Add Some Swirl to Your Holiday Table with Potica, a Recipe from Relish By Brittany Shrimpton
"That's the cool thing about recipes from the Iron Rage," says food blogger and fellow Eveleth native Ashley Leonard. "A lot of the Iron Range recipes are more "Iron Range" recipes than a specific nationality. It's just the melting pot of the Iron Range, and everyone there makes those recipes and enjoys them and shares them with everyone else." Throughout the 1900s, groups of (mainly) women would gather on the Iron Range to bake potica together. Unofficially, but affectionately, these women were known as "the potica ladies." When Kelly and Leonard both found themselves in the Twin Cities area in adulthood, they decided to team up for an annual potica bake. "It's always more fun to make it with two people and it's a bit labor intensive," admits Leonard. Kneading the dough until it has the perfect elastic finish, ensuring it doesn't tear when it's rolled out to its thinnest extreme, and hoping beyond hope it doesn't stick to the surface when rolling it up are a few of the tricks that come with time and experience. Even though making potica is a little laborious, the two cherish the tradition. "It's so delicious that I would put in twice as much work," says Kelly.
(L-R) Ashley Leonard, Samantha Kelly, Yia Vang
"Potica is a sweet bread," explains Samantha Kelly, a recipe developer and Eveleth, Minn., native. "You roll enriched dough out tissue-paper thin. Then spread it with a walnut-honey-cream mixture. And then you just roll it, bake it and slice it. It's so delicious!" Nut rolls like potica (pronounced "pah-TEET-sah") originated in Eastern and Central Europe. Derived from the Slovenian word "poviti," which means "to wrap in," potica was so important in Slovenian culture that it made an appearance in the first book printed in the Slovenian language in the 16th Century. Fillings ranged from sweet to savory and often denoted one's social class. The wealthier classes used walnuts and cream, while lower socioeconomic classes used herbed fillings. Though recipes are endless today, walnuts and cream continue to be the most popular choice, at least on the Iron Range. Potica was introduced to Minnesota's Iron Range in the early 1900s as many immigrant populations moved to the area to work in the region's bustling mining industry - but it was the Slovenian and Croatian immigrants who brought with them this delicious slice of home. The recipe spread and is now a staple on many Christmas and Easter tables in Iron Range homes, whether or not they have Eastern or Central European heritage.
WALNUT POTICA RECIPE By Samantha Kelly and Ashley Leonard
DOUGH • 2 envelopes dry active yeast • ¼ cup warm water • 1 cup milk • ½ cup butter • ¼ cup sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 3 large eggs, beaten • 5 cups flour (+ extra if needed)
6
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DECEMBER 2023
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