Chefs Binge · Polish · Serves 4 pieces

Zapiekanka (Polish Mushroom Cheese Baguette)

Poland's street-food classic: half a baguette under mushrooms and melted cheese, baked until the edges crisp and finished with a zig-zag of ketchup. Under half an hour, and cheap enough to make a pile of them.

Prep

15 min

Cook

12 min

Total

27 min

Serves

4 pieces

Per serving

651 kcal

Ingredients

2 baguettes - day-old is best; halved lengthwise = 4 pieces

500 g white button mushrooms (pieczarki) - finely chopped

1 onion - finely diced

2 tbsp butter - or oil

250 g grated cheese - Gouda/Edam, or a Gouda-mozzarella mix

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

Salt and black pepper - to taste

Ketchup and chopped chives - to finish

Equipment

Frying pan · Baking Tray · Box Grater · Baking Parchment

Method

Sauté the filling. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft, then add the mushrooms. Cook 8-12 minutes, stirring, until all their water has cooked off and they start to brown. Season with salt, pepper and marjoram; cool slightly.

Prep the bread. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Halve the baguettes lengthwise. For a crisper base, pre-toast them bare for 3-4 minutes.

Assemble. Spread the mushroom mixture over each baguette half and top generously with the grated cheese.

Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bread is crisp and golden. For extra-bubbly, spotty cheese, finish 1-2 minutes under the grill.

Finish and serve. Drizzle over a zig-zag of ketchup and scatter with chopped chives. Serve hot.

Chef’s notes

Cook the mushroom water off completely before assembling: wet mushrooms make a soggy zapiekanka.
Day-old baguette holds up far better than soft fresh bread.
Grill at the end for that authentic street-stall bubbly, browned cheese.
The ketchup drizzle is traditional, not optional: the sweet-tangy finish is the whole point.
About the nutrition. The figures are one half baguette as built. The ketchup and chives on top carry no quantity, so they are not counted.

Per serving Calories 651 kcal · Protein 33.3 g · Carbs 72.9 g · Fat 26.3 g · Saturates 15.3 g · Fibre 4.5 g · Sugar 10.8 g · Sodium 1607 mg

chefsbinge.com/polish-zapiekanka

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