Raków, the village my Mom comes from, has a long, interesting history and multiple local customs and traditions. I am proud to say my family is part of it.

Raków, wioska z której pochodzi moja Mama, ma długą interesującą historię oraz wiele lokalnych zwyczajów i tradycji. Jestem dumny, że mogę być tego częścią.

I have mentioned before, that on Easter and Christmas we prepare dzionie, a traditional holiday dish from Raków area. A year ago I have decided to make it myself. I challenged my Sisters to try as well. They couldn’t, but I’m not getting discouraged, a time will for that.

The text below had been written by my Mom in Polish. I’ve put my comments in square brackets.

Dzionie rakowskie

I’ve never followed a recipe, but think this one is closest to my version which I know from peeking on Grandma’s and Mom’s work, and which I’ve been doing since early adulthood.

Ingredients

Matzos:

• 1 kg plain white flour [I used strong flour]
• 4 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Water [I used about 350 g]

Other ingredients:

• 1 kg pork dewlap or raw bacon, not at all lean
• 4 eggs
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Thick pork intestines [best to store covered in salt in the fridge]
• Toothpicks for closing the ends of intestines

Making matzos:

Mix the ingredients and knead the dough. It should be soft as for pasta or pierogi.

Divide in five-six portions and roll them as for pierogi [2-3 mm]. Bake in the oven set to 160 C (with fan) for 20-30 minutes.

Dividing dough for matzos

Of course, each bread is baked separately [I bashed up to three at a time, just shuffled them around the oven shelves]. I usually make them a couple days before Christmas and store in the oven.

Matzos

Making the filling

Cook the dewlap/bacon. You can add one bay leaf and 1-2 grains of allspice. There should be a lot of water. 3-4 litres per each kilogram of flour, I think.

Broken matzos

When the meat is soft, take it out, and pour the boiling water over matzos roughly broken into pieces [we cooked on Tuesday and on Wednesday heated it before using]. First pour it to cover the bread pieces, and when it’s absorbed, but the pieces are still too dry, add more. Matzo pieces should be soaked for a couple hours. The more it absorbs, the less likely it is for the intestines to burst in the oven (irrationally optimistic dream 🙂 ). Well soaked matzos without firm, dry pieces and no water at the bottom mean you can continue.

Soaked matzos

Salted intestines should be rinsed in warm water. You should replace water with fresh one a couple times. Also rise with water on the inside [if there is an inner membrane, you need to remove it].

Freshly unpacked intestines

Inestines with membranes removed

Cold dewlap/bacon should be minced and added to the matzos with eggs, salt and pepper and mixed thoroughly using hands. The pieces of matzo will break into even smaller ones, but you don’t need to do it on purpose. Ask your family for help trying it and making sure the taste is satisfactory in terms of salt and pepper.

The filling

Once ready, the filling goes into the intestines. More loose rather then packed. We close them with toothpicks. Put them on roasting pan for baking.

Dzionie ready for baking

Bake in the oven set to 190 C. It usually takes 20-40 minutes. You need to monitor it and increase/decrease temperature depending on the events. About halfway through the baking flip it, making sure you don’t burn yourself [Mom almost always burns herself a little]. Baked dzionie goes on the cooling rack.

Dzionie on the cooling rack

Dzionie looks good when it is evenly roasted, but you don’t need to overdo as you will heat it up on the frying pan before eating anyway. The main point of attention is for the intestines to be baked properly and not burst. If it does burst however, put it into a tin. It is still delicious when warmed up. Use very low heat setting for preparing dzionie for serving. It needs to take time. If you set the fire too high, you can burn dzionie easily.

Dzionie

My comments

My schedule:

• Monday: bake matzos
• Tuesday: cook bakon/dewlap
• Wednesday morning: soak matzos
• Wednesday evening: make filling and bake

The intestines used to be obtained from someone who made cooked pork meats (just like Grandma and Grandpa did). They had to be cleaned and have membranes removed (I did that once). Now Mom orders them at the butcher’s in Ożarów. They arrive nice and clean, requiring only rinsing and removing the membranes.

I used the whole of the water from cooking the bacon. Some bits of matzo almost fell apart, but others where slightly firmer, so the filling had quite a coarse texture.

It is very important not to overload or puncture the intestines, otherwise they will burst. This time I filled them very loose, sometimes even too loose. Some burst anyway, but mainly due to sticking to the tray.

Dzionie in a baking tin (the filling baked in a baking tin, when you’ve run out of intestines) is useful for those, who aren’t convinced to eating guts.

Dzionie

A word for the Christmas

I’m not counting on anyone to make dzionie just because they saw the recipe. It would be nice, but it’s not why I published it. I’m a bit on the sentimental side and when I am missing something that used to be around, I experience it intensely, even more now that live in the UK. I miss celebrations with my family, some dishes, various customs.

Do you have a family recipe for a cheesecake? Some pickled food? Maybe a home made drink? If so, write down the recipe, learn to make it. It’s the only way to not loose the family tradition.

I wonder if you have any treats like this.