Czech and Central European

Šoulet (Czech cholent)

Name: Šoulet (Czech cholent)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 600 min
Total time: 630 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Czech and Central European
Ingredients: 300 g Dried split peas; 200 g Pearl barley; 2 pcs Goose leg; 60 g Goose fat; 2 pcs Onion; 3 clove Garlic; 1 tsp Sweet paprika; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper; 1.5 l Water

Awaiting expert review

The Czech form of Shabbat cholent: peas or beans with barley and goose meat, baked slowly until Saturday lunch.

Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 600 min
Difficulty: moderate

Kashrut · meat

Shabbat

Method

Step 1: Soak the peas the day before; drain them before cooking. Rinse the barley.
Step 2: In a roasting pan or cast-iron pot melt the goose fat and fry the chopped onion in it until golden; at the end add the garlic and paprika.
Step 3: Season the goose legs with salt and pepper and brown them briefly on both sides.
Step 4: Put the peas and barley in the pot, mix with the onion, salt, and lay the legs on top, skin side up.
Step 5: Pour in water so that the legumes are about 2 cm below the surface, bring to a boil and cook covered for 1 hour.
Step 6: Transfer the covered pot to an oven preheated to 100 °C and let it finish cooking slowly for 8–12 hours (overnight).
Step 7: Before serving, check that the šoulet is not dry; take the meat off the bones and mix it with the legumes.

Tips

A pot with a tight-fitting lid is essential; for a shorter preparation, 3 hours in the oven at 150 °C is enough.

History and origins

HistoryCzech lands⁂ To verify

The word šoulet is the Czech form of the name shalet/cholent. A dish of legumes and barley kept warm for Saturday lunch was part of the cooking of Jewish families in Bohemia and Moravia.

HistoryCzech lands⁂ To verify

Šoulet also passed into general Czech cuisine, where today it is most often made with smoked meat and without any connection to Shabbat.

Regional variations

MinhagCzech lands⁂ To verify

In Jewish households of the Czech lands, goose was reportedly the main source of fat and meat (goose fat, legs, smoked goose breast).

Folk customCzech lands

Beans or a mix of beans and peas can be used instead of peas; in some places potatoes are added.

Šoulet (Czech cholent)

Ingredients

Method

History and origins

Regional variations

Goes well with

Sources

Secondary literature