Autumn in the kitchen is a plentiful season. The forests of Pomorskie are full of mushrooms, trees in orchards are heavy with fruit: apples, sweet plums, and pears. It’s the time of game and goose meat, delicious pumpkins, root vegetables, and nuts. It’s an excellent moment to make the most of the autumn flavours and aromas, before they are swept into oblivion by the coming of winter.
Where does autumn flavour fun begin, though? Marcin Faliszek, the head chef of Piwna 47 Food & Wine Bar restaurant in Gdańsk, suggests game meat. The highlight of autumn menu is the tender deer sirloin in an aromatic demi-glace, served with a crispy potato croquette, caramelised beet, pumpkin emulsion with ginger, and regional goat cheese, which complements the honey sweetness of the vegetables.
“In autumn, our menu is full of root vegetables. Their flavours are the fullest right now, be it carrots, parsley, or the lesser-known scorzonera. There will be plenty of pumpkins and autumn fruit, which I like to combine with salty dishes. For example, mutton-filled pierogi (dumplings) go with raisins, plums, and nuts. The sweet, plum notes are an excellent complement to the pronounced flavour of the filling,” says Marcin Faliszek. “Of course, there’s room for mushroom delicacies. After all, the mushroom season is in full swing! This year, we chose saffron milk caps paired with sirloin. Each year, we also prepare marinated mushrooms that serve as sides to our dishes,” he says.
The Filharmonia restaurant is also focusing its efforts on mushrooms in its autumn menu. But before we get to the flavour of the story, a word of advice: if the weather’s right, make sure to be seated outside. Apart from culinary delights, the restaurant also serves a beautiful view of the Motława river, and the historical Crane. After you’ve finished admiring the view, you can move to contemplating the contents of the plate. And on it, you’ll find tender pork sirloin with sweet chestnut polenta, served with bay bolete with pine sprouts sauce and roasted root vegetables. Can you imagine a more autumny dish?
Let’s proceed with our little trip to Jastrzębia Góra. There, in the Lazurowa restaurant, autumn has come for good. You can tell by the amount of heather on the tables, warm candle light, and, of course, the menu! After taking a stroll along the seaside, consider warming yourself up with a bowl of delicious, sweet and salty pumpkin soup. Afterwards, the main course: cod loin in nut and parsley batter, served with chanterelle sauce and lentil. A few dashes of parsley olive culminates the dish. The plate is colourful, delicious, and filling. It is also very regional, as the head chef, Tomasz Leśniak, says, since most of the products come from the immediate area. This is what the menu creator has to say about it:
“In autumn, we always try to fiddle with seasonal ingredients. The menu will certainly include roasted eggplant, we’re still in the process of perfecting the recipe. I use roasted vegetables in my recipes very often, as this brings out their full flavour. The sugars in pumpkins or onions caramelises, and the aroma of the dish is more intense. Our menu is full of autumn classics: game meat, mushrooms, and goose, which we purchase from local suppliers. Our dessert menu will most certainly include pears. It’s the best time to serve these fruit.”
Saying goodbye to summer can be fun, provided it takes place on a plate of aromatic pumpkin soup, or while tasting perfectly prepared game meat!
