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Recipe: Balkan Ćevapčići Served with Ajvar

21/06/201106/03/2017 by Charlotte J

I can’t lie, ćevapčići is probably one of my favourite finds from Eastern Europe. The ground beef sausage shaped burgers are popular across Yugoslavia and are traditionally served with flat breads, kajmak and ajvar (more of my favourites!). The kind people at Cox & Kings recently sent me a jar of ajvar (an aubergine and red pepper condiment) they picked up while in the region, so I thought it was the perfect excuse to whip up my own ćevapi. I like to add a bit of an Ottoman twist with some cumin and coriander. Find out how to recreate memories from your time in the Balkans below…

Ingredients (serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main)

500g mince beef

250g mince pork or veal

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp vegeta (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

25g plain flour

10 tbsp rapeseed oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C

Mix the mince, spices, garlic and onion together in a bowl

Form into sausage shapes

Roll each sausage in plain flour

Put in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes

Heat the oil in a griddle pan and gently fry each ćevap

Place the ćevapi in an ovenproof dish and heat in the oven for 20 minutes

Serve with flatbreads, sour cream, ajvar, and salad

Of course if you don’t live in a studio flat and have the luxury of outside space (and the sun should appear) you can always barbecue the ćevapi instead!

The ajvar was courtesy of our friends at Cox & Kings who provide fabulous tailor-made holidays all over the world including Serbia and other East European destinations.

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Ukrainian Roasted Vegetable Stack Recipe

15/09/201006/03/2017 by Charlotte J

When I was in Kiev a few years ago I went to eat at Khutorok, a paddle-boat steamer-come-restaurant. The charming decor was accompanied by even more charming staff and food. It was by far the best meal I had in Kiev. I ordered veal, wild rice and roasted vegetables. The presentation was faultless and the vegetables were impressively stacked. I remember sitting there thinking that I’d never be able to re-create that but last weekend, as part of a meal I cooked for my family, I foolishly thought I’d give it a go! Although it was a hassle, it looked amazing and I was really pleased with my achievement!

Ingredients

1 aubergine

2 courgettes

Handful of fresh thyme and rosemary (use dried if you can’t get fresh)

3 garlic cloves

150ml rapeseed oil

4 red peppers, roasted, skins removed and sliced into discs

2 white onions, sliced quite thickly

Sprinkling of paprika for presentation purposes

Instructions

Slice aubergine and courgette and place in a dish

Blend the oil together with the garlic and herbs

Drizzle oil over the aubergine and courgettes and leave to marinate for at least 3 hours

Heat a griddle pan, when hot, place the aubergine, courgettes and sliced onion in pan using marinate as oil

(Add more oil to pan if needed)

When all vegetables have a nice charred colouring across them, set aside

Put aubergines, courgettes, onion and sliced red pepper into a dish and heat in oven for 15 minutes on 180°C

Arrange vegetables on top of each other

Sprinkle paprika over the plate to decorate and serve

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Russian Fast Food: Kotletki – Russian Burger Recipe

01/06/201022/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Kotletki are Russian fast food but unlike that of the Western world, they are delicious and healthy. They can be bought from the supermarket or when out and about and in need of a quick, hot snack. But most people would make these at home. So I gave it a go and I was impressed. Lovely chunky burgers, with great texture and taste.

Ingredients

1 grated potato

1 grated white onion

300g minced pork

300g minced beef

100g white breadcrumbs

40g butter

30ml rapeseed oil

100ml smetana (sour cream)

To serve with buckwheat:

350g buckwheat

Cook as instructed and add gently-fried slithers of white onion

Instructions

Add mince, potato and onion in a bowl and mix thoroughly

Make into small balls and pat flat into burgers

Place in breadcrumbs and thoroughly coat

Heat oil and butter in frying pan

Fry burgers in pan on each side for 2 to 3 minutes

Then put lid on pan and continue cooking on a low heat for 10 minutes

Serve with buckwheat and lashings of sour cream

Chanachi po-Gruzinksi – Russian Baked Lamb Recipe

28/05/201022/10/2016 by Charlotte J

This Russian lamb one-pot recipe is a personal family favourite. It’s great to serve in individual dishes so you don’t have to worry about dishing it up. It’s very easy too. Simply a case of putting it together and cooking on a low heat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

600g roughly-diced potatoes

1 large white onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 aubergine, sliced

1 mild red chilli, chopped and deseeded

800g boneless, diced lamb

3 tbsp parsley

3 tbsp coriander

4 bay leaves

8 black peppercorns

50g butter

75 ml tomato puree

1 litre beef stock

3 tomatoes, sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius

Lightly grease individual casserole dishes with rapeseed oil

Put onion, potatoes, lamb, chilli garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander, parlsey in casserole dishes

Heat butter in pan

When melted add in tomato puree and stir

Add in beef stock and heat until simmering

Put slices of aubergine on top of each casserole dish

Pour tomato/beef stock mixture over casserole dishes

Place dishes in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes

Baste aubergine etc. on a regular basis with any left over tomato/beef stock mixture

20 minutes before the end of cooking, remove dishes from oven, top with slices of tomato

Remove from oven and serve with slices of fresh bread

Hungarian One-pot / Family Pork Porkolt Recipe

22/03/201019/10/2016 by Charlotte J

There is much more to Hungarian cooking than the stereotypical goulash, porkolt for one. Porkolt is an easy, one-pot, family dish and can be made with cubes of pork shoulder or veal. Just fry off the onion, add in the pork to seal the meat, add in the other ingredients, stir and leave to cook for a few hours on a low heat. Just serve with gnocchi or polenta. Super easy, super delicious!

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Borscht Recipe

03/02/201018/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Hot, cold, Ukrainian, Russian, there are so many arguments had over this dish it’s not even worth listing them. Ultimately, every family has their own version and this is mine. It doesn’t quite meet the standard I consumed at Chernobyl but it’s a pretty good effort. Though be warned, it isn’t a quick dish to prepare.

Ingredients

5 to 6 beetroots

2 carrots, grated

1 cabbage wedge, grated

3 potatoes, cut into chunks

2 white onions, grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

15ml tomato puree

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 litre beef stock

300g boiled beef cut into chunks

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

Instructions

Put the beetroot in a saucepan

Cover with cold water

Heat until boiling and once come to temperature, lower to a simmer and leave for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes

Remove the beetroot from the pan and allow to cool

Keep the liquid for later

Peel and grate the beetroot

Heat oil in a large saucepan

Add the onion, cabbage, garlic, beetroot, tomato puree and carrot to the saucepan

Stir together and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat

Add the potato to the saucepan

Cook for another 10 minutes

Add the stock and a ladle of the beetroot water

Simmer for 30 minutes, add the lemon juice and serve

Can be served with a spoonful of smetana (sour cream), a sprinkling of dill and/or parsley and crusty bread

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Russian Zakuski Part II: Cold Cod Salad

07/01/201018/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Cold Cod Salad was created during the Soviet era when the Russians regularly suffered severe food shortages. Thankfully, due to the presence of carrots in this dish, it provided necessary colour to the zakuski table. It is best to chill the salad overnight so the sour cream top hardens slightly.

Jewish Biblical Chicken

03/11/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

A good old fashion roast chicken is a staple to many a Jewish meal, particularly across Eastern Europe. This is my take on Biblical Chicken, combining several elements to traditional Jewish recipes and a few of my own personal touches.

Romanian Bean Stew

17/07/200918/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Charlotte J - stirring. Photo Credit: Jill Robinson — Charlotte J – stirring. Photo Credit: Jill Robinson

I recently visited Cornwall for a few days as my school friends had rented a large cottage for the week. The kitchen was an absolute delight and I insisted on cooking some good East European fare for my 7 companions.

The best thing about East European cooking is that the recipes are usually not desperately complicated, require just one or two pots and few ingredients, which keeps both washing up and costs down, yet enables you to create a really hearty and tasty meal.

Although this bean stew required smoked pork and a ham bone, I cheated and used pork chops and smoked bacon which added the required smokey flavour. Everyone seemed to enjoy it so I would definitely recommend this recipe!

Ingredients (serves 8 hungry beings)

2 white onions

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 red chilies

1 tbsp Hungarian hot paprika (or to taste)

3 tins of mixed beans

20 black peppercorns

8 pork chops

500g smoked bacon

4 tbsp cornflour

Tomato puree or chili powder for colour if desired

Handful of chopped parsley for garnish

Crusty white bread to serve

Instructions

Put mixed beans into saucepan

Place pork chops on top of beans

Just cover pork with cold water and add peppercorns

Heat until boiling

Reduce heat, cover pan and leave on gentle simmer for 2 hours

Remove pork chops from pan

Cut off fat and bone and cut into chunks

Return pork to pan

Chop onions and heat in sunflower oil in separate pan until translucent

Add chopped and deseeded chili to onion and cook for 5-10 minutes

Chop smoked bacon and add to onion and chili and cook until crispy

Add paprika to bacon mix, stir and cook for 5 minutes

Add cornflour to bacon mix, stir and cook for 5-10 minutes

Add bacon mix to stew and stir

Cook for further 10 minutes until well mixed

If desire deeper red colour, add tablespoon of tomato puree or chili powder

Serve into bowls, garnish with parsley (I forgot to!) and serve with chunky white bread

Serve!

Owen, Jared, Dave, Jill, Simon, Nicky, Carla

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Ikra Iz Svekly

22/06/200917/10/2016 by Charlotte J

Ikra iz svekly (Beetroot Caviar to you and me) is a ‘poor man’s caviar’ usually served on rye bread. It’s pretty simple to make, can be prepared in advanced which means it would make a good canape for a cocktail party. Plus it caters to any potential vegetarian or vegan guests. I found this recipe in The Food & Cooking of Russia, mentioned in a previous post last week. However, I adapted it to be more Charlotte-friendly, in other words, I made it a little more interesting and a little bit easier.

Be warned, cooking with beetroot can leave you with pink hands, so if you want to avoid this, wear gloves. If you, like me, dislike wearing gloves, keep a lemon handy, it is the best soap for getting rid of stains!

Ingredients

1 white onion

2 cloves of garlic

4 medium cooked beetroots

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp tomato puree

Salt and ground black pepper for seasoning

(To add an extra flavour I used smoked salt)

12 small pieces of rye bread to serve

Finely chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Chop the onion and garlic finely

Coarsely grate the beetroot

(I used a ricer to effectively mince the beetroot.

it worked well but was messy and due to not wearing gloves I now have very pink hands)

Heat the oil in a medium pan

Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until softened and golden brown

Add the grated beetroot to the pan and fry, stirring all the time, for 5 minutes

Add tomato puree

Stir well and cover the pan

Simmer for 10 minutes

Season the mixture

Transfer to a bowl to cool

To serve pile the beetroot on the rye bread and sprinkle with chopped parsley to garnish

Serve!