Polish Fish and Rice Sandwich Spread {Paprykarz}
You are going to think I’m weird, but this stuff is my comfort food. Paprykarz [pah-pryh-cash] is a mixture of cooked fish, rice, vegetables and spices and it tastes sweet, mildly fishy and aromatic. It comes from the Westpomeranian region of the country, with immediate access to Baltic Sea and it’s bounties. Availability of fresh fish allows us to enjoy it often. This is where I’m from, and the rest of Poland calls us (people from Szczecin), “paprykarze“.
Paprykarz is a dish is served cold, on bread, for breakfast, a lot of times, next to a camp fire.
This dish was (is) a must-have while camping, and since we did quite a bit of it, we always brought it with us. Ours was easy, came in a can, and you could buy it at every grocery store. This is an upgraded version of the canned stuff though 🙂 and much tastier.
Since we’re planning a family camping trip, I’m making my own today and bringing it all with me. I’m being joined by some of my close cousins, who I grew up with in Poland, so I’m sure they will appreciate the effort. We also enjoy sharing with [read: making] our non-Polish spouses eat some. Not that it tastes bad, it’s just not a breakfast flavor people are used to.
Polish Fish and Rice Sandwich Spread {Paprykarz}
Ingredients
- ½ c / 100 g of uncooked rice
- 1 lb / 500 g of fish filets (I'm using cod, but any kind of fish would do)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 3 medium onions
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 allspice berries
- 3 carrots
- 26 oz / 750 g of diced tomatoes (canned)
- 1 tsp of paprika
- ADDITIONALLY:
- Eight 8 oz / 220 ml canning jars
Instructions
Cook rice in salted water and set aside.
Cook fish, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper, in a little grease. Set aside to cool a bit. Once cool, break up with a fork until pretty fine.
Dice onions and sauté in a large pot in a bit of butter for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat with bay leaves and allspice berries. Wash, peel and grate carrots on the largest side of a box grater, add to onions and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and heat through. Add paprika, rice, fish, freshly ground pepper (about ¼ teaspoon) and salt to taste (about a teaspoon). Mix well.
This recipe make a quite a bit, so I place it in jars and pull one out when I'm ready to eat. To do so, sanitize your jars and lids, place mixture into jars while still warm, place lids on and cool. Place in a shallow pot and fill with water just below the lid. Boil for 60 minutes. Take out and cool (unrefrigerated). After 24 hours repeat the process, but boil for 40 minutes. After another 24 hours repeat the process but boil for 30 minutes only.
I like this dish cold, so I place one jar in the fridge and store until cooled.
Serve cold, on bread.
Notes
Pasteurized jars can be stored unrefrigerated and will keep for up to 6 months. Alternatively, you can place hor spread in jars, seal with the lid and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Besides breakfast for Poles, I think this dish could make a great side dish (I’d still serve it cold) or enjoyed for dinner.
Have you heard of this dish before? Who makes it for you? Leave me a comment below.
Smacznego!
Anna
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I only know and like the canned version. But your recipe sounds delicious. I’m definitely gonna make it as I live in Spain now where no Polish food is available.
That’s exactly why I started making my own. I moved to the US and I wasn’t able to buy it here often, as I didn’t live close to a Polish deli. Ever since I started making my own, I don’t need to buy it anymore. Smacznego!
Its Awesome food for polish ever… love these..!!
Thank you for visiting India King!
How long does this stay good in the jars?
Also if I make it in canning jars, can I seal the jars with a pressure canner for long storage or do I need to add some sort of extra salt or lemon to it?
Thanks, cant wait to try it!
Tony, it will last months. I’m not familiar with rules of pressure cooker, but when I jar mine I don’t add anything extra for longer storage. Either way, once sealed in a jar it will last. Good luck!
I love it, good clean eating – a nice break from all the dairy that I’ve been using lately in Polish food 🙂 Ate it with proziaki.
This is my new favorite food!
I did not love the texture when the dish was still warm, so I decided to take HALF of the mixture and put it through the food processor, leaving the other half in the pan. (My vision was to put it in a mold then invert it on a plate to use as a spread.) Then I rejoined the pulverized half with the remaining in the pan , which created a nice pasty mass, still with lots of good chunks, but even more spreadable. LOVE it. It was enjoyed both warm and then the next day cold.
Next week I will be demo-ing this recipe at our local Polish cooking class! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!