Explore the regional flavours of Pomorskie region. This time, we will dive into the world of honey and cheese. Pronunced, tender, melting in the mouth. They can go solo, but also as sides. We visited top regional restaurants for inspiration.
Pomorskie is a true land of plenty. Especially considering the lush countryside, full of forests, meadows and lakes, as well as the abundance of regional products. Local delicacies are the region’s true pride. Starting with mushrooms and game, through juicy fruit and preserves (have you tried the insanely delicious Kashubian strawberry?), honey and — last but not least — dairy products. There is a lot to choose from!
Today, we will focus on honey and cheese. At first glance, these products have nothing in common. Looks can be deceiving, though. Cheese and honey can complement each other nicely as ingredients of the same dish. They will be equally delicious when served separately. After all, they are the true stars of the region’s cuisine.
Experience the best Polish cheese
Let’s start with an absolute evergreen product, but in a more sophisticated version. You have surely at one point of your lives been served a selection of cheese on a platter or a wooden board. The staff at Biały Królik, a restaurant based in Gdynia, have prepared a similar experience for you. Though their version is definitely more fanciful. There are eight different kinds of cheese to choose from, all Poland’s finest. They have been selected to best show off different varieties, their textures and colours. There is long ripened cow milk cheese, blue cheese, or the aromatic goat cheese.
Of course, there is more. The cheese is served with home-made jam prepared by the head chef, Marcin Popielarz, and herbal honey. There is also a selection of pastries: brioches, open-faced sandwiches, and podpłomyk (a kind of flat bread) with bell pepper. Sounds delicious, right? Such a tasting experience can be the highlight of the evening. A bottle of excellent wine and some candles can make the experience even more rewarding.
Cheese and honey — the savoury way
What the Gdańsk-based Eliksir restaurant has to offer is absolutely mind-blowing. It will appeal especially to those who love savoury flavours broken with a pinch of sweetness. The main ingredients here are: goat cheese and leek. Of course, there is also honey.
– First, we bake the pastry forms. Then, we fill them with leek filling with nutmeg, cream and in-house produced goat cheese. The cheese is made with goat milk for fourty-eight hours in our restaurant. The dish is topped with regional honey and garnished with finely chopped dill and chunks of caramelised walnuts – says Paweł Wątor, the head chef at Eliksir.
Another restaurant that we visited, was Gdański Bowke, located by the Motława River, in the heart of the historical part of Gdańsk. Their signature dish is zander with goat cheese crumble, served with potato puree with carrots caramelised in linden honey and pan-fried broccoli in parsley sauce. The secret of this dish is that it is a classic with a modern twist. The intense aroma of goat cheese with the sweetness of honey are a superb match!
A (piece) of (cheese)cake
It’s common knowledge that a dessert is the highlight of any feast. Nothing will happen, however, if the dessert comes first – Kashubian style – or even becomes one of the stars of the evening. After all, if a dessert melts in your mouth, do you need anything else to be happy? Such a dessert, and more precisely – cheesecake made with Kashubian baker’s cheese with vanilla cream and seasonal fruit – waits for you in Polskie Smaki restaurant in Sopot.
– Fresh baker’s cheese is the most important ingredient in this cheesecake. We obtain it from a local dairy plant. The cheese is finely ground, which allows the cake to have unique, creamy texture. The base of the cake is crumbly, because we use butter from local suppliers and utilise longer baking time – says Krystian Szidel, the executive chef at Polskie Smaki restaurant.
