Zapiekanka (Polish Street Food)
Zapiekanka is something really nostalgic for polish people. It gained its popularity during the communism in the ’80s, for its simplicity and especially for the price. Normal everyday items were not available at any given moment, as well as many popular world’s known dishes such as pizza.
So, polish people were like “Ok! We will make our own pizza with what we have”. Simple ingredients, baguette, mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup. Just 4, and yes, that’s it. Cheap, quick, and cheesy. What else would we want from street food?
For me, I was born in the ’90s, zapiekanka is something I think about when I have any memories related to the polish seaside (which is absolutely beautiful). Getting it super hot straight out of the oven on a paper sleeve and sitting down on the beach watching the sunset. And also getting sand into my food but let’s skip that part. You can find many vendors and small kiosks almost everywhere selling this cheap and delicious treat.
Traditionally it’s cheese and mushrooms but we are going to kick it up a notch and make “Greek-style”. With some feta, olives, spinach, and garlic sauce drizzled on top. Well, that’s a goodie.
Zapiekanka (Polish street food)
Ingredients
- 1 Baguette
- 200 g Mushrooms chestnut or button
- 100 g Feta Cheese cubes
- 300 g Baby Spinach
- 0.5 cup Tomato Sauce
- Black Olives
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Dried Oregano
- Salt & Pepper
Garlic Sauce
- 3 tbsp Natural Yoghurt
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 Garlic Clove crushed
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Water
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Clean and cut mushrooms into thin slices. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan and add mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat until nice and brown (up to 6 min). Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the washed and drained spinach in the same frying pan on medium heat for about 8 to 10 min. season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Drain and cut your olives in half. Prepare feta and shredded cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrease. Line baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
- Cut the baguette in half, lengthwise. Spread tomato sauce on top. Add mushrooms then shredded cheese. Top up with spinach, feta, and olives. Sprinkle some dried oregano on top and bake for 7-10 min.
- Meanwhile, prepare garlic sauce. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When your zapiekanka is nice and crispy take it out of the oven. Drizzle some garlic sauce on top and enjoy it while it’s hot.