Skilandis Bulvių Plokštainis

Skilandis Bulvių Plokštainis

Recipes with Skilandis

Bulvių plokštainis is a Lithuanian baked potato dish, denser and more savoury than a gratin, layered with smoked meat and baked until the top browns. Skilandis, with its concentrated smoke and garlic, works through the potato base the way salt pork does in Eastern European cooking. This is a winter dish, the kind that sits in the oven while the house warms up.

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

55 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

  • 800 g waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 120 g skilandis, sliced thin then cut into small strips
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 eggs
  • 200 ml sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lard or butter for the dish

Steps

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a deep baking dish, about 20 x 30 cm, with lard or butter.

2

Layer half the potato slices across the bottom of the dish. Season with salt, pepper, and half the caraway seeds. Scatter half the onion slices and all the skilandis strips over the potatoes.

3

Add the remaining potato slices as the top layer. Scatter the remaining onion and caraway over the top.

4

Whisk the eggs with the sour cream and a pinch of salt until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the potatoes, making sure it seeps down between the layers.

5

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are cooked through. A knife inserted in the centre should meet no resistance.

6

Allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with a spoonful of extra sour cream and fermented cucumber on the side.

Tips

The skilandis is already salted and smoked, so taste the dish before adding any extra salt. The caraway seeds are traditional in Lithuanian potato cooking and complement the smoke from the sausage. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better than floury varieties; do not use baking potatoes here.