of sour cream.
If you are terrified by the caloric content and the amounts of fat in this dish, remember it was meant for people in the countryside who worked hard all day in the field and in the household. Enjoy!
