czech easter food

Sekanice is a delicious stuffing and one of the classic Czech Easter dishes. Prepared on Holy Saturday with lots of eggs, green herbs and smoked meat, it used to be part of the food basket and taken to church to be blessed. Want the recipe? All right, here you go!

Sekanice (Czech Easter Stuffing)

smoked ham ((330 g) fully cooked)

white bread ((about 5 ounces 140 g)

eggs (yolks and whites separately)

milk ((240 ml) lukewarm)

spinach leaves

parsley greens

garlic

nutmeg (ground)

black pepper (ground)

salt

unsalted butter ((37 g) thin slices)

Tablespoon solid fat

breadcrumbs

Make ahead: Peel the garlic and press it. Dice the smoked ham. Cut white bread into ½-1-inch cubes. Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing each in a separate, clean bowl.

Prepare herbs: Place the spinach leaves in a colander and wash them under running water. Scald them briefly with hot water. Allow to drip off, and then chop the blanched leaves coarsely with a chef&#39;s knife along with the leaves of the green parsley.

Get the baking pan ready: Grease the baking dish with some solid fat, such as butter. Then sprinkle with plain breadcrumbs. Gently tap the pan on the counter to shake off any excess breadcrumbs.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the milk with the egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. 

Place the white bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the egg mixture over them and stir. Let stand for about five minutes while the bread absorbs the liquid.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.

Add the smoked ham cubes, beaten egg whites, and chopped herbs to the soaked bread. Using a hand spatula, mix gently but thoroughly. 

Spread the stuffing mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the surface. Top with thin slices of butter all over.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake the stuffing for 40 minutes.

This is Plecovník—a savory Easter loaf from Czech Silesia filled with smoked meat and sausages. Warm, rich, and comforting, it&#039;s making a well-deserved comeback. I cannot wait to share the recipe with you!

Plecovník Czech Sausage Bread

all-purpose flour

instant yeast

sugar

water

beer

sausages, smoke pork belly

In a mixing bowl, combine 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, and 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar. In a separate container, mix 1 cup beer and 1/2 cup water, then warm to 110–115°F (38°C). Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix at low speed until the dough comes together, then knead at medium-high speed for about 8 minutes until elastic and slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.

Meanwhile, take 1 1/4 pound sausages, smoke pork belly or other meat out of the fridge, cut the meat into smaller pieces, and let it come to room temperature. Crush 1 clove garlic and mix it with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water.

Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Generously flour your work surface, turn out the dough on it, and using your fingers, stretch it into a rectangle, with the long side matching your baking sheet.

Arrange the sausages and meat on the dough, aligning the sausages along the long edge. Roll the dough into a log, pinch the seam, and tuck in the ends. Place seam-side down on the floured baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with the garlic water. Reduce the heat to 350 °F and bake for another 35 minutes.

Brush the baked loaf with garlic water again. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

We have been making this forever (bfore and ever since my great grandmother came to the U.S. in the 1920s). We call it Pecinek (maybe it's different???). We don't use the beer and our tradition uses smoked and fresh sausages. I'd like to try it with ham or smoked pork belly. I love and appreciate that you have featured this Easter treat. Thank you!

Top 2 czech easter food recipes from across the web

The most viewed czech easter food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Sekanice (Czech Easter Stuffing)

Plecovník Czech Sausage Bread

Top 2 czech easter food recipes from across the web

The most viewed czech easter food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Sekanice (Czech Easter Stuffing)

Plecovník Czech Sausage Bread

The most viewed czech easter food recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine