In the Czech kitchen: Pickled sausage is drowning in summer appeal

Make Czech beer snack 'utopenci' this summer from leftover sausages with this recipe from Lokál chefs.

Ambiente

Written by Ambiente Published on 12.07.2024 14:05:00 (updated on 19.07.2024) Reading time: 2 minutes

Food & Drink
Photo via Ambiente
Photo via Ambiente

The name may be morbid, but the taste is unmistakable. If you’ve never tried the classic Czech beer snack “utopenci” (translated loosely into English as “drowned man”) you haven’t experienced a Czech pub. These onion-and-hot-pepper-stuffed sausages, brined in vinegar and spices, are commonly served in restaurants, but you can easily make them at home.

Where did the name come from?

Legend has it that this dish was created by an innkeeper and miller named Šamánek from Berounsko. In a time before refrigerators, he sought a way to preserve sausages and prevent them from spoiling. Initially, he placed the sausages in vinegar water, later adding onions, pepper, and other seasonings to the brine.

Why does this dish bear a morbid name? Supposedly, Šamánek accidentally drowned while repairing a mill wheel. In his honor, people began to call the brined sausages “drowned.” Even a hundred years later, the miller's legacy lives on in this enduring Czech dish.

The chefs at Lokál restaurant shared this DIY recipe with us. It takes just a few minutes to make, and it’s perfect when you have a few uncooked sausages left over from a barbecue.

For the filling

  • 20 špekáčky (Czech sausages made of pork, beef, and lard) 
  • 3 chili peppers (feferonky), sliced into thin strips
  • 4 onions, cut into slices
  • 5 pickles, sliced into wedges
  • 1 small jar of sauerkraut
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For the brine

  • 1 l of vinegar
  • 700 ml water
  • 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
  • ½ tbsp allspice
  • 7 bay leaves
  • 1¼ kg carrots, cut into slices

Instructions

  • 1.Start with the brine. Combine the vinegar and water and set aside. Next, gently dry-fry the spices in a saucepan, then pour over the liquid. Add the carrots and boil briefly, then simmer for about three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool but only until lukewarm.
  • 2.Peel off any casing and slit the sausages deeply enough to fill but with the pieces staying intact. Fill with slices of peppers, onions, and pickles (one wedge each for each sausage), then stuff with sauerkraut.
  • 3.Cover the sausages in a large preserving jar with still-warm brine. You can pack the jar with the leftover onion slices or peppers. Refrigerate for 14 days before serving. Serve with thick rye bread.

In the Czech Kitchen is a weekly column written in cooperation with Ambiente’s culinary experts. Established in 1995, the Prague-based collective of pubs, restaurants, and fine-dining outlets has transformed the Czech culinary landscape and contributed to the widespread awareness of quality food service and production in Czechia. Follow their socials or book your table at www.ambi.cz.

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