Oven-Baked Kaszanka with Sweet Onion Chutney

While you are enjoying your barbecues during what is currently the longest May holiday weekend in the modern world, I suggest stepping away from the grill for a moment and preparing the kaszanka you bought for it a little differently. Surprise your May holiday guests—or barbecue guests, or simply weekend guests, if you prefer.

I felt like trying this sweet variation just after the holidays. The weather was not yet right for a barbecue, and I had an absolutely enormous craving for kaszanka, Polish blood sausage with groats. It turned out so well, though, that I have already made it twice again since then, which does not happen all that often with me. Especially with kaszanka, which I do not eat, shall we say… regularly.

So I will not take up any more of your time with an introduction. I simply recommend this culinary experiment, which I think was a great success and, as usual here at Prymitywna Kuchnia, is easy to make. It will not wear you out, so let’s get to it.

Recipe details:

Preparation time: about 15 minutes

Baking time: 45 – 50 minutes

Baking temperature: 200 degrees Celsius

Serves: 3 – 4 portions

Calories: It’s the May holiday weekend!

Ingredients for baked kaszanka with sweet onion chutney:

• 6 good-quality kaszanka sausages (also known as kiszka or krupniok, if you prefer)
• 3 red onions (fairly large)
• a chilli pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey (wildflower honey will do, although I prefer acacia)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• black pepper
• salt
• olive oil

Recipe for oven-baked kaszanka with onions and chilli:

I put the kaszanka in an ovenproof dish (mine is pictured below), scattered over red chilli cut into strips, seasoned lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then drizzled with a little olive oil. I put it in the oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius (pro tip: how to preheat your oven quickly, here).

While the kaszanka was baking, I made the red onion chutney. I put the onions, previously cut into rings, into hot oil in a small saucepan. I added a teaspoon of sugar and stirred. I cooked them over a low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes (the onion should turn translucent, but not burn, so stir occasionally). Then I added 2 tablespoons of honey, mixed thoroughly and cooked for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Chutney ready.

About 35 minutes after putting the kaszanka in the oven, once it had begun to look nicely glossy (the natural casings, that is), I opened the oven and slit the sausages along the top so they would open up nicely without spilling entirely out of their casings. I spooned the red onion chutney I had prepared over the kaszanka. I returned it to the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes to bake. Just keep an eye on the onions so they do not burn on top.

The sweet kaszanka was ready. I served it with creamy mashed potatoes and a lightly fermented cucumber to cut through the sweetness. It tastes a little different from the barbecued kaszanka we usually eat during the May holiday weekend, but it is always worth trying something to vary it. Enjoy 🙂

.