Bosnian Pot

It was beginning  of October when we returned to my birth town. Weather was still warm, and my parents' garden full of vegetarian goodness. Much loved 'Bosnian Pot' was waiting for us at the table - my mom's creation. According to Wikipedia -" Bosnian Pot (Bosanski Lonac) is an authentic Bosnian culinary speciality, appreciated for its rich taste and flexibility. It is impossible to define the recipe for Bosanski lonac, as there are many variations, but the main ingredients are mostly the same: meat and various vegetables."

Traditionally, it's made in a clay pot, cooked slowly using any vegetable / meat available at the time. 

Some sources show that this kind of food was first created by Bosnian miners, who would dig a hole in ground before their shift, make fire, layer large earthenware pots with chunky cut vegetables and some meat and leave it for 8 hours while they're underground doing their job. The dish became very popular for it's flexibility, 'no attending time' and taste. 

I like Bosnian Pot with lots of potatoes, cabbage, lamb and beef and flavoured with parsley and garlic.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

2 onions, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped 

1/2 kg lamb with bones

1/2 kg beef, chunks

carrots, parsnip, celery

tomatoes (4-6)

6-8 potatoes

2 capsicums

1 eggplant

1/2 small cabage

8-10 black pepper corns  (whole)

Paprika and bay leaves (optional)

salt  / vegetable stock powder

2 dl white whine or water

parsley leaves and crushed garlic for topping

Method: 

Heat oil in a large pot. Layer all chunky cut vegetables and meat according to your likings. Put all spices and wine on top, cover tightly and leave to cook slow for few hours. Garnish with parsley and garlic when served.

Bosanski Lonac

Bio je pocetak oktobra kad smo se vratili u moj rodni kraj. Vrijeme je jos uvijek bilo toplo, a basta mojih roditelja puna vegetarijanske dobrote. Veoma zeljen Bosanski Lonac nas je cekao na stolu - kreacija moje mame.

Prema 'Wikipediji': "Bosanski Lonac je autenticna Bosanska kulinarska specijalnost, cijenjena zbog bogatog ukusa i fleksibilnosti u spremanju. Nemoguce je dati tacan recept za Bosanski Lonac, posto postoje mnoge varijacije, ali glavni sastojci su uglavnom meso i razlicito povrce."

Tradicionalno. ovo je jelo pripremano u zemljanim posudama, krckajuci dugo na nizim temperaturama i koristeci bilo koje povrce i meso koje je dostupno.

Prema nekim izvorima, rudari su bili prvi koji su pripremali ovakvu vrstu hrane. Kopali bi rupe u zemlji prije odlaska u rudnik, lozili vatru, slozili slojeve krupno rezanog mesa i povrca u zemljanim posudama i ostavljali ih pokrivene 8 sati  da kckaju (za vrijeme radnog vremena).

Ovakav nacin kuhanja je postao popularan sirom Bosne iz vise razloga - fleksibilnost u namirnicama, nema potrebe za nadziranjem, kao i ukus.

Ja licno ga volim sa mnogo krompira, kupusa i mjesavinu jagnjetine i govedine, zacinjenu persinom i bijelim lukom.

Sastojci:

1/4 solje ulja

2 crvena luka, sjeckana

3-4 cena bijelog luka

1/2 kg jagnjetine s kostima

1/2 kg govedine, veci komadi

mrkva, persun, celer

paradajz (4-6)

6-8 krompira

2 parike

1 patlidzan

1/2 manjeg kupusa

8-10 zrna crnog bibera

mljevena crvena parika i lovor (po zelji)\

so / vegeta

2 dl bijelog vina ili vode 

lisce persuna i protisnuti bijeli luk za serviranje

Nacin:

Zagrijte ulje u vecoj posudi (sa poklopcem), dodajte slojeve krupno rezanog povrca i mesa. Ubacite zacine i zalijte vinom / vodom. Poklopite i krckajte nekoliko sati. Pri sluzenju pospite persunovim liscem i protisnutim bijelim lukom.

Smoked Hocks and Red Cabbage Stew

One of the top 3 favourites in my family...we all love it! 

Sauerkraut is often used instead of fresh cabbage. In that case, don't add salt and /or stock powder, as sauerkraut can be very salty.

Ingredients:

2-3 tbs oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

150 g speck (bacon), chopped

1 large or 2 small smoked pork hocks

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8-10 black pepper corns (cracked)

1-2 bay leaves

1 small red cabbage, cut into wedges (white cabbage is OK)

1 can diced tomatoes

'Vegeta' or other vegetable/chicken stock powder

2-3 tbs white vinegar (only if using fresh cabbage)

peeled potatoes (optional)

water as needed

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a large  pan; sautee onion and bacon. Add carrots, garlic, hocks and spices. Mix then add all other ingredients, finishing with cabbage and canned tomato. Pour some water, bring to boil, then lower heat and cook for 2 hours. Check the taste, adjust it and serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Crveni Kupus sa Dimljenom Potkoljenicom

Jedno od 3 najdraza jela u mojoj porodici...svi ga volimo! Ukoliko koristite kiseli kupus, ne dodavati so i Vegetu, prije nego probate ukus.

Potrebno:

2-3 K ulja

1 veci crveni luk, sjeckan

1 veca mrkva, oguljena i izrezana

150 gr mesnate slanine, cjeckane

1 veca ili 2 manje prasece dimljene potkoljenice

2 cena bijelog luks, protisnuta

8-10 zrna crnog bibera, napuknuta (pritisnuti ravnom stranicom noza)

1-2 lista lovora

1 manji crveni kupus, rezan na rebarca (moze i obicni bijeli)

1 konzerva paradajza, sjeckan

Vegeta (po potrebi)

2-3 K bijelog sirceta , samo ako koristite svjez kupus

nekoliko oguljenih krompira (po zelji)

voda po potrebi

so i biber, po potrebi
Nacin:
Zagrijte ulje u vecoj posudi, proprzite luk i slaninu. Ubacite mrkvu, bijeli luk, potkoljenice i ostale zacine. Promijesajte na vatri par minuta, zatim ubacite sve ostale sastojke; neka kupus i konzervirani paradajz budu zadnji. Zalijte sa malo vode, dovedite do vrenja i zatim krckajte oko 2 sata. Provjerite ukus i sluzite sa rizom ili pire-krompirom.

Sarma - Sauerkraut Rolls

Sour Cabbage (Sauerkraut) is very popular food in many European countries. Preserving of whole heads (or shredded) cabbages is simple, doesn't use chemicals and is natural way to lock-in goodness of vegetables. (Watch next post for this process.)
Sarma (cabbage rolls) is made with leaves of Sauerkraut, and is most desirable winter food in Balkan countries.
Be very careful about salting your food that contains Sauerkraut; many ready bought cabbages contain a lot of salt, and need to be rinsed before using in a recipe.

Ingredients:
750 g mince (half beef, half pork gives best results)
2 tbs oil
2 med onions, chopped
2 tbs paprika, smoked preferably
1/2 tbs black pepper, grinded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs Vegeta
1 small bunch parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup short grain rice
1 head of sauerkraut ('sour' cabbage)
bits and pieces of smoked meat ( hooks / speck / meat),optional
for finishing- 2 tbs oil, 1,5-2 tbs flour, 1 tbs paprika
Salt if needed
Method:
Prepare cabbage leaves; pull each leaf apart, cut large leaves into 2. Make sure to cut and discard hard and thick central cores - see photo down.
Place all other ingredients (except 'for finishing')into a large bowl. Mix well. Take a handful of this mixture, place on a (halved) leave and roll. Push the other end of roll to secure filling - see pictures.
Place finished rolls into a large pot. If you don't have non-stick pot, placing some cabbage offcuts will prevent burning and sticking sarma to the bottom. In between rolls put some smoked products (optional), as this will give smoky flavor to Sarma.
When all finished, cover sarma with an upside -down plate (should fit into the pot) and fill with water (just above the plate). Cover with lid and bring slowly to boil. Simmer for 1,5-2 hours.
Sarma will rise; add more hot water if necessary. Check if salt needed.
Finishing- Heat oil in a small pot, add flour and cook until slightly golden. Take away from heat, put paprika and then pour some water from large pot with sarma. It's best to prepare 1 cup of cooking water before you start cooking flour, as you need to pour water into finishing sauce at once, and stir vigorously. Pour this sauce back into large pot with sarma and let it boil once more.
Sarma is best 2-3 days later after cooking.

Preparing large leaves


Rolling


Finishing other side


Placing SARMA into cooking dish


SARMA

Vjerujem da svi mi imamo neke svoje recepte za Sarmu, koje cemo da prenesemo na sljedecu generaciju. Ovako je ja pravim-

Potrebno:
750 gr mljevenog mesa (najbolje pola govedine, pola svinjetine)
2 srednja crvena luka, sjeckana
2 K ulja
2 K paprike, dimljene ako imate
1/2 K crnog bibera, mljevenog
2 cena bijelog luka, sitno sjeckanog
1 K Vegete, ili slicno
1 manja vezica persunovog lisca, sjeckana
1 solja rize sa kracim zrnom
1 glavica kiselog kupusa
malo dimljenih proizvoda (po zelji)
za 'zaprsku'-2 K ulja, 1,5-2 K brasna, 1 K paprike

Nacin:
Pripremite listove kupusa; Odrezite zile iz sredine, velike listove prepolovite.
Pazite da vam kupus nije preslan - isperite ako je tako.
Umijesajte sve sastojke (osim za zaprsku). Stavite saku mjesavine na svaki list i zarolajte; zatim gurnite visak lista sa druge strane (slike).
Stavite sarmu na red ruznih / neupotrebljivih listova kupusa. Izmedju redova sarme stavite malo dimljenih proizvoda; ovo ce dati specifican miris sarmi. Kada zavrsite sa filovanjem, pokrijte sarmu preokrenitim tanjirem, pa nalijte vodom (samo da ogrezne). Poklopite serpu / lonac. Stavite na ringlu i dovedite do kljucanja. Krckajte 1,5-2 sata. Dolijte jos vrele vode ako je neophodno.
Zaprska- zagrijte ulje, proprzite brasno. Smaknite sa ringle, dodajte papriku i zalijte sa vodom iz sarme; promijesajte dobro i vratite u serpu sa sarmom. Prokljucajte jos jednom.
Sarma je bolja drugi ili treci dan od kuhanja.