Ingredients
Base
- 2baguettes, halved lengthways
- or 4 lengths of soft white bread
Topping
- 400 gbutton mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbspbutter
- 300 ggrated cheese: Edam, Gouda or a Polish yellow cheese
- salt and pepper
- chopped parsley
To finish
- ketchup, in a generous zigzag
- chopped chives or spring onion
- pickled gherkins, chopped
Optional
- sliced kabanos or ham
- sweetcorn
- garlic sauce
To serve
- hot, wrapped in paper
Directions
- Use a soft baguette rather than a crusty artisan one. A very crusty sourdough baguette is impossible to bite through with melted cheese on top, and the classic zapiekanka uses the soft, slightly bland Polish baguette.
- Halve it lengthways and press the cut faces down lightly. Put the halves cut side up under the grill for 2 or 3 minutes until lightly golden. Toasting first is what stops the base going soggy under the mushrooms, and it is a small step that makes a real difference.
- Chop them finely rather than slicing them. Thick slices slide off the moment anyone picks it up. Fry the onion in butter until soft, then add the mushrooms over a high heat. Cook them hard until all their liquid has evaporated and they begin to brown. Mushrooms are mostly water, and if it has not cooked off they release it onto the bread in the oven and you get a soggy baguette.
- Keep cooking until the pan is dry and the mushrooms have caught a little colour. Season them well and add parsley. Let the mushrooms cool slightly. Use a mild yellow melting cheese, grated, and use plenty of it. Edam or Gouda is what is used in Poland, and a strong mature cheese is not what this dish is about.
- Spread the mushroom mixture over each toasted half, right to the edges. Take it to the ends, since bare bread at the tips burns under the grill. Cover thickly with grated cheese. Now bake or grill it until bubbling.
- Put it under a hot grill or in a hot oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling with browned patches. Let the cheese brown properly rather than merely melting, since those browned spots are much of the flavour. Zigzag ketchup generously over the hot zapiekanka.
- Scatter chopped chives, spring onion and chopped gherkins over. Those raw sharp elements against hot melted cheese are what stop it being heavy, and the gherkin in particular is worth adding. Serve it immediately, wrapped in paper, and eat it with the hands. It must be eaten hot, since the cheese stiffens and the bread softens as it cools.
Technique
- The Okrąglak on Plac Nowy in Kraków is the place most associated with it.
- Ketchup is part of the dish rather than an optional condiment.
- The mushrooms must be cooked genuinely dry.
Substitutions
- Any soft baguette or long white roll.
- Any mild yellow melting cheese.
Variations
- With kabanos or ham added.
- With sweetcorn, which many stalls offer.
- With garlic sauce instead of or alongside ketchup.
History
Halved baguette with mushrooms and cheese, invented as street food in the 1970s under communism; Kraków’s Plac Nowy rotunda still sells it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zapiekanka?
Zapiekanka is a street food from Poland: toasted half-baguette with mushrooms, cheese, ketchup; milk-bar nostalgia. Halved baguette with mushrooms and cheese, invented as street food in the 1970s under communism; Kraków’s Plac Nowy rotunda still sells it.
How long does Zapiekanka take to make?
Zapiekanka takes 20 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Zapiekanka?
Yes, within limits. Any soft baguette or long white roll. Any mild yellow melting cheese.
What is the most important thing to get right in Zapiekanka?
Use a soft baguette rather than a crusty artisan one. A very crusty sourdough baguette is impossible to bite through with melted cheese on top, and the classic zapiekanka uses the soft, slightly bland Polish baguette.
