I keep thinking that any day now, Disney is going to announce the dates for the 2020 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, but each day when I look for them, they are not there. I’m sure that there is a lot of work and planning to be done with the new social distancing requirements. The Food and Wine Festival is very popular and it’s always very crowded.

EPCOT is set to begin welcoming guests on July 15th after being closed since March 16th due to COVID-19 concerns.

In years past, the Global Marketplace menus have typically been released in mid-July where the actual dates for the Festival have been announced in April. I’m thinking we might have a bit more waiting to do for more details, so in the meantime, I thought we’d take a look at a few recipes from the Festival that Disney has converted to a smaller size and shared.

First is the Spicy Ethiopian Stew. This stew was found at prior Festivals in the Africa Marketplace. It is an African red lentil stew that’s vegetarian and served with quinoa and yogurt toppings. When I give this one a try, I’ll be leaving out the cayenne pepper since I’m not a fan of spicy things. Take a look!

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Next up is the Pork Goulash Pierogi. Poland isn’t one of the World Showcase countries, but it’s been a part of the Festival with a marketplace since 1996, and there’s always been pierogi on the menu as it’s a big hit with guests. This newer version is stuffed with sauerkraut and served with a rich pork goulash; take a peek!

Pork Goulash Pierogi
Serves 6 to 8

Pork Goulash

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 2 pounds pork butt, diced, exterior pieces of fat trimmed
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups sauerkraut, thoroughly drained

Sauerkraut Pierogi

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water or chicken stock
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups sauerkraut, thoroughly drained
• 2 tablespoons butter

For pork goulash:

1. Heat canola oil in large braising pan over medium high heat. Add onions and caramelize until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Season diced pork with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon paprika.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and seasoned pork to onions. Sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add bay leaves, caraway seeds, pepper flakes and remaining paprika. Sauté until meat begins to brown.
5. Add tomato paste and stir until all ingredients are well coated. Dust mixture with flour and stir. Add chicken stock and stir. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
6. Add sauerkraut and continue to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally and adding water or chicken stock if mixture needs to be thinned. Goulash should be thick but more sauce-like in consistency. Remove bay leaves.
7. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside until serving.

For sauerkraut pierogi:

1. Combine flour and salt in large bowl of standing mixer. Blend on low speed using bread hook attachment.
2. Add chicken stock, eggs and butter. Mix on medium speed until dough forms into ball. Add a bit of water or flour as needed. (Dough can also be made in large food processor.) Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. On lightly floured surface, roll one portion of dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into individual pierogi with floured 3-inch to 4-inch biscuit cutter or mold.
4. Place 1 full tablespoon of drained sauerkraut in center of pierogi. Do not overfill. Moisten edge of half with water and fold over, pressing edges together to form seal. Repeat step with remaining dough and sauerkraut, keeping pierogi covered with damp towel while assembling others.
5. In large pot, bring 2 quarts salted water to boil. Reduce to simmer.
6. Working in batches, cook pierogi for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they surface. Remove from water with slotted spoon and place on tray or plate to dry.
7. Melt butter in large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat until butter just begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium and add pierogi to pan (number depends on size of pan/skillet). Cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan and keep warm until all are cooked, adding more butter if needed.

To serve:

1. Reheat pork goulash to sauce consistency, adding liquid (water, chicken stock, or red wine) to thin if necessary.
2. Place 3 to 4 cooked pierogi on serving plates and top with goulash. Serve immediately.

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If you ask me, no meal is complete without dessert and this one is a doozy! It actually reminds me of a Disney Cruise Line recipe Deni shared in one of her recent Saturday Snacks columns. Her recipe was for the Chocolate Soufflé that is served at Palo, and the one I’m going to share from the Food and Wine Festival is similar, but it has Kerrygold Irish Cream in it – YUM!

Warm Chocolate Pudding with Kerrygold® Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
Serves 6

Kerrygold® Custard Sauce

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Kerrygold® Irish cream liqueur

Warm Chocolate Pudding

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 5 egg yolks
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

For Kerrygold® custard sauce:

1. Whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and half of the sugar in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the milk and the remaining sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk and sugar into the egg yolks, whisking the egg yolks constantly to temper.
4. Pour back into saucepan.
5. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, until custard thickens.
6. Once thickened, pour custard into a medium bowl set in an ice bath.
7. Whisk in Irish cream liqueur and cool while warm chocolate pudding is baking.

For warm chocolate pudding:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of 6 (6 ounce) ramekins. Lightly dust with sugar, shaking out any extra sugar.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or heat proof bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat egg yolks and whole eggs together in a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk for 2 minutes, until sugar is fully incorporated.
5. Fold in melted chocolate.
6. Fold in sifted flour, mixing until smooth.
7. Evenly divide among prepared ramekins.
8. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake 23-25 minutes, until the sides of the cake are set and the middle is still soft. Do not overbake.
9. Cut around the sides of the cake with a knife to loosen from the ramekins. Invert onto a plate.
10. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of custard sauce on top of warm pudding before serving.

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Are you as anxious as I am for details about the Food and Wine Festival this year? Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer.

If you give any of these recipes a try in your own kitchen, please come back and let me know how it turned out in the comments section below!

Source: Disney Parks Blog