Polish Christmas Eve: Christmas Eve Bean Dish

“Baked beans à la Bretonne” is a dish that simultaneously embodies the most obscure taverns and the most elevated holiday feasts. It reminds me of childhood and a gloomy, foolish youth — railway station bars and the Christmas Eve table.

More about Polish Christmas tradition.

The oldest Polish recipe for “baked beans à la Bretonne” dates back to 1918, from a cookbook for Haller’s Army chefs fighting on the French side in World War I. Interestingly and significantly for the Christmas tradition, this recipe didn’t include any meat; the beans were merely sautéed with a small amount of lard.

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 can of kidney beans
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of chickpeas (see variations)
- 2 shallots (approx. 70g)
- 100g spring onions
- 300/200g apple
- 150g chanterelle mushrooms
- 50g oil (5 tablespoons)
- 1 tube of lemon grass paste
- 50g plum jam
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Fresh chili (optional, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 200g dried plums
- 300ml tomato passata