Kulish

Ingredients

Base

• 200 gsalo, or fatty salt pork, diced small
• 2onions, chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed

Grain

• 300 gmillet, rinsed thoroughly

Liquid

• 2.5 litreswater, or meat stock
• salt and black pepper

Vegetables

• 4potatoes, in chunks
• 2carrots, sliced
• 2tomatoes, chopped, if wanted

Sometimes added

• 300 gpork ribs or smoked meat
• 1bay leaf
• a handful of dill, chopped

To serve

• more chopped dill
• spring onion
• dark rye bread
• raw garlic cloves

Directions

1. Put it in a bowl and cover it with cold water. Rub it between your hands and pour the cloudy water off. Repeat this four or five times until the water runs clear. Cut it into small dice about half a centimetre. Put it in a cold heavy pot or cauldron.
2. Set it over a low heat and let the fat render out slowly. Starting cold is what gets the fat out without burning the pieces. Cook it for about ten minutes until the pieces are golden and crisp. Lift the crisp pieces out with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Leave the rendered fat in the pot. Add the chopped onions to the hot fat.
3. Cook them for ten minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook it for another minute. Add the ribs or smoked meat now if you are using them.
4. Brown them for five minutes on all sides. Pour in the water or the meat stock. Add the bay leaf and a good pinch of salt. Bring it to the boil and skim off any foam. If you added ribs, simmer them for thirty minutes before going further.
5. Add the rinsed millet to the pot. Add the potato chunks and the sliced carrot. Stir it once and lower the heat to a steady simmer. Now the simmer, which needs attention.
6. Simmer it for twenty-five to thirty minutes. Stir it every five minutes, scraping the bottom. Add the chopped tomatoes for the last ten minutes if using. It should be thicker than a soup and looser than a porridge. Add hot water if it has gone too thick to stir. Cook it uncovered a while longer if it is too loose. Different families argue about which end it should sit at.
7. Season it generously with salt and black pepper. Now serving, which is done from the pot. Return the crisp salo pieces to the pot and stir them through. Ladle it out into deep warm bowls. Scatter chopped dill and spring onion over each bowl. Serve dark rye bread and raw garlic cloves alongside. Serve it very hot, since it stiffens quickly as it cools.

Technique

• Rinse the millet until the water runs clear, since it carries a bitter coating.
• Render the salo from cold so the fat comes out without the pieces burning.
• Stir every five minutes, as millet catches and burns once it thickens.

Substitutions

• Smoked bacon or lardons in place of salo.
• Water in place of stock, which is what a field kitchen would use.

Variations

• With pork ribs cooked in the broth.
• Made thicker, closer to a porridge.
• Vegetarian, with oil in place of salo.

History

A field and campfire dish long associated with the Zaporozhian Cossacks and with harvest work, cooked in a cauldron.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kulish?

Kulish is a soup & stew from Ukraine: millet and salo porridge-soup cooked over a campfire. A field and campfire dish long associated with the Zaporozhian Cossacks and with harvest work, cooked in a cauldron.

How long does Kulish take to make?

Kulish takes 15 min of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Kulish?

Yes, within limits. Smoked bacon or lardons in place of salo. Water in place of stock, which is what a field kitchen would use.