When busia didn't buy a duck for czarnina, she would make an imitation version called blind czarnina or slepo czarnina with meaty fresh or smoked pork neck bones.
It's a specialty of the Poznan region near Turek where my maternal grandparents were from. We kids took to calling it prune soup or czarnina without the blood. Using unpitted prunes is traditional because they give the best flavor, but spitting them out while eating is very offputting, so I use pitted prunes.
Here's a larger picture of blind czarnina. More about cooking with blood.
Makes 8 servings of Polish Blind Czarnina - Slepo Czarnina
It's a specialty of the Poznan region near Turek where my maternal grandparents were from. We kids took to calling it prune soup or czarnina without the blood. Using unpitted prunes is traditional because they give the best flavor, but spitting them out while eating is very offputting, so I use pitted prunes.
Here's a larger picture of blind czarnina. More about cooking with blood.
Makes 8 servings of Polish Blind Czarnina - Slepo Czarnina
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds meaty fresh or smoked pork neck bones
- 1 pound prunes, pitted or unpitted
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Preparation:
- If using fresh neck bones, blanch, drain and rinse them. Place blanched or smoked neck bones in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat, add vinegar and bay leaf and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
- Add prunes and season with salt and pepper (watch the salt if using smoked neck bones). Bring back to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour or until meat falls off the bone.
- Adjust the seasonings and vinegar, if necesary. Remove meat from bones and return to pot. At this point, cool soup and refrigerate until fat is congealed on the top and remove it.
- When ready to serve, in a medium bowl, cream the cold soup by fork blending flour into half-and-half, add a few ladles cold soup and whisk until smooth. Pour half-and-half mixture back into the soup pot and heat gently until soup is thickened and raw flour taste is cooked out. Serve with soup kluski.
