Prague chefs share easy and delicious recipes you can make at home

Levain’s pan-seared trout with spiced lentils, herb crème fraîche, and fig and apple chutney

Levain bistro in Vršovice is currently closed due to the government restrictions but chef Jason le Gear has shared a Levain favorite, complete with a side and condiments, that you can make at home. He says it’s surprisingly easy to make. Follow Levain on Facebook for news about their reopening as well as additional recipes to try at home.

Step one: Spiced lentils

• 100 g lentils
• 1 pinch of ground cumin
• 40g red onion, diced
• 250 ml balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 20 g pickled ginger
• 25 ml soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp coriander
• juice from 1 lemon

1. Blanche the lentils in salted water; chill.
2. Heat cumin in a hot pan until brown and fragrant.
3. Add onion, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and lentils to the pan; bring to a boil.
4. Remove from heat, add ketchup, sweet chili sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, and coriander. Mix well to combine.

Step 2: Fig and apple chutney

• 1 cooking apple, cored and peeled
• 20 g white onion
• 50 g dried figs
• 25 ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g sultanas
• 2 tsp caster sugar

Step 3: Herb crème fraiche

• 500 g creme fraiche
• 150 g parsley
• 150 g chives
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice
• salt to taste

Salt ‘n’ Pepa Kitchen’s chicken “Corona”

This take on beer-can chicken was provided by Radovan Tlstovic, owner of Salt ‘n’ Pepa Kitchen in Letná. He says that you can “obviously use a different beer or even beer in a can, but Corona is not only topical (and a little bit funny) but a light beer whose flavor will enhance the chicken.” He adds to make sure your oven is tall enough before trying this out. To order food from Salt ‘n’ Pepa visit their website.

Ingredients

• 1 whole organic chicken
• 1 bottle of Corona beer
• A few sprigs of thyme, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp butter
• A few limes, quartered
• Salt and pepper

Tip: Instead of baking the chicken in the oven, you could use an outdoor grill that has enough space for a whole standing chicken. However, oven roasting guarantees the chicken will remain nice and moist.

U Kurelů’s homemade ginger syrup

You may have enjoyed the Žižkov Mulke served at U Kurelů and wondered how they get that fantastic ginger flavor. The secret, owners Lori Wyant and Dean Selby tell us, is in the syrup which can also be used for teas. For delivery details visit the U Kurelů website to follow them on Facebook.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 1 cup fresh ginger, sliced

Tip: You can use this simple method to make any number of flavored syrups — just replace the ginger with something else.

Derek’s self-frosting chocolate crazy cake

Expats.cz contributor Derek DeWitt may not own a restaurant but he sure has spoken with enough of them during the coronavirus outbreak (see his articles here and here). He shares a family recipe for a quick-and-easy chocolate cake that you can mix up with what you have on hand — no milk, eggs, butter, baking powder, mixer or bowls required. As a bonus it’s vegan-friendly.

He writes: “Also called Wacky Cake, this Depression-era cake was a staple in my family growing up, brought by my great-grandmother when she migrated from Dust Bowl Kansas to Northern California in the 1930s. As a kid, I usually preferred this as my birthday cake.”

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt 
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Tip:When it comes out of the oven, it will have a sort of crust on top. Once you have cut into it, cover it with plastic wrap, and the crust will relax into a sort of frosting. You can add a proper frosting as well but it honestly doesn’t need it. 

Which dish from a Prague restaurant would you like to make at home?