Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms (Czech Smazenice)

If I had to pick one dish that shows off Czech cooking in the fall, it would be the tasty mushroom scrambled eggs called Smaženice! I will break down each step of making Smaženice below so you can follow along easily.

➜ Mushroom hunting in the Czech Republic

As soon as summer starts to wind down and the first rains arrive, Czechs head into the forest to pick wild mushrooms. Mushrooming is a hugely popular Czech activity that many other nations shake their heads in wonder at.

A waterproof cloak, a wicker basket in hand, and a knife for cleaning mushrooms are the basic equipment of a mushroom picker in the forest. After hours of wading through the woods, the best reward is a basket full of mushrooms.

And once the mushroom hunter gets home and spreads the forest beauties on the table, the question arises: what to do with them?

Czechs dry mushrooms most often. Dried slices of mushrooms are great in Czech soups such as bramboracka potato soup, kulajda, or kyselo, but also in goulash and some beef stew recipes.

Another Czech dish that immediately follows mushroom hunting is scrambled eggs with mushrooms, aka smazenice!

➜ What is Czech Smazenice

Smazenice represents a dish of wild mushrooms fried in a pan with onions. Eggs are added to the sautéed mushrooms, and everything is stirred together. Smazenice is seasoned with salt, ground black pepper, and crushed caraway seeds, a typical Czech spice.

Czechs enjoy the finished dish with a slice of fresh bread as a quick hot meal at any time of the day, but most often for dinner.

➜ Pronunciation

If you're wondering how to pronounce the Czech name of the recipe "smaženice," I've recorded a short audio clip for you. I am a native speaker, so you will hear the authentic Czech language! The second word in the clip is "houbová smaženice", what means mushroom smazenice.

➜ Ingredients

To make Czech smazenice, you will need:

• Fresh mushrooms; it's clear to me that this ingredient is the hardest nut to crack. Smazenice is usually the finest when made with a variety of edible mushrooms. I'll leave it up to you to figure out which mushrooms are edible in your area. If you decide to create the dish, please visit a local mushroom grower for recommendations. In the picture with the ingredients, you can see these mushrooms (Czech names): 1x křemenáč (with red head), 1x hřib (porcini), 2x kozák, and 2x small babka.
• Onions; yellow onion
• Lard; or vegetable oil—sunflower or rapeseed (Canola oil). However, olive oil is not suitable for this recipe. Another good option for sautéed mushrooms with scrambled eggs is unsalted butter.
• Seasoning: salt, finely ground or fresh-cracked black pepper, crushed caraway seeds (learn, how to grind caraway seeds and other spices by hand). Do not confuse cumin with caraway seeds. To crush the caraway seeds, either use a mortar and pestle, if you have one, or place the caraway seeds between folded baking paper and gently tap the seeds with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
• Water; to stew the mushrooms

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ Instructions with photos

STEP 1: Clean the mushrooms with a moist cloth, and scrape the top layer off the mushroom legs with a knife. Cut the mushrooms into larger chunks, about ¾ inch in size. If you find wormy spots, put these mushroom pieces aside; they do not belong in the smazenice.

STEP 2: Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the lard or oil in a heavy nonstick skillet or a cast iron skillet (it’s what you see in the photo) over medium-high heat. Fry the onion in the pan until it starts to turn golden. Stir regularly.

STEP 3: Now add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt, and crushed caraway seeds. Cook while stirring until the mushrooms begin to sweat. It takes about 5-6 minutes. 

STEP 4: Add about three tablespoons of water, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 5 minutes.

STEP 5: Remove the lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low heat. Add the eggs, stir well and cook until they thicken. Scrape the bottom of the skillet periodically with a wooden spatula, stirring the eggs, until soft curds form. 

Don't let the eggs cook for long, so they don't dry out! The texture of the fry should be fine to creamy. Now remove the pan from the heat source, and season with pepper and salt to taste, if necessary.

➜ Serving

Our mushrooms with eggs are ready; can you smell the wonderful aroma? Now all that's left is to put the smazenice on a plate and add a slice or two of fresh rye bread.

For a better presentation, sprinkle the fried mushrooms with chopped fresh chives or parsley. Dig in while it is still warm and: Dobrou chuť!  

➜ Useful tips

• If you have any leftover smazenice, put it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it up within three days.
• While the sliced mushrooms themselves can be frozen without any problems, I do not recommend freezing the finished smazenice.
• Please always consult someone knowledgeable about the selection of edible wild mushrooms in your area. 

More tasty recipes:

• Fried cauliflower florets – Czech Smažený Květák
• Hungarian lecho
• Fried cabbage and noodles (Haluski)
• Scrambled eggs with cauliflower
• Mushroom barley casserole – Czech Houbový Kuba