Fasolka po bretońsku

The story

Fasolka po bretońsku, literally Breton-style beans, is counted among the traditional dishes of Polish home cooking, although the food writer Robert Makłowicz has noted that it is completely unknown in Brittany itself. Polish food writers note its likeness to British baked beans in tomato sauce and suggest the recipe may have been brought by emigrants, but no one has settled the question. Unlike baked beans, the Polish dish is stewed on the stove, not baked, and it is a full meal rather than a side: large white beans, often the variety called piękny Jaś, simmered until creamy, then combined with smoked bacon, sliced kielbasa, onion and tomato. Marjoram goes in at the very end so it keeps its aroma, and many cooks add savory, paprika, bay leaf and allspice. The dried beans are soaked overnight, and one Polish food writer remembers a grandfather who cooked it in a huge pot and put up jars for later. Recipe writers call it an ideal dish for the cooler seasons. Soak the beans the night before, and serve the stew with crusty bread.