Bukstiņputra

Ingredients

Base

• 300 gpearl barley
• water, for soaking
• 800 gpotatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1.5 litreswater
• 2 teaspoonssalt

To finish

• 250 gsmoked bacon or fatty pork, diced
• 3onions, chopped
• 50 gbutter
• black pepper

To serve

• soured milk or kefir
• or soured cream
• extra fried bacon and onion

Directions

1. Rinse the barley in a sieve under cold water. Put it in a bowl and cover it well with cold water. Leave it overnight or for at least four hours. It swells noticeably as it takes up water. Drain it and rinse it again before cooking. Put the drained barley in a large heavy pot. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises at the start.
2. Cover it and let it cook for forty minutes. Stir it occasionally so it does not catch. Add more hot water if it goes dry. Peel the potatoes and cut them into even cubes. Add them to the pot with the barley. Add the salt to the pot at this point.
3. Let it all cook for another twenty-five minutes. The potato should be falling apart. Dice the smoked bacon or fatty pork small. Put it in a cold dry pan over a medium heat. Starting cold lets the fat render out slowly. Let it cook for about eight minutes. It should be crisp with plenty of fat in the pan.
4. Add the chopped onions to that rendered fat. Cook them together for another eight minutes. The onions should be soft and golden. Take the pot off the heat when everything is soft. Mash it roughly with a wooden masher or a spoon. It should not be a smooth puree at all.
5. Add hot water if it is too stiff for you. Cook it a little longer uncovered if it is too loose. Tip most of the bacon, onion and fat into the pot. Add the butter and stir it right through. Keep some bacon and onion back for the top.
6. Season it generously with black pepper. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. Let it sit covered for five minutes. Serving it is done hot in deep bowls.
7. Spoon it into bowls and make a hollow in the middle. Put the reserved bacon and onion into that hollow. Pour cold soured milk or kefir around it. That cold sour liquid against the hot porridge is the point.

Technique

• Barley was the Latvian staple grain long before potatoes arrived, and this dish combines the old grain with the newer crop.
• Cold soured milk or kefir poured over the hot porridge is the traditional way to eat it.

Substitutions

• Whole hulled barley can be used but needs considerably longer cooking.
• Soured cream or plain yoghurt stands in for soured milk.

Variations

• Some households leave out the meat entirely for a plain version.
• A version made with peas alongside the barley is also eaten.
• Cold slices fried in butter the next day are a common second meal.

History

A Kurzeme farmhouse dish of pearl barley and potato, eaten with soured milk.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bukstiņputra?

Bukstiņputra is a main from Latvia: barley and potato porridge mashed with fried bacon and onion. A Kurzeme farmhouse dish of pearl barley and potato, eaten with soured milk.

How long does Bukstiņputra take to make?

Bukstiņputra takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 1 hour 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bukstiņputra?

Yes, within limits. Whole hulled barley can be used but needs considerably longer cooking. Soured cream or plain yoghurt stands in for soured milk.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bukstiņputra?

Spoon it into bowls and make a hollow in the middle. Put the reserved bacon and onion into that hollow. Pour cold soured milk or kefir around it. That cold sour liquid against the hot porridge is the point.