Cat wedding / Kocici svatba – barley groats, peas and bacon in one pot 🥓
Summer is coming, and suddenly there are more weddings, celebrations and family gatherings around us. And every time this season starts, one Czech dish pops into my head purely because of its name: Kočičí svatba (literally “cat’s wedding”). 
No, it has nothing to do with wedding food. It’s an old countryside dish made from basic pantry ingredients: barley groats, peas, bacon, onion and garlic. Very simple, but filling and honest.
Recipe: Czech “Kočičí svatba”
Ingredients
- dried peas (soaked overnight) 300 g
- barley groats 200 g
- lard 70 g
- onion 1
- bacon 200 g
- garlic 3 cloves
- marjoram a generous handful
- ground caraway 1 tsp
- salt
- parsley (to serve)
Method
1) Cook the peas
Soak peas the day before. Drain, cover with fresh water and cook until tender. 
2) Cook the groats
Rinse barley groats, cover with water (about 2× the groats volume) and cook until tender. 
3) Fry the base
In a deep pan, heat lard, sauté chopped onion, add bacon and fry until golden. 
4) Combine
Add garlic, marjoram, caraway and salt. Stir in cooked peas and groats and warm through. Add a splash of cooking water if it feels too dry. 
5) Serve
Serve hot, topped with parsley.
Small tips
- Go easy on salt if your bacon is salty.
- Rub marjoram between your palms before adding it.
- Many people like it even more the next day.
Wherever you are, we’re happy to bring a little taste of Czech home to your table.
