Smalec Roslinny, Polish White Bean and Apple Spread
Smalec is the Polish spread of rendered pork fat studded with cracklings, apple, and marjoram that sits on the table at every gathering. This is an honest plant-based stand-in that keeps what makes it good, the deep savor and the marjoram, and drops the animal fat. Soft white beans give it body and turn it into a source of protein and fiber rather than pure fat. The savor comes from onions browned slowly and patiently, the sweetness from a grated apple, and a whisper of smoked paprika nods at the original's smoky edge. Toasted sunflower seeds play the cracklings. Spread it thick on dark whole-grain bread or crispbread; it keeps for days and only improves.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cannellini beans, cooked, drained
- 2 wholes Yellow onions, finely diced
- 1 whole Apples, grated
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dried marjoram
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds
Method
- Cook the onion in a wide pan over medium heat with a splash of water, stirring and adding water whenever it dries, until deeply golden and soft, 12 to 15 minutes. This slow browning is the whole illusion: the onion's sweetness and savor stand in for the rendered fat that gives real smalec its flavor, so do not rush it to pale.
- Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry corner of the pan until golden, about 3 minutes, then set them aside. They will play the part of the crisp cracklings scattered through the traditional spread.
- Add the garlic, grated apple, marjoram, and smoked paprika to the onions and cook for 3 minutes, until the apple softens and the pan smells sweet and savory. Apple adds the faint sweetness smalec traditionally gets from a cooked apple, and marjoram is its defining herb; a little smoked paprika hints at the smoky pork note without any meat.
- Mash the cannellini beans coarsely with a fork or masher, then fold in the onion mixture, the vinegar, and the black pepper. Leaving the beans half-mashed gives the spread the rustic, spoonable texture of the original; the vinegar keeps it from tasting flat in place of salt.
- Fold in the toasted sunflower seeds and let the spread cool. It firms as it sits, so chill it for an hour before serving on whole-grain crispbread or dark bread. It keeps for several days and spreads best at cool room temperature.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 110 calories, 5 g protein, 4 g fiber, 70 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
