Dubrovnik Rožata‎

Mark, known as the Englishman in Dubrovnik is sharing with you a very traditional dessert from his adopted hometown, Dubrovnik. It’s fairly similar to crème caramel custard, and is particularly popular in the warmer summer months. Perfect for you readers in the southern hemisphere.

Mark tells me, that this dessert he is sharing with you got it’s name from a Dubrovnik liquor made from roses, which was originally used to flavour this flan like dessert. Rozata can be found on almost every menu in Dubrovnik restaurants.

Ingredients for four people (allow 1 hour from start to finish)

•     6 eggs
•     6 tablespoons of sugar
•     500 ml of milk
•     2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar
•     Grated zest of 1 lemon
•     2 tablespoons of rum
•     Caramel sauce – 8 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation

Caramel

    Firstly to make the caramel sauce add the 8 tablespoons of sugar into a pan and then place on low heat until it dissolves. Then turn up the heat until the sugar syrup takes on a golden brown colour. Do not mix the sugar during this process.
    Remove the pan from the heat and carefully spread the caramel into the ceramic serving bowls. This must be done fairly quickly as the caramel will harden very quickly…believe me! Then turn the serving bowls upside down so that the caramel slowly covers the sides and leave to cool.

Rozata

    Preheat the oven to 150°C or 300°F.
    Warm the milk in a bowl and slowly add the sugar until it dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
    Next whisk the eggs together with the two teaspoons of vanilla sugar. It’s better to use a fork or hand whisk for this as you don’t want the eggs to foam.
    Add the lemon zest and rum and gently mix.
    Now pour the milk into the mixture and slowly stir until everything is combined together.
    Pour the resulting mixture slowly through a sieve and then into the ceramic serving bowls with the caramel.
    Place the serving bowls into a deep baking tray and then add hot water to about 2/3 the height of the ceramic serving bowls.
    Bake for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the bowls from the hot water and leave them to cool to room temperature.
    Cover the ceramic bowls with cling film and place in the refrigerator to fully chill.

When ready to serve turn the bowls upside down, the caramel sauce with flow over the Dubrovnik Rožata‎

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-expat-eats-rozata/

Orahnjača – walnut roll

I’ve eaten many walnut roll slices  – far too many. And now I have this walnut roll recipe in my Croatian cooking bag of tricks, thanks to a dear reader who kindly shared it with me, I fear I may eat many, many more….
Often served at Christmas time, but also just great on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea this walnut roll recipe is easy to make.

Walnut roll recipe

The dough

In a large mixing bowl place 1 cup of warm milk. Add 1 pkg of vanilla sugar. Add 1 tablespoon dry yeast. Let it do its thing for 10 minutes. Add 1 large egg. Add 1 tsp salt. Add 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Add the zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp rum. Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add 1.5 cups of white flour. Beat two minutes at medium speed with paddle beater. Change to a dough hook and slowly add in another 2 cups of flour.  Add the flour slowly until it pulls away from the bowl – if you need less, don’t add it all. Continue mixing for 2 more minutes. The dough will be tough but smooth. Place the dough in warm bowl, massage with 1 tsp of warm butter over dough, cover with plastic wrap a let it rise 1 to 1.5 hours until it doubles in size.

The filling

Grind 2.5 cups of walnuts. In a sauce pan warm up 1 cup of milk. Add walnuts, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp of plum jam, 1/2 a cup of raisins (optional) and zest of a lemon. Add 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Cook on low for 10 minutes until the milk is incorporated into walnuts (watch that the milk does not burn) – the mix should be thick like porridge. Add 1 tbsp rum and 2 tbsp butter. Place in large soup bowl and cool in fridge. Tip: It’s easier to spread if it’s cool.
Get ready to roll
Knock down dough, which has risen. Cut in equal halves – either use a baking scale or eye ball it if you have the skills. Roll out each piece to 20 inches (50cm) by 14 inches. (35cm). Do one roll at a time. The thinner the better. Tip The dough will fight you back as it is very elastic, so be patient.


Get ready to assemble the walnut roll

Fill each roll with half of the filling, be sure to leave 1 inch (2.5cm) on the sides and two inches (5cm) on the back seam. Roll into a sausage roll going from edge closest to you – last two inches (5cm) use a pastry brush and apply an egg yolk wash. Place roll onto a 9 x 13 pan, lined with parchment paper or butter. Repeat for the second roll. Poke both rolls all over with tooth pick. Then glaze with an egg wash. Leave uncovered and allow to rise for one hour for it to double in size.

Bake

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 20 minutes uncovered and then 40 minutes covered with aluminium foil. Tip: covering the rolls prevents burning. You’ll know the rolls will be done with a hollow sound is heard when you knock the top of them. Allow the walnut roll to cool slightly in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.
Note: You can freeze the second roll. Wrap tight in both cling and aluminium foil to be sure that it does not get freezer burn.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-orahnjaca-walnut-roll-recipe/

Madarica {Layered Chocolate Slice}

This dessert is a real blast from the past for me and a real hit with all the children in our family. Back in Sydney, there was a Bakery that made Madarica the absolute best. That’s right, not even my mother could measure up to this bakeries Madarica. Anytime we had a party the Madarica was purchased and all the children would scoff it down as soon as it hit the table. We love this chocolate slice and hope you do as well.

Madarica Ingredients

Madarica Cake Layers

•     600 g all-purpose flour
•     1/2 tsp baking powder
•     2 egg whites
•     220ml cream
•     150 g sugar
•     180 g butter

Madarica Filling

•     1 Litre milk
•     140 g butter
•     200 g sugar
•     200 g chocolate
•     5 tbsp all-purpose flour
•     1 tsp vanilla extract

Madarica Glaze

•     180 g chocolate
•     3 tbsp oil
•     50 g butter

Method For Making Madarica

Filling

Cook milk with sugar and vanilla until it boils. Take out a cup of milk and whisk the flour into the milk. Slowly pour in the flour and milk mixture into the boiling milk and continue to stir. Now turn down the heat and add the chocolate stir continuously until the chocolate melts and the filling thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Put it aside and let the mixture cool. It should be completely cool before using it.

Cake Layers

    Preheat oven to 180 C.
    Now you need to make a dough. Beat butter with sugar, egg whites and cream. Add sifted flour and baking powder and knead into a dough. Separate it into five equal parts and roll it out into rectangles. I usually use a cake tin as a template so I know the size and shape that I need to roll the dough. Also I also like to roll it on baking paper that way it’s easy to transfer the dough onto the baking tray. Roll the dough as thin as possible and place it on a baking tray ready for cooking.
    Bake layers one by one, each for 8-9 minutes. You want the layers to stay light in colour. Once baked put them on a flat surface and let them cool.

Glaze

Melt the chocolate with butter and oil over simmering water. When it’s well combined its ready.

Madarica Assembly

    Now it’s time to assemble the layers of the cake. First place one layer of the of the cooked dough onto a baking tray and then spread part of the filling on the cake.  Cover with the second layer of cooked dough and repeat. You need to end with the dough layer on top you can finish with the glaze. Now pour the glaze over the cake and then refrigerate overnight.
    The next day cut into small rectangles and serve.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-recipes-madarica-layered-chocolate-slice/

Croatian Easter Bread {Sirnica}

Sirnica is a traditional Croatian sweet bread made during the Easter period. At this time of year, you can find it in most bakeries and supermarkets across Dalmatia. My Aunt’s make a wonderful Sirnica every year for us all to enjoy on Easter day, so maybe you could give this recipe a go for your family to enjoy on Easter day as well. Or if you are like Mrs. CtD, you can eat this now, even though Easter is a way off this Easter bread has made its way into the bakeries and she can’t help herself but nibble at it all day.

Ingredients: Croatian Easter Bread, Sirnica

•     25 g yeast
•     3 tbsp warm milk
•     4 egg yolks
•     100 g sugar
•     1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
•     60g soft unsalted butter
•     4 tbsp sunflower oil
•     pinch of salt
•     zest of 1/2 lemon
•     zest of 1 orange
•     3 tbsp rum
•     400 g sifted all-purpose flour
•     1 1/4 cups milk
•     1 egg lightly beaten
•     3 cubes of sugar

Method: Croatian Easter Bread, Sirnica

    Place the yeast in a bowl and add the 3 tbsp of warm milk, a tsp of sugar and a tsp of flour.
    Allow the yeast to do its magic and get foamy.
    In another bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla sugar, and butter and beat until it thickens and then add the sunflower oil and gently mix to combine.
    Now add the foamy yeast mixture, lemon and orange zest, rum, salt and flour and milk and start kneading. You need to get a soft – medium dough.
    Cover the dough and allow to rise for about an hour.
    Form 4 smaller round shaped pieces of dough, place them on a baking tray and allow to rise again until they double in size. Make sure they aren’t too close together, you don’t want them touching.
    Pre-heat your oven to 160 degree’s celsius.
    Once risen, with a sharp knife make a cross-like incision on top of each of the pieces of dough and brush with the beaten egg.
    Break up the sugar cubes so they become chunky coarse pieces of sugar and sprinkle on top of each of the Sirnica’s.
    Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-easter-bread-recipe-sirnica/

Snails – Puževi

Do you like rainy days? Up until recently rain just meant staying indoors, occupying the time by cooking or playing with the baby donkey. Waiting for the sun to come out of hiding and once again shine.

Not now, now there is a silver lining to the heavens opening up. Sometimes we even pray for rain, because that’s when the snails come out of hiding! You’re wondering why we’d care about the snails? It’s to eat them, snails are a delicious meal here in Croatia….

Collection

Once the rain has been tumbling for a few hours or a day, its time to don the wet weather gear and begin the search. It’s always best to wear a pair of gumboots and a raincoat as the fields are muddy and it often starts raining again.

Once adequately dressed,  it’s time to get out into the fields and start searching for the slippery suckers. If you want to eat snails where we live you have to collect them yourself, and you have to act fast as often there are many people out hunting for them.

The hunting process isn’t for everyone, you have to bend down and rummage through the long, itchy grass and look for just one particular kind of species. There are a number of species around, so you need a keen eye and a strong back. On average it takes about 3 hours to collect enough of the right kind of snail to feed our family of 6-10 people.

Snail preparation

Once you have your bag of snails, it’s time to hang them. You can’t eat freshly caught snail straight away, which is a little torturous in some ways. Instead, you need to place all of the snails into a mesh bag and hang them in a protected area such as from the fig tree or in your garage. It’s important to let them hang for at least 10 days and no more than 3 weeks, this is to allow enough time for the snails to excrete the gunk from their insides, out.

Lets cook

Just about the time you had forget about your snail collection, it’s time to eat them. Firstly you must give the snails a good wash in cold running water. It’s best to do this a few times, you really need to be sure that the snail gunk is washed away. Once washed, the snails bounce back to life and try to escape your clutches – fortunately, they are so slow you always have time to pick them back up and plonk them back into your bucket.
Almost done

Now it’s time to throw your snails into a large pot with plenty of sea salt & fresh cold water and bring them to the boil. The snails need to boil for a good 20-30 minutes, and then they are ready to devour.

Presentation

We serve the snails on individual plates, with a few toothpicks. These toothpicks are the perfect tool to remove the flesh from the shell.  Once the fleshy goodness is removed from the shell, we dip them onto a mix of homemade vinegar & extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes with a little pepper. An asparagus and egg salad and a chunk of freshly baked bread makes this the perfect accompanying side dish.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/snails-puzevi-esscargot/

Croatian Burek

I have made burek loads of times along with many of these other Croatian recipes. Although, I have never made burek properly & never this well. I have always wondered how to make burek like a real Croatian. Burek is made here in Croatia and also in many of the ex-Yugoslavian countries plus a bunch of other parts of the world. I have heard it referred to as bourék, byurek, pita, bourekas and cheese pie, but Croatian Burek is WAY better than any pie I have ever had.

I take my hat off and bow my head to John from He Needs Food, who is sharing this recipe for burek with you and I. John’s is an ex-chef, who lives in my old hometown of Sydney, who has a website dedicated to cooking, including Croatian recipes and tales from his travels abroad. He also has the most mouth watering photos.

Burek for those of you who do not know, is filo (phyllo) pastry filled with either cheese, meat, potato, spinach, apple…. in fact almost anything. Burek is the food you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just as a snack. It’s not exactly very healthy, but on the upside if you eat a big slice of burek, it is sure to fill you.That way you can skip your next meal. I personally never skip meals as someone once told me that’s bad for you (that’s my story and I am sticking to it) so I always find room for the next meal. But that’s a good tip for those of you who can’t skip meals.

Please do not judge me, but I have always used the store bought filo pastry when I make burek. I know, I know, it’s terrible. While my cheese burek turns our great thanks to some great tips that Mr CtD’s Baba {Grandmother} shared with me, it’s not anything like the REAL thing I buy every day as a hangover cure here in Croatia.

The thought of making the filo pastry from scratch always seemed so impossible. Many Croats I know kept telling me just how teško {hard} it is to make – so, needless to say, I avoided even trying it. But then, I stumbled upon John and his easy peasy way to make the filo pastry. Okay, it’s not as easy as unwrapping the store bought pastry, but he makes it look and sound so much better than that.  As with all of the Croatian recipes I share, there are a gazillion ways to make the same thing, but this one to me is a standout! I told John that I was scared to make the filo pastry he said that;

    Stretching the pastry is not only fun, but far from scary. You just need to be gentle!

Now I just need Mr CtD to come home from work so we can try this out for ourselves, but because there are still two weeks till that happens, I could not wait to share this with you.


What You Need For The Burek Dough Recipe (makes 2)

•     500 g plain flour
•     One tsp salt
•     300 ml water (approx)
•     vegetable oil

What You Need For The Cheese Burek Recipe

•     200g cottage cheese
•     50g fetta cheese, crumbled
•     1 lightly beaten egg
•     vegetable oil

Prepare your filling by placing both cheeses into a mixing bowl and stir through the beaten egg.
Chesse Burek | Travel Croatia Guide


 What You Need For The Meat Burek Recipe

•     1 tbsp oil
•     1 small onion (8o g) finely diced
•     250 g beef mince
•     1 small potato (80 g) diced to 5 mm pieces, blanched for 1 minute in boiling water, drained
•     1 clove garlic, finely grated
•     ½ tsp rosemary, finely chopped
•     ½ tbsp smoked paprika
•     ½ tbsp Vegeta, or salt

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft. Add the beef mince and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the potato, garlic, rosemary and paprika and keep mixing until the beef is cooked all the way through. Season with the Vegeta, or salt. Place the meat mixture into a fine sieve and set it over a large bowl or the sink, to allow any liquids to drain. Gently press it down with the back of a large spoon to speed up the draining. The mixture needs to be dry and completely cooled. Assemble and bake in the same way as the cheese burek.

Get Ready to Stretch – How to Make Burek Dough

    Preheat the oven to 200°C.
    Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the water a little at a time, mixing with your hand, until the dough comes together. You may not need all of the water.
    Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until soft and elastic. Divide into four and flatten to about 2½ cm or an inch.
    Take a bowl big enough to hold all four pieces of dough when you stack them on top of one another (I used a small saucepan).
    Pour a little vegetable oil into the bowl, place one piece of pastry into it, pour a little more oil over  it and repeat until all four are in the bowl. Pour enough vegetable oil over the top to virtually cover the stack of dough.
    Set aside for half an hour while you make the cheese or meat filling. If you have found Croatian cooking a little tricky, use this time for a stiff drink.
    To prep the work surface you need to spread a thin layer of vegetable oil all over it, so make sure you are using something like a stone bench top or laminate. Don’t go oiling up your wooden table!
    Take one disc of pastry from the oil, scrape off the oil, then place it onto your oiled work bench. With oiled hands, flatten the disc from the inside to outside until it is about 5 mm thick.
    Because the recipe is from our friend John, he asked us to link to his blog post to get the rest of the steps to make burek so go on over here to get the last steps.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-burek-recipe/

Octopus Potato Salad

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE octopus. We are fortunate enough to have access to great Adriatic octopus from our local fisherman, in fact, they are so fresh they’re often still alive when we buy them. If you’re looking for a recipe for octopus salad, look no further.

This octopus salad recipe is absolutely delish and can be a stand alone meal or a side dish. This octopus salad is a very simple dish to prepare; the only trick is cooking the octopus. You need to cook it until it becomes tender; which can take some time. Nobody wants to eat chewy octopus – am I right? You also need to purchase a medium to large size octopus – so steer clear of baby octopus for this recipe.

Ingredients For Croatian Octopus Salad

•     2.5 kg Medium or large octopus – cleaned.
•     1.5 Kg waxy potatoes
•     1 large Spanish onion, finely sliced
•     2 cloves of garlic finely diced
•     Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•     Parsley, finely chopped
•     Salt and Pepper

How to make Croatian Octopus Salad

    Take a large pot and put your octopus and potatoes, with their skins on, inside and fill it 2/3 of the way with cold water. Add a pinch of salt to the water.
    Bring the water to the boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove the potatoes and allow to drain.
    Leave the octopus to continue to boil until it becomes tender; this can take some time, so be patient. You will need to keep checking on the octopus and may need to add more water to keep it covered in water. It will take around 45 minutes to an hour.
    Once your potatoes have cooled enough to handle them you need to remove the skins and slice the potatoes into large salad bowl. You want the potato pieces to be somewhat chunky to hold their form.
    Once the octopus is tender remove it from the water and allow to cool.
    Chop up the octopus and add to the salad bowl.
    Now add the garlic, Spanish onion and parsley and a generous amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
    Delicately mix all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Remember to taste the salad to determine how much seasoning you need.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-octopus-potato-salad/

Dalmatian style tomato sauce {Pomodori / rajčice}

In mid August in Croatia when there are way more tomatoes (Pomodori / rajčice) than you can eat in a salad. So what do you do with the excess tomatoes? How about making tomato sauce? Not like that junk you get in a Heinz bottle, but the kind you use to make pasta and pizzas.

Just like with the cabbage planting and many other things here in Privlaka, making the sauce is a family affair. The process for making the sauce is fairly simple, but it does take some time, so it’s best enjoyed with cherry rakija (a cherry infused grappa) and a few slices of cheese from the island of Pag, just like we did.

Preparing the tomatoes

Step 1 – Pick off the vine the most ripe tomatoes. Leave behind any tomatoes which have fallen on the ground – these are no good to use.

I didn’t do this job; I did not wake up early enough.

Step 2 – Wash each tomato to ensure that any dirt and dust has been removed.

Again, not this expat. This time I blame Vladimir, he was too busy playing with them, and I was supervising.
expat cooking tomatoes red summer garden

Step 3 – Blanch the tomatoes in batches, making sure that you leave them long enough so that the skin can be peeled off. Edit: Tinica, commented below that you should mark 2 small crosses on one end of the tomatoes before blanching. it makes for easy peeling.

Ta-da, this one I helped with. I felt a bit like a school kid in my home economics class. The teacher was watching me, and even though I am totally capable of putting a tomato in a pot of hot water. I felt like I would make a mistake. Phew, no errors.

expat cooking blanch tomatoes for salsa

Step 4 – Take a small knife and peel off all of skin on each one.

Yay, me again – I’m earning some serious expat cred now. This one I was not perfect at. For some reason more meaty goodness stuck to my skin that that of my Teta (Aunty) sitting next to me. I know that she has 50+ years experience of doing this, but I wanted to make her proud.
expat vladimir with red tomatoes

Step 5 – Make several incisions in the fruit, while keeping it whole. Using your thumb remove the seeds and squeeze the majority of the tomato juice out.

Booooom, me again. Except this time, I had to keep asking the professional in the family if I was doing okay. She nodded every time, commenting odlično, meaning excellent. But I have to say; I really did not believe her one bit. Hers looked so much better than mine, so I guess what she meant was “great, given that this is your first time, and luckily we have loads more tomatoes and need your help”

Step 6 – Dice into thumbnail size pieces. Set aside, and now make your sauce base.

By this stage my hands were red, and itchy. I stepped back to admire my newfound skill, whilst sipping on my cherry rakija.

expat cooking squeeze tomatoes for salsa

Now to make the sauce.

Step 1 – Peel and dice a few onions, and fry off in some extra virgin olive oil.

Step 2 – Peel and dice a few carrots, dice several peppers/paprikas, and slice up several eggplants and add to the onions. Continue to fry until the onions are translucent and the eggplant has softened.

Step 3 – Add in the prepared tomatoes, and simmer for approx. 2 hours. Shake the pot every few mins.
expat cooking tomoato sauce dalmatian cooking

So far approx 6 batches have been made
expat cooking tomoato sauce dalmatian cooking

The freezer is FULL

Step 4 – Package into freezer containers, so you can enjoy for the next year.

    It’s the small things, but learning how to  do things like make tomato sauce or planting cabbages really makes us feel like such locals, and no the expats we are. Even though we are still such city slickers, I feel it’s a great start. You gotta start somewhere…right?

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/when-expats-make-dalmatian-tomato-sauce/

Croatian Stuffed Peppers {Punjene Paprike}

Get stuffed… whoops I mean get stuffing. There are  loads of stuffed vegetables that you’ll see dished up here in Croatia. Today you’re being served stuffed peppers or for my Aussie readers, stuffed capsicums.

Stuffed Peppers, are called Punjene Paprike in Croatian.

Stuffed Peppers are a hearty dish, of mince meat & rice. Typically served with mashed potato or sometimes rice.

    You’ll find stuffed peppers on offer in Croatia as soon as the peppers are ripe.

In our case, the vegetable garden politely made some available for picking early July.

Every Croatian I know has their own variation on this recipe, and they, of course, all claim that their way is the best way to makes them. Also, I have come to notice of my years of being in a Croat family that, people have different ways of eating them. Here are the 3 ways that I have identified.
Scoop

Scoop out the stuffing & leave behind the pepper. This to me is such a waste as the pepper becomes so soft and sweet during the cooking process.
Slice

You can slice the Pepper into sections as I do, taking turns to add some mashed potato and sauce with each mouthful.
Mash

The most popular way I have seen stuffed peppers eaten is to mash the entire plate, peppers, potatoes, sauce and all into a mushy mess. This way you can shovel the contents much more quickly into your mouth.

Have I missed a way to eat them? Let me know in the comments section below.
expat cooking stuffed peppers

I first made stuffed peppers after my Mother-in-Law gave me a cookbook of Croatian Cooking for Christmas, and over the years I have added to and changed up the recipe to my taste.
If you’re going to make them, here are some tips in advance from my kitchen to yours:

    These are even better to eat after a few hours or even the next day. I suggest you make these up on a Sunday & then you can enjoy them after a hard day at the office.
    If you’re like me and love the flavour of smoked bones, throw some into the pot when you pour in the sauce.
    Ask your butcher to freshly mince your meat for you – you’ll really taste the difference.
    Use a mix of yellow, red or green capsicums. It always looks so nice to see the different colours on the plate.
    Dig out from the back of your cupboard the largest saucepan you can find. If you don’t have one I suggest you borrow one from your neighbour. In return offer them a pepper & you’ll be friends for life. The wider the pot, the better. That way you won’t need to pile them on top of one another and they’ll be less likely to split and break.

Here is my recipe:

Take 8-10 medium sized peppers, and carefully cut out the top and set aside the as you’ll use this as a lid for the pepper later. Scoop out the insides and be sure to remove all of the seeds and any stringy pieces. Wash the lids and peppers and allow them to dry upside down on paper towel while you make the stuffing.

To make the stuffing, add the following ingredients to a large bowl and use your hands to lightly mix until combined. Make sure the bowl is big enough for you to be able to use your hands to mix it well without spilling it all over the floor (trust me, it happens).

•     1kg of minced meat. I prefer 1/2 veal and 1/2 beef
•     A generous pinch of salt and as much pepper as you like
•     1 tablespoon of smoked ground paprika
•     1 tablespoon of hot ground paprika (optional)
•     1 tablespoon of mixed dried herbs (optional)
•     1 cup of uncooked rice
•     1 egg
•     2 tablespoons of soda water or a pinch of bicarbonate soda
•     2 large cloves of chopped fresh garlic
•     1/2 cup of freshly chopped parsley (I sometimes finely dice up the smaller stems too)
•     200 grams of any finely diced speck. You can cut this back if you do not like too much of a smokey flavour.

Flip the peppers over and fill them with the stuffing until they are almost full. But do not over fill them. The rice expands during cooking and they’ll burst leaving you a hideous mess in your saucepan. Leave the lids off for the moment.

Arrange the stuffed peppers in the saucepan. It’s better if they are gently packed in so they don’t flip over & don’t squeeze them in so tight, as they’ll bust open when they expand. This may take you several minutes to do, but trust me it is well worth it at the end when your peppers are not split open.

Add in 2 bay leaves and a stick of celery. No need to chop this, as it’s just for flavour. Set aside, while you make the sauce.

In a separate saucepan on medium heat add

•     4 tablespoons of olive oil

    And fry 1 finely diced medium onion

Once onions are transparent, add in

•     2 tablespoons of flour and fry until light brown.

Add into the pan

•     2 tablespoons of tomato paste
•     2 litres of homemade stock (or water) along with a
•     Pinch of Vegeta and add salt & pepper to your taste

Stir continuously, until the sauce comes to the boil. Turn off and slowly pour over your peppers. Be sure to pour the sauce over each pepper as well as around each one. The sauce should cover the peppers. If it doesn’t, and this can happen, just add in a little more stock or water. If you are adding in smoked bones, pop them in now.

Place the top of the pepper back on, it acts like a mini lid. If you didn’t keep it, it’s okay, nothing bad will happen.

Shake the saucepan just a little, you want to be sure that the sauce is evenly spread. Bring to the boil, and then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for approx 2 hours, occasionally shaking the saucepan. This is important to keep the sauce evenly spread and to stop the peppers from sticking & burning. Add in more water as they cook if you need.

Once ready, allow them to cool a little. They’ll taste better if you can resist the temptation. Serve with mashed potato or rice – and if you don’t manage to eat them all in one sitting, you can keep these in the refrigerator for a few days. I can’t say how many days, as they never last that long in my house.


Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-stuffed-peppers-punjene-paprike/

Grilled fish {Riba sa žara}

This has got to be the most eaten food at our house here in Privlaka. It’s easy (no, really it is), healthy and tasty. It has the least amount of ingredients of any food that we cook, and brings the biggest smiles, from all that eat it.

Tips from our kitchen to yours

    Salt and oil. These are the two critical ingredients in making sure your grilled fish is tasty! In our Croatian village, nothing else is used, when grilling fish. And it’s got to be sea salt and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). We only eat fish on the day it has been caught, and how can you improve the flavour of a freshly caught fish?
    Select a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Try to buy local to where you are. Support your local farmers and then you also know it’s fresh.
    Buy and use only the best sea salt. We’re fortunate to live next door to Nin, which is known for great sea salt, but you can get lots in your local supermarket.

Croatian Cooking Baste with EVOO

Only use good quality EVOO when grilling fish

Choose your fish

You want to make sure each fish is no larger than plate size, and will hold well while being grilled. In Croatia we use, sardines or brancine and while living in Australia we often used silver bream, or snapper. If you’re unsure of what fish to use, I suggest you ask your fishmonger for some suggestions.

Scale and gut your fish

Leave the head on, and if you’ve had your fishmonger clean it for you, then be sure to just double check they scaled the entire fish. Especially those sections of around the head and tail. Nobody wants to be spitting out fish scales, during lunch!
Salt your fish

Be sure to salt each fish individually, inside and out.

Oil

Select your favourite EVOO, and lather your fishies in the oil. Do not be shy, or else your fish will stick to the grill.

Heat up the grill

We use a metal grill as shown in the photo below. Be sure to allow your grill to heat up over the burning wood. You want the grill to be super hot.
croatian cooking fire beer Ispod cripnje

It’s always a great idea to have a drink while waiting for the fire.

Lets Grill

Once the wood on your open grill has burned down to embers, lay down the fish. As they grill, brush over small amounts of the EVOO onto the fish.

When is the fish ready?

You only need to flip the fish one time.  If you turn the fish over too early the fish will stick. Flip them over too late and the fish will burn! As a rough guide, you want to cook the fish till it’s a golden brown. As for how many minutes this is, is very hard to say. It depends on the size of the fish & the intensity of embers. The fish below took about 7-10 minutes to be cooked. Honestly learning this part takes a few attempts until you get it 100% right.

Once the fish is done, drizzle with some fresh EVOO, and you’re ready to eat. The tastiest part is the fish cheeks, be sure to try those….

What are your tips and tricks for grilling fish? Let us know what you think in the comments section below, we’d love to learn from you.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-grilled-fish-riba-sa-zara/

Croatian Peka for vegetarians

This Expat Eats recipe comes from the Island of Vis. Well kind of…Ispod Peke or Ispod Cripnje to some translates to under the bell, and  Croatian Peka it’s one of the most fabulous ways of cooking here in Croatia. This vegetarian option is being shared with you from Craig & Xania from Wearactive.  They live on the Croatian island of Vis & offer guided activities and accommodation in their beautifully renovated old stone house.

Some time ago, I shared our secrets for cooking Ispod Peke, no huge secret to making a great Peka but rather a skill! If the veggie option does not tickle your fancy, you can see the meaty option we served up along with other recipes in our Croatian Cooking section.
Xania says

On Vis and within Dalmatia, the Croatian ‘peka’ is everyones absolute favourite dish. A peka is a slow cooked ‘under the bell’ baked dish. The dish is prepared usually about 4 hours in advance and traditionally on Vis you will be offered lamb, fish or octopus. Because at Wearactive we provide vegetarian food for our guests, Rokis, a fantastic Vis restaurant created a veggie peka.

Oliver Roki, the owner always serves it with a huge grin, shake of the head and a passing comment about the missing flesh. We love it though and our veggie guests really enjoy a slightly adapted Dalmatian dish. Our guests that are not veggie usually come from the restaurant raving about the tasty fish and super succulent lamb!
Ispod Peka - Chasing the Donkey #Croatia

Meat or Veggie for you?

Ingredients

Veggie Croatian peka serves 4

•     2 quartered onions
•     1kg quartered potatoes,
•     3 chopped carrots
•     5 chopped garlic cloves
•     1 chopped aubergine/eggplant,
•     1 chopped courgette/zucchini
•     4 chopped tomatoes
•     drained tin of chickpeas
•     100ml white wine
•     Olive oil
•     Seasoning and a handful of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Method

Oil the circular baking dish, add potatoes, onions and carrots, garlic and some salt and pepper. Add half of the wine and a good splash of oil. Make the fire and pre heat both sides of the ‘Peka’ (Croatian cast Iron bell) Put the baking dish inside and cover with the Peka. Add charcoal both below and above the Peka. After 1 hour add the other vegetables, chickpeas and the rest of the wine. Add more charcoal on top of Peka and cook until ready, about 45 mins. Just before serving add a handful of chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    Serve hot with bread and a strong Red wine! We always eat the Peka with Rokis Plavac, a Vis island wine.

If you want to enjoy this dish, along with kayaking, swimming  & snorkeling on the Island of Vis, talk to Xania & Craig on their Wearactive website or Twitter and book in for some time out with them. We’d love to take the Baby Donkey over to see them this year, so we may see you there.

If you want to see what life on Vis is like, Zora their dog has this to show you…

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-peka/

Sarma {Stuffed Cabbage Rolls}

What is the recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls? That’s the question that so many of my friends and family ask. These tasty Croatian cabbage rolls are known as Sarma.

Back in Sydney, the King of Croatian Sarma in our family is Tetak Zeljko {Uncle} and he is absolutely famous for his Sarma recipe. Tetak Zeljko always brings a huge pot of sarma to each big family gathering, and the house immediately smells of sauerkraut {kiseli kapus}. To some people, the smell is offensive, but I love it.

This Aussie girl, also makes sarma, and has done for over ten years. My Croatian sarma have never been as good as Tetak’s, although he has been kind enough to give me some tips. However, he has never given me HIS actual recipe. I guess he doesn’t want to give up the throne just yet. Frankly I do not blame him because this way he gets all of the glory for having the best stuffed cabbage roll recipe in Sydney.

Now that I am no longer in Australia, I find that people here are not only much more willing to share their tips, but they love to impart their knowledge on recipes that have been in their families for generations. When it comes to making Croatian food, I am blessed that I have so many teachers.

A few weeks ago I spent some time asking different members of our family for their stuffed cabbage roll recipes.  From that, I have a few new tips that are sure to get me closer to having the perfect stuffed cabbage roll recipe. I’ve pinched the best bits from them to enhance my own recipe. After all, all good cooks would agree that it’s nice to find out how someone else cooks a recipe so you can improve your own.

I’ve taken my old faithful, blended it with the Croatian family recipe and a few tips that I have been given along the way and now it’s my turn to share with you how to make sarma. I hope you like it.
How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Sarma are easy to make but do take a bit of time to prepare and cook. So I’ve some up with the easy stuffed cabbage rolls recipe to reduce the time it will take you.

You’ll need to start this at least 3 hours from the time you want to eat them. Once cooked they taste better the longer they are left, so you can make them the day before. Anything listed as optional is to taste, so do add more or less of the flavours you like.  Mr. CtD and I prefer a lot of paprika and smoked meat to our dishes, so you can cut back on any of these and still have a delicious tasting dish.

Sarma Recipe

Preparation

Take a entire pickled cabbage head. You’ll find these on Amazon or in European delicatessens in the chilled section.  Wash each leaf thoroughly. Remove the thick part of the stem without tearing the leaves. It’s best to allow the leaves to drain on some paper towel or to pat each one dry.

Take a large mixing bowl, and combine:

•     1 kilogram of mince meat. We prefer to use 50% pork neck and 50%veal.
•     200 grams of finely diced speck.
•     4 peeled & crushed garlic cloves
•     1/2 bunch roughly chopped parsley leaves
•     3 tablespoons of soda water or a pinch of bicarbonate soda
•     1 cup of uncooked rice
•     1 1/2 tablespoons Vegeta
•     1 tablespoons of hot paprika. (optional)
•     1 tablespoons of sweet paprika. (optional)
•     2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs (optional)
•     Salt & pepper to taste
•     1 egg
•     1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all of the ingredients until well combined

Let’s Roll

You want each of the leaves to be about the same size so that each cabbage roll cooks at the same time. So go ahead and cut any large leaves in half, and also join two smaller leaves together as you go.

Take approx 3 tablespoons of the minced meat, and gently combine in the palm of your hand. Do not roll or compress as this will make them too dense when you eat them.

Place the meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf and roll away from you. Then tuck in the sides of the leaf gently into the meat. There should be no exposed meat. If there is remove some of the filling.

Set these aside, and prepare the sauce.

Sauce

Ingredients

•     2 onions
•     3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•     100 grams diced smoked speck (pancetta) or smoked bones
•     1/2 bunch chopped parsley
•     2 carrots diced small
•     400 g passata
•     1/2 kilo shredded sauerkraut. make sure you give it a rinse in fresh water before use.
•     salt
•     pepper

In a shallow saucepan or even better, a Le Creuset cast-Iron dish splash in some Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO) add the 2 diced onions and cook until transparent on a low-med heat. Then add the 2 diced carrots, diced speck and parsley. Continue to fry on low-med heat until carrots start to soften.  Add the shredded sauerkraut and create a layer on the bottom of the saucepan. Now pack the Croatian sarma into the saucepan. They should be packed close together. Now pour in boiling water so that it just covers the sarma. Add the passata and a pinch of salt and pepper. Every 15 minutes give the saucepan a shake. Tip: Never mix with a spoon as you will break the sarma.

The sarma should simmer now for 2-2 1/2 hours. The way to test if it’s ready is to take one out and try it. The cabbage should have softened.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-stuffed-cabbages-sarma-recipe/

Fuži

Get your plate, fork and appetite ready. We’re heading north, actually north-west to Istria where the food is oh oh oh so tasty.

When you think of Croatia, you’ll be forgiven if you only think of beaches along those one thousand out of this world islands. Yet there is a part of Croatia that you should visit while you’re in the land of the red, white and blue. It’s known as Istria.

In Istria you’ll find medieval hilltop towns, which some describe as being like the ‘new Tuscany’, an array of food festivals and some of Croatis’s best olive oil, wine and the famous white truffle.

It is here that you’ll find Fuži {fooh-shee}. A type of pasta that at a cursory glance appears to be penne – it’s not. Look closer and you’ll see it a slight difference.  When these hand rolled pieces of pasta are served with the local speciality of white truffles, you think you’ve died and gone to food heaven. Matched with an Istrian wine, fuži is the must try dish while in Istria – especially if it they shave a white truffle over it.

How are they made? Imagine a workshop of a a bunch of little old ladies (or my husband) rolling out the dough into thin sheets, which are then cut into four or five centimetres strips. A few more cuts are made to to get a stack of diamond shapes. The two ends of the diamond are then folded over each and pressed together.

Simple fuži & white truffles

Ingredients

•     100 grams of white truffle
•     5 drops of white truffle olive oil
•     200g single cream
•     350 grams of  fuži
•     100 grams of butter
•     salt & pepper to taste
•     Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

    On a low heat, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add in the cream, season it with salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes.
    Boil water in the separate pot and cook fuži until al dente.
    Drain the fuži, add them into the cooked sauce until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
    Plate up the fuži, add the white truffle olive oil,  shaved parmesan cheese and truffles on top

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/fuzi/

Black Risotto Recipe {Crni rižot}

This black risotto recipe known as crni rižot in Croatian is fantastic, if you like seafood. This dish has an intense seafood flavour and smell. It’s certainly not for those who don’t absolutely love seafood! Influenced by our Italian neighbours (and rulers for many years) this dish is best made al-dente!

This black, almost-scary looking dish can be found all over Croatia, but it traditionally comes from the coastal areas of Croatia. In my opinion nobody prepares crni rižot better than your typical Dalmatian Konoba – a small family run restaurant or in my mother-in-laws kitchen.

My mother-in-law makes this risotto so black. So fishy, with huge chunks of cuttlefish, way more than is needed. Here is her abbreviated recipe for to you enjoy.

Note: The photo pictured has just a little ink, and is served with octopus on top instead  – as I can’t take a decent enough photo worth sharing. BUT you can see a fabulous photo shared here on Flickr as to what the final product should look like.

We love sharing Croatian cooking recipes – if you have one you’d like to share please let me know.

Black risotto recipe ingredients

•     1.2 kilograms of  cuttlefish & calamari (the more cuttlefish the better)
•     3 litres water (you may need more)
•     60 grams of unpeeled prawns
•     1.5 large onions diced
•     1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
•     2-3 cloves of garlic, diced small
•     1/2 cups of white wine
•     1 1/2 cups of white rice (carnaroli is best)
•     Salt, pepper to taste’
•     1-2 tbsp vegeta
•     50 g butter
•     3 tbsp chopped parsley

Black risotto method

    Remove and save the sack of ink from one calamari without breaking it
    Clean the calamari and cuttlefish and cut into small pieces
    Place the calamari, cuttlefish and prawns (leave them in their shells) into a saucepan, pour water over them and bring to the boil
    Drain the seafood and keep warm. DO NOT DISCARD THE STOCK. Peel the prawns
    Fry onions in olive oil until transparent
    Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
    Add the wine and half of the stock and allow to boil
    Add rice.
    Season with salt, pepper and vegeta, cook for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring from time to time.
    Add the rest of the stock, prawns, ink, calamari and cuttlefish
    Cook for 10-15 minutes on a low heat or until the rice is cooked
    Add more water if needed
    Be sure not to overcook the rice. It should remain firm and not gooey
    Mix in  the butter and  sprinkle with parsley and serve

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-black-risotto-recipe-crni-rizot/

Aunty Vinka’s Rabbit Stew

Recently, over our Sunday family lunch we got talking about rabbit. My cousin who lives in the nearby town of Zaton, has been stalking a rabbit that likes to come out at night onto his street. He proceeded to tell me he has accidentally hit several wild rabbits with his car over the years due to the proximity of his house to the woods where they live. Waste not want not, he collected them and brought them home to the family! I know it sounds a little Beverley Hillbilly’s but trust me they only take critters they hit themselves!

Surprisingly, most of my immediate family here won’t eat Rabbit. I have to say I was quite shocked to hear this. Why not, I thought to myself! Its not logical to me that they eat snails (both sea and land), various internal organs of animals, cuttlefish eggs and fish eyes but rabbit is a turn off! It seems the fluffy little creatures are safe from the hungry bellies of my immediate family. Well some of them anyway.

A week or so after this discussion, my Tetak (Uncle) told me that his Sister offered to give us a rabbit. Her family raise a dozen or so rabbits for meat.  I jumped at the chance and a date was set.

Upon arrival to pick up my fluffy bunny, I had a good look around at the rabbits. I was quite surprised to see that all the rabbits were in large clean pens. They are fed a great diet of left over raw vegetables and grass that is picked from the field next door. It was nice to know that they have a good healthy life.

Since moving to Croatia I have been trying to immerse myself in the Croatian culture and as such whenever an opportunity arises to experience something like this, I like to get involved.

    I think its important that we have an understanding of where our food comes from and so my personal philosophy is if I’m prepared to eat it I must be prepared to at least witness it being slaughtered.

I”ll spare you the details, however, the sacrificial rabbit was selected and humanely slaughtered. Within 15 minutes the rabbit had been completely skinned, cleaned and was given to me to take home.

What did we do with the Rabbit?

My Aunt made this rabbit stew recipe, and I stole borrowed it for you.

Ingredients for rabbit stew recipe

•     1 rabbit – cut into chunks
•     2 diced onions
•     1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
•     Olive oil  to cover the bottom of a heavy stew pot
•     2 diced carrots
•     1/2 tbsp chopped fine fresh rosemary
•     3 fresh whole bay leaves (use dried if you have to)
•     1/3 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (use dried if you have to)
•     1 litre white wine
•     50 grams tomato paste
•     Salt & pepper to taste
•     3 chopped cloves garlic

Preparation

The dish is cooked on low heat and will take about 2 hours.

    Add oil to the bottom of the pot and add garlic and onion
    When the garlic and onion start to change colour add in carrots and cook for a couple of minutes
    Add the rabbit and allow it to cook on low heat until juices start to be released (around 15minutes). Ensure you mix occasionally to stop it from sticking
    Toss in all of the herbs, tomato paste and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix
    After several minutes pour in  1 litre of white wine. Dry white wine is preferable.
    Allow to cook on a low heat, remember to mix occasionally to prevent it burning & sticking for around 2 hours. The white wine needs to reduce by about 80%. This bit can be a little tricky so keep an eye on the dish and add water if you need to.

Serve with polenta, mashed potato or gnocchi. Be sure to shave some parmesan cheese into the polenta for extra zing!


Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-rabbit-stew/

Zagorski Štrukli {Zagorje Cheese Strukli}

Oh man, I am so excited to get a copy of this recipe. I first ate this when I was staying in Maria Bistrica (the most spiritual place in Croatia) and spent the day tasting wines and eating Zagorski Štrukli at Vuglec Breg Winery and LOVED it.

Zagorski Štrukli is a traditional dish served across Hrvatsko Zagorje and Zagreb and now, thanks to Robert Jerin, who runs a fabulous page about Croatian Heritage & Genealogy I get to share this recipe with you and trust me when I say, it’s very filling!!


How to make Zagorski Štrukli

Serves 8 to 10

What you need to make Zagorski Štrukli

•     5 & a 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour
•     5 eggs
•     200 mls of water
•     One tablespoon cooking oil
•     Two pinches of salt
•     2 1/2 pounds dry curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
•     1 cup of melted butter
•     4 cups heavy cream

Making Zagorski Štrukli

    In a large mixing bowl make a dough. Mix the flour, one egg, oil, a pinch of salt and a small amount water together. Knead the dough, either in the bowl or floured surface, until bubbles start to form, and the dough becomes smooth.
    Shape the dough into a ball. Coat the surface with cooking spray, cover with a clean dishtowel and let stand about 15 minutes.
    While the dough is resting, make the filling: Mix the cheese with the remaining four eggs in a new mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
    Sprinkle onto a bigger work surface such as a kitchen table with flour.
    Roll out the dough to paper-thin thickness.
    Then, spread out the cheese mixture evenly over dough.
    Brush the dough with 1/2 cup melted butter.
    Roll up, jelly-roll fashion. This will show you what kind of roll that is
    Cut the roll into 20 pieces. The cutting is traditionally done with the rim of a plate, but you can use a knife.

Cooking the Zagorski Štrukli

    Boil the strukli in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.
    Drain and arrange on a greased ovenproof dish.
    Preheat oven to 400°. Pour the remaining 1⁄2 cup butter over the štrukle and top with cream.
    Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Want to freeze the Zagorski Štrukli? Then, just freeze štrukle after boiling them. Then when you are ready to eat them, remove them from the deep freeze, thaw slightly, and place in ovenproof dish and top with butter and cream and
then bake.
Dobar tek! Oh, and if you make these, please be sure to tell us what you thought.
Looking for more tasty Croatian Recipes:


Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-zagorski-strukli-zagorje-cheese/

Salted Cod {Bakalar}

Bakalar, as it’s known in Croatian, is a salted cod delicacy and is the must-eat traditional dish in our family for Christmas Eve. Eaten across Croatia, and in many parts of South America and Europe, this cod recipe can be adapted to suit your taste. Add more garlic if you like, or change the ratio of bakalar to potatoes that suit your family. Just remember that you’ll need to start preparing the bakalar at least three days before you want to eat this dish – so set a little reminder in your calendar now so you do not forget.

Atlantic Cod is a fish species from the Northern Atlantic and is high in essential fatty acids. It’s very popular around the world as it has a mild flavour and dense flakey white flesh.  Salted cod has been produced for over 500 years, since the time of the European discoveries of the New World. Before refrigeration, there was a need to preserve the cod; which led people to drying and salting techniques to preserve the cod. This is how the Bakalar recipe was born and generations later we are still eating it.

How to Cook Salted Cod? Salted cod recipe ingredients. Serves 4-6

•     1 dried salt cod – soak the cod in cold water for two-three days before you want to eat it. Be sure to change the water daily.
•     12 medium washed and peeled whole potatoes (add more potatoes if you have more guests)
•     Salt, pepper to taste
•     5 tbsp parsley chopped
•     4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
•     Olive oil

Salted cod recipe method

    Place the bakalar in a large bucket or tub with cold water. Change the water daily for three days
    After soaking the bakalar in water for three days, take the bakalar and beat it with a mallet. The idea is to soften it before you boil it. So give it a good red-hot bash
    Once beaten, slice in half or into thirds and place into a saucepan and cover with cold water
    Allow to boil, cook for until tender. This varies from one to two and a half hours
    Once the bakalar is tender, add the potatoes and boil until they can are soft but not falling apart
    Drain the pot, and separate the bakalar from the potatoes into two bowls
    Take the bakalar and remove all bones and as much skin as possible. Note: have a bowl of warm water handy, this process gets very sticky and I find rinsing my fingers helps
    Once cleaned, break the bakalar into small bite-sized pieces and combine it with the potatoes
    With a wooden spoon, mix the bakalar and potatoes until it’s the consistency that suits you. Our family likes to mix it until the potatoes are like mash potatoes. Other families we know use a blender while others like the potatoes much more whole
    Season with salt, pepper, parsley and garlic and stir in adding in small amounts of olive oil as you go
    Mix, plate and enjoy

There are so many variations of salted cod recipes from all around the world. This is our Croatian Bakalar recipe from our part of Croatia. Try it out and let us know if you like it.


Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-salted-cod-recipe-christmas/

Čobanac

It’s now winter, and we are cooking all those hearty meals that get you through the cold days and nights.

Not only will this traditional Croatian food sustain you all day, but more importantly it’s super delicious. Čobanac is typically prepared with three types of meat including beef, pork and anything you like (I like to throw a little game in but many others like lamb) and, of course, the essential ingredient of Slavonian cuisine PAPRIKA! After that, people tend to put whatever they like in their stew, from potatoes, onions, pancetta, carrots and various herbs. In the past this dish was cooked in a cauldron over an open fire and cooked for hours. Here is a recipe you can cook in the comfort of your home so need need to drag your cauldron out of the basement!

Ingredients: Čobanac

•     100 g smoked pancetta
•     500g beef
•     500g pork
•     500g game (venison or boar)
•     2 large onions – diced
•     3 cloves garlic
•     2 bay leaves
•     1tbs tomato paste
•     6 medium potatoes
•     salt to taste
•     pepper to taste
•     1 tbs paprika
•     1tsp hot paprika
•     200ml red wine
•     Pinch of oregano

How to Make Čobanac

    Cut all the meat so it’s in 3-4cm cubes.
    Fry the and garlic onion in a large stewing pot along with the pancetta. Once the onion starts to become translucent add 300ml of water.
    Allow to cook for 10 minutes.
    Add your meat to the pot along with the red wine and let it cook for 10 minutes and allow the meat juices to be released. Then add enough water to cover the meat and bring to the boil. Now reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for an hour.
    Now add the paprika, hot paprika, potatoes, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper and tomato paste and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.
    Your Čobanac should be now ready. Easy as that!

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-recipes-cobanac-slavonian-meat-stew/

Pasta and Bean Soup {Pašta Fažol}

Pašta Fažol (pasta and bean soup) really is a wonderful Croatian recipe that is great for the colder months of the year. You might know it as Pasta e fagioli from Italy. It’s quite hearty, tastes delicious, and because it keeps in the fridge for a few days, you can take a few days break from cooking.

Growing up, my mother would make Pašta Fažol on a regular basis, and it was always a hit in our house. I was intrigued by the seashell pasta (conchiglie) and loved the munching on the kranski sausage.

I hope you enjoy Pašta Fažol as much as I do.


Ingredients: Pasta and Bean Soup Pašta Fažol

•     400g dried white beans or red kidney beans
•     100g smoked pork bones
•     Three kranski sausages
•     5 litres of water
•     2 carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
•     2 medium potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
•     Olive oil
•     1 large onion diced
•     150g pancetta, coarsely chopped
•     1 tsp smoked paprika
•     4 cloves of garlic finely diced
•     1/4 bunch of parsley finely diced
•     1 tsp tomato paste
•     60 g pasta, I like shells but you can use any short pasta
•     salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Pasta and Bean Soup Pašta Fažol

    The night before you plan to cook this dish you need to place the kidney beans in some water to soak overnight. Soaking will rehydrate the beans and soften them.
    Place some olive oil into a pot and fry the onion and pancetta on a medium heat. As the onions start to change colour, add the strained beans along with the smoked bones and sausage.
    Fill with cold water and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes.
    Add the potatoes, carrots, garlic, parsley, tomato paste & paprika.
    Continue to cook the beans until they are soft. The time is variable based on your choice of beans.
    Add the pasta and season and cook until the pasta is ready.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-recipes-pasta-and-bean-soup-pasta-fazol/

Under the bell {Ispod čripnje}

Croatian cooking is at it’s very best with what is known as Under the lid. Is a literal translation for what we here in Croatia call ispod čripnje or ispod peke, depending on which part of Croatia you live.

Ispod čripnje is essentially is food that is cooked under extreme heat, using a terracotta lid, and burning wood embers. Ispod peke is our most favourite way of cooking, which along with this Grilled Fish requires very few ingredients and an open fire.
croatian cooking fire beer Ispod cripnje

A fire & a drink go hand in hand
What can you cook under your bell?

Just like with lots of things with Croatian cooking, you eat what is in season. Which means any number of mouthwatering meals can be prepared using this method. Favourites of ours here in the Adriatic are:

•     Seafood:  Squid, cuttlefish or octopus.
•     Meat: Veal, chicken, pork & lamb
•     Vegetables – here you’ll find a vegetarian recipe
•     Plus: bread

No matter what you choose, I have not yet seen any ispod čripnje/peke cooked without a huge serving of potatoes which are also cooked alongside the meat of choice.
Tips from our kitchen to yours

    Let me warn you up front that this type of Croatian cooking, whilst simple to prepare is tricky to master. Why? Because it’s all in the timing. Once you have placed your embers on top of your terracotta dome, it’s unlike an oven or pot, where you can peek inside. You’re blind, you can no longer see what you are cooking or if it’s ready.
    Keep some wood burning on the side, in case you need additional embers during the cooking process.
    To be able to make this dish, you need an outdoor cooking area. In Croatia, most village houses  have an out door kitchen known as a crna kuhinja {black kitchen}. But never fear in Australia we set up a make-shift one in the backyard, so you can too.


Let’s prepare

    Start your fire approximately one hour before you wish to start cooking. There are two important things to do here. In a large bowl, mix 2 kg of peeled potatoes, which have been cut into quarters lengthways. Season with Vegeta & good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
        Ensure you hang the čripnje lid/bell over the fire so it will heat up.
        Make the fire in the same spot you will place the tray of meat and potatoes. The concrete below needs to be heated up as well.
    Layer the potatoes, in a wide, yet shallow metal pan
    Season your meat with Vegeta, and coat with more EVOO and crushed garlic.
    Place the meat on top of the potatoes
    You can also arrange around the meat, seasonal vegetables, such as  onions, carrots, peppers/paprikas cut into quarters
    Throw in a few sprigs of rosemary and a bay leaf

    Whilst practicing your new skills, why not grab a bottle of your favourite Croatian wine and call your family and friends over and catch up while you wait for what’s under the lid.

Fire it up

    Place your metal pan in the cooking area, and cover with the lid/bell
    Cover the lid/bell with your wood embers, this will create a seal
    Leave it to cook. It’s usually at this point a glass of domace rakija {home made brandy} is enjoyed

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-ispod-cripnje/

Brodet {Fish Stew}

When I hear the word Brodet, my mouth starts to water. I absolutely love this classic Dalmatian dish and you will too! Brodet is a seafood stew and an important part of Croatian coastal food culture just like all seafood – hello Octopus Salad.

With Brodet, it’s crucial you select the right type of fish to get the best flavour out of the stew. The trick is to use a minimum of three types of fish, any shellfish and I also like to throw in a few crustaceans.

What is the reason for three fish I hear you ask? Having several varieties of fish is what gives the stew its incredible depth of flavour!

The types of fish to go for are reef species, in Dalmatia the number 1 fish for this is the Scorpion Fish, it definitely makes the best Brodet. Also, go for ocean perch or conger eel, but most reef fish species will do. Make sure you don’t pick something with delicate flesh as it will fall apart when cooking. I normally throw in a handful of mussels and when available those tasty little scampi. The Scampi makes the Brodet amazing – and when cooked, don’t forget to suck the head! In Dalmatia, this dish is served with Polenta which I recommend, as it’s perfect for sucking up all that beautiful brodet sauce.

Ingredients For Brodet – Serves 6

•     1.5 kg fish such as Scorpion Fish, Ocean perch, Conger Eel, Reef and Rockfish Species
•     50 ml extra virgin olive oil
•     4 Tbs white vinegar
•     Six garlic cloves, sliced
•     ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
•     3 large onion, finely chopped
•     ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
•     salt and pepper
•     600 ml water to cover fish
•     12 mussels, cleaned and debearded
•     6 scampi

Preparation For Making Brodet

    Get yourself a large heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil and fry the garlic and onion on a low to medium heat for a couple of minutes.
    Add the tomatoes and a little water and cook for around 10 minutes.
    Season the fish with salt and then add it to the saucepan and mix the fish with the garlic, onion and tomatoes.
    Add water so that it covers the fish.
    Pour in the vinegar and pepper and simmer. You want the stew just simmering.
    Allow the fish to cook for 20 minutes giving the saucepan the occasional shake. DO NOT stir as you will break the fish.
    Check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if required.
    It’s now time to put your scampi into the saucepan – throw them in one-by-one.
    After five mins, check on the progress of your fish. It should be close to being done –  however this will vary depending on the type and size of the fish. Leave the fish for as long as it needs to be cooked through.
    Approx five minutes before this fish is cooked, toss in your mussels and parsley.

Serve the brodet with creamy polenta and garnish with some parsley

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-brodet-fish-stew/

Croatian Pašticada Recipe {Dalmatian Pot Roast or beef stew}

Pasticada is is the holy grail of Dalmatian Croatian cooking, for me. Here in Dalmatia, this stewed beef dish is prepared with a very special sauce. You may know it as Dalmatinska pašticada, Dalmatian Pot Roast, or even just as beef stew but whatever you know it as, it requires long and meticulous preparation.

I feel blessed that I was given this recipe to share with you all from the award winning chef Mario Mandarić who is the the head chef at La Gitana restaurant, located on the island of Hvar. This recipe is his personal spin on the traditional recipe.

La Gitana is on my list of places to visit when it opens up in summer. It’s located located on one of the oldest, historical squares in Stari Grad. They offer a blend of traditional Dalmatian hospitality with a mix of originality, both in and out of the kitchen.

A friend of mine who visited  the restaurant when it opened last year said it’s a

    charming rustic restaurant that offers a tasty blend of spanish and traditional dalmatian cuisine.

Here is what you need for this Pasticada recipe

Ingredients

•     2 kilos; beef, top round (you can also use topside, silverside or rump) You want the back end of the cow.
•     20 grams; smoked/dried bacon
•     200 grams; onions
•     150 grams; parsley root
•     150 grams; carrot
•     50 grams; celery root
•     2 garlic cloves
•     20 grams; tomato paste
•     200ml, cooking oil or olive oil
•     Apple cider
•     10g, cloves
•     10 dried plums, diced
•     6 dried figs
•     2 apples, peeled and quartered
•     300ml, red wine
•     2 tablespoons, mustard
•     3 bay leaves
•     small bunch of thyme
•     rosemary leaves
•     cooking chocolate (75% cocoa)
•     salt
•     pepper

Directions

    Wash and wipe the meat and then insert the pieces of bacon in it using a knife. Salt as desired, spread mustard over the meat and place it in the “pajc” (a container with a mixture of the apple cider vinegar and oil enough to cover the meat). Let it marinate like this for at least 5 hours (overnight preferably).
    Brown the meat in hot oil (all sides). Remove it from the pan and quickly sauté the chopped onion, garlic and vegetables.
    Return the meat to the pan along with the red wine & simmer covered for about 2 hours. If required add small amounts of red wine mixed with water and touch of sugar (dalmatian prošek works great as a replacement for this) as the meat cooks – it needs to be tender.
    When the meat is tender, add tomato concentrate, diced prunes and figs along with the apple quarters.
    At the end of the cooking, stir in the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme &  minced cloves.
    Add pepper and a little salt, try it and, if necessary, add a little bit of cooking chocolate. Balance the flavour with a bit of red wine and plums in order to get a sweet & sour taste to your liking.
    Remove the meat, cut it into slices and place on a heated plate.
    Purée the vegetables with roast the drippings and pour it over the meat.
    Serve with gnocchi and a slice of lemon.

Gnocchi Directions

In this Pasticada recipe, Chef Mandarić makes gnocchi using a variant of an old, almost forgotten recipe from the island of Hvar. What’s special about his gnocchi us that do not contain potatoes. Which is usually the main gnocchi ingredient.

You will need:

•     2 litres of milk
•     1200g; flour (type 550)
•     60g butter, cut into small cubes
•     20 grams of ground nutmeg
•     Pinch of salt
•     A few drops of olive oil

Instructions

    Pour milk into a medium sized container and let it boil
    Add the nutmeg, salt, butter and olive oil
    When the milk boils, remove it from the heat and gently mixing with a wooden spoon, add flour.
    When you add all the flour, mix it well enough so that it all merges into a single substance similar to dough. After you achieve that, leave it for 3-4 hours to cool completely.
    Remove the dough, divide it into two or three parts, shape each of them into a roll and cut it into identical sized pieces.
    Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for 12 minutes and serve as a side dish to pašticada.

Source:

http://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-pasticada-recipe/