Kugelis

Kugelis is a baked pudding of grated potato, egg, onion and bacon, and it is regarded as Lithuania's national potato dish.

Potatoes are central to Lithuanian cooking. Kugelis sits alongside cepelinai, large potato dumplings usually filled with meat, as one of the country's best-known potato dishes.

What it really is

Raw potatoes are peeled and grated finely, then mixed with beaten egg, milk, grated or chopped onion, salt and pepper. Diced bacon goes into the mixture or on top, and it is spread in a greased dish and baked until set, with a browned crust and a moist, dense centre. It is cut into squares or portions and served warm. The result is closer to a savoury pudding than to mashed potato or a fried potato cake.

Recipes differ in how much milk, egg and bacon they use, and some cooks add a little flour to hold the mixture together. The bacon is part of the classic dish, and a version without it is a variation rather than the standard recipe.

How it's served

• Hot, cut into squares, straight from the baking dish or from a plate.
• With sour cream on the side, which is the usual accompaniment, and often a little extra bacon scattered over the top.
• As a main course with a salad or pickled vegetables, or as a hearty side beside sausage or meat.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the potato and the bacon, for example "Kugelis, baked grated potato with bacon and onion".
• Flag eggs and milk, the two allergens in the classic recipe, and ask whether the kitchen adds flour, which contains wheat.
• Name the bacon as pork, and say whether it is baked in the dish or left out for a meat-free version.
• List sour cream as a separate item, since it is dairy and is often charged as an extra.
• State the portion, such as one square or a full serving, because the dish is cut and sold by size.