What’s Cooking in…The Radisson in Prague

by Sandra Scott

Our cooking class in Prague in October ’09 had some interesting connections.

While staying at the Radisson Blu in Dubrovnik, Croatia, my husband, John, and I inquired about their cooking classes. The hotel in Dubrovnik was not offering classes during the time of our visit, but they said their hotel in Prague, Czech Republic, the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, offered cooking classes year-round. They arranged an informal cooking class for us.

Even though we did not stay at the Alcron, their Executive Chef, Roman Paulus, showed us how to prepare svickova and trhanec, which are traditional Czech foods. Svickova is a two-day meal that is served at family lunch on Sunday or on holidays but prepared one day prior. It is also a popular dish for wedding receptions. Trhanec is a dessert familiarly known as a Broken Omelet or Emperor’s Omelet.

Chef Paulus explained, “Trhanec developed from mistakes made in preparing palacinka, the Czech version of the crepe.”

He also shared, “Both recipes respond well to creativity, so it is hard to make a mistake.”

A presentation of trhanec with fresh fruit. Photos: Sandra Scott

In the 1980s we visited Czechoslovakia when it was a Communist state. We had to prepay for everything, including our meals. Upon leaving the country, we had unused food vouchers and handed them to a Czech couple we had never met. They were so pleased, we exchanged addresses and have been exchanging Christmas cards ever since.

When they heard we were visiting Prague, they invited us to their house for dinner. Dinner was svickova, and because of our lesson at the hotel we were very appreciative of the work that went into preparing this traditional dish.

Our lesson was gratis, but a half-day private formal class that is open to the public (not just hotel guests) and concludes with dinner and wine in the hotel’s La Rotonde restaurant costs $200.

The Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel (40 Stepanska St., Prague; phone +420 222 820 000, www.radisson

blu.com/hotel-prague) is located not far from Wenceslas Square.

Svickova

1 tbsp mustard

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white or cider vinegar

juice of two lemons

3 cups beef stock

Make spice bag of 2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, 3 whole allspice berries and 3 sprigs of thyme

4 tbsp flour

2 cups sour cream

2-3 lbs beef sirloin

three 5-inch-long strips of bacon, ¹⁄8 inch thick by ¼ inch wide, frozen

salt and black pepper as needed

3 tbsp sunflower oil

2 large carrots, diced

2 medium parsnips, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 large onions, diced

Puncture three five-inch-long holes in beef. Insert frozen bacon. Salt and pepper beef, tying it up if necessary. Sear on all sides and set aside. Heat sunflower oil in medium-size pan, and add carrots, parsnips and celery. Cook slowly until tender. Add onions, mustard and sugar. Cook until all are lightly caramelized. Add vinegar and lemon juice and cook for two minutes. Add beef stock, browned beef and spice bag and simmer for one hour. Remove meat and spice bag and reduce sauce by one-half. Strain sauce to remove vegetables (optional), then thicken with flour mixed with sour cream and cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Cut beef in half-inch-thick slices and serve with sauce. Good with cranberry sauce.

Trhanec

1 cup raisins

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

salt to taste

¼ cup rum (optional)

2 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

5 eggs

½ cup butter

1 cup sliced pears (or any fruit to make a compote)

Mix milk, flour and eggs together to make a batter. Pour into oven-safe pan; the mixture should be about one-half inch thick. Cook under broiler for three minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F and cook for about eight minutes. Remove the omelet from the pan and cut into small pieces. Melt butter in a pan; add sliced pears, raisins, sugar, vanilla and salt, then cook until caramelized. If desired, stir in rum. Pour over the cubed omelet, mix and serve.