Recipe - Kutia (Christmas Pudding)

200 g Wheat grain (7 One fourth oz)
200 g Poppy seeds
200 ml Honey (7/16 pint)
100 g Walnuts, chopped (3.5 oz)
100 g Almonds, chopped
50 g Currants (1.8 oz)
4 Figs
4 Dates
One half Vanilla pod
1 teaspoon Grated lemon peel
70 ml Rum (1/8 pint)
2 tablespoon Cream
10 Almonds, whole

(Keep care: preparation 6 hours !!)

Wash the wheat grain, leave to soak in cold water for 6 hours. Drain, then
pour 2 l of boiling water over the wheat, cover and cook over a low heat
for 3 hours. The grains should be soft but not mushy. Strain the cooked
wheat and leave to cool.

Wash the poppyseeds thoroughly in cold water, scald with boiling water and
drain. Pour boiling water over them, bring to a boil, remove from the heat
and leave to stand in a warm place for 3 hours. Drain and mince.

Soak the currants in rum or cognac. Cut the figs and dates into thin
strips. Crush vanilla pod in a mortar.

Pour the poppyseeds into a mixing bowl, add cream, honey, vanilla and
lemon peel. Grind for 15 minutes, then add the wheat, crushed walnuts and
almonds, currants, figs and dates. Mix well and transfer to a glass bowl.
Decorate with whole almonds and chill.

(From: Polish cooking, Warszawa 1993, ISBN 8385477349) Posted by Rene
Gagnaux

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini