Baltic cuisine is hearty traditions passed down from generation to generation. Today we're making two iconic Lithuanian dishes that warm the soul and bring families together at one table.
🥔 Kugelis
A classic Lithuanian potato casserole with a golden crispy crust and a tender, almost creamy center. A hearty, aromatic dish with bacon and onion, served with sour cream.
Ingredients:
• Potatoes — 2 kg
• Bacon (smoked) — 200 g
• Onions — 2 large heads
• Eggs — 3 pcs
• Sour cream (20-25%) — 200 ml
• Milk — 100 ml
• Wheat flour — 3 tbsp
• Salt — 1.5 tsp
• Black pepper — 0.5 tsp
• Butter for greasing the pan — 20 g
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the bacon and onion
Cut the bacon into small cubes (approximately 0.5×0.5 cm). Heat a pan over medium heat and fry the bacon until golden and the fat renders (7-8 minutes). Peel and dice the onion into small cubes (0.3-0.5 cm). Add the onion to the bacon and fry until translucent with a light golden tint (5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Readiness criterion: onion is soft, semi-transparent, bacon is crispy at the edges.
Step 2. Preparing the potato mass
Peel the potatoes and grate on a fine grater (use a medium or fine attachment). Work quickly so the potatoes don't darken. Squeeze the grated potatoes through cheesecloth or a clean towel, removing as much liquid as possible — about 300-400 ml of starchy water should come out. Don't throw this water away: let it settle for 5 minutes, then carefully pour off the clear part, leaving the white starch at the bottom. Return this starch to the potatoes. Criterion: potato mass is moist but not runny, starch has settled as a white layer.
Step 3. Forming the dough
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a whisk until uniform. Add sour cream, milk, flour, salt and pepper — mix until smooth without lumps. Add the grated potatoes with starch and the cooled bacon-onion mixture (along with the rendered fat). Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or hands until completely uniform. The mass should be thick, sticky, with evenly distributed ingredients. Criterion: all components are mixed, the dough holds its shape when scooped with a spoon.
Step 4. Baking
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Generously grease a baking dish (approximately 30×20 cm or round with 26 cm diameter) with butter, including the sides. Spread the potato mass into the dish, smooth the surface with a wet spoon or spatula. Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 200°C, then lower the temperature to 180°C and cook for another 60-75 minutes. Readiness criterion: top is dark golden, almost brown, with a crispy crust; when pierced with a wooden skewer in the center — the skewer comes out dry, without raw dough.
Step 5. Resting and serving
Remove the kugelis from the oven and let it rest in the dish for 10-15 minutes — this allows the casserole to set and slice more easily. Cut into portion squares or diamonds. Serve hot with sour cream, sprinkled with fresh herbs (dill or green onion). Traditionally kugelis is eaten as a standalone dish or with pickled cucumbers and fresh cabbage salad. Criterion: casserole holds its shape when slicing, center is tender and moist, crust is crispy.
Additional tips:
For a richer flavor, part of the milk can be replaced with additional sour cream. If you like a crispier crust — brush the surface with melted butter 10 minutes before done.
💡 Fact: Kugelis is one of the most ancient Lithuanian dishes, prepared as far back as the 16th century. The name comes from the German 'Kugel' (ball), although the dish is baked in a flat form. Each region of Lithuania has its own variations: somewhere they add mushrooms, somewhere — more bacon.
🍖 Vėdarai
Traditional Lithuanian potato sausages in pork casings — a hearty, aromatic dish with tender potato filling, bacon and spices. After baking you get a ruddy, slightly crispy shell and creamy center.
Ingredients:
• Potatoes — 1.5 kg
• Pork casings (natural casing, diameter 35-40 mm) — 2-2.5 meters
• Bacon (raw, with fat layers) — 300 g
• Onions — 1 large head
• Eggs — 2 pcs
• Sour cream — 100 ml
• Salt — 2 tsp
• Black pepper — 1 tsp
• Dried marjoram — 1 tsp
• Broth (meat or vegetable) — 500 ml for baking
• Butter — 30 g for greasing
Preparation:
Step 1. Preparing the casings
If using salted casings, soak them in cold water for 2-3 hours, changing the water every 30-40 minutes. Then rinse under running cold water on the outside and inside (run water through the casing from the tap). Check the casings for integrity: fill a small section with water and squeeze — if it leaks, cut off the damaged spot. Cut the casings into segments of 25-30 cm. Tie one end of each segment with strong kitchen twine in a double knot. Criterion: casings are clean, odorless, soft, elastic.
Step 2. Making the filling
Peel the potatoes and grate on a coarse grater (use a coarse attachment so the filling is textured). Squeeze lightly by hand, removing some liquid, but not completely dry — leave the potatoes moist. Cut the bacon into very small cubes (3-4 mm). Peel the onion and grate on a fine grater or grind in a blender to a pulp. In a large bowl, mix potatoes, bacon, onion pulp, eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper and marjoram. Mix with your hands for 2-3 minutes until completely uniform. The filling should be moist, sticky, hold together well in a lump. Criterion: all ingredients are evenly distributed, mass is pliable.
Step 3. Filling the sausages
Use a meat grinder with a sausage attachment or a pastry bag with a wide nozzle (diameter 2-3 cm). Slide the casing onto the nozzle, leaving the tied end hanging. Carefully fill the casing with filling, controlling density: fill to 70-75% of volume, not tightly, so that during baking the potatoes can expand without rupturing the shell. After filling the casing, tie the open end with kitchen twine. Pierce the sausage with a needle or toothpick in 5-7 places for steam to escape. Repeat with remaining casings. Criterion: sausages are firm but not hard, spring back slightly when pressed lightly.
Step 4. Pre-boiling
Boil 3-4 liters of water in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Reduce heat to minimum (water should barely move, not boil). Carefully lower the sausages into the water and cook for 20-25 minutes at 85-90°C (gentle simmering, without bubbling). Turn every 7-8 minutes. If sausages float, press down with a slotted spoon. Readiness criterion: sausages have whitened, slightly increased in volume, shell is firm, when pierced clear juice comes out, not cloudy.
Step 5. Baking
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a baking dish with butter. Lay out the boiled sausages in a single layer, not tight against each other. Pour broth into the dish — it should cover the bottom by about 1 cm (not cover the sausages completely). Brush the sausages on top with melted butter using a brush. Bake for 45-50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes and basting with liquid from the dish. Readiness criterion: shell is golden-brown, in places ruddy and slightly crispy, liquid in the dish has almost evaporated.
Step 6. Resting and serving
Remove the sausages from the oven and let them rest for 5-7 minutes right in the dish. Cut diagonally into portion pieces 3-4 cm thick or serve whole. Traditional serving: with sour cream, fried onions, pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut. Can be sprinkled with fresh herbs. Criterion: sausages hold their shape when slicing, filling is soft, creamy, shell doesn't tear.
Additional tips:
If pork casings are hard to find, you can use ready-made sausage casings from specialty stores. Vėdarai can be frozen after boiling and baked later — thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
💡 Fact: Vėdarai is a ritual dish of Lithuanian peasants, prepared for Christmas, weddings and major holidays. The preparation process was a family affair: elder women made the filling, younger ones stuffed the casings. The dish symbolized prosperity and abundance, since it required the best products.