A simple, rustic dish made with Poland’s favourite fruit, the apple. This cinnamon-apple bake was popular during Communist times – when the queues for food were miles long – as the only ingredient that the Polish people never ran out of were apples. This is perhaps why the Polish apple is looked on with such a sense of national pride.
Any tart apple, such as a cooking apple, works well in this recipe. The best rice to use is soft and sticky pudding rice, although risotto rice is a good substitute. The idea is to have thick layers of juicy, sweet apples and thin layers of rice in between. {Serves 4–6}
6–8 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
150–200 g (5–7 oz/1–1¼ cups) raisins
200 g (7 oz/1 cup) soft light brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
400–500 g (14–18 oz/2¼–scant 3 cups) cooked pudding rice
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) single (light) cream
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).
Put the chopped apples in a bowl with the raisins, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using) and mix to combine.
Layer a third of the apples in the bottom of a baking dish, followed by a thin layer of cooked rice; another layer of apple and another of rice, finishing off with a final layer of apples.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then pour the cream over the top and sprinkle with more sugar. Return to the oven for further 20 minutes. Serve piping hot.
{Time: 1 hour}