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The pearl of the Adriatic, enchanted by the crystal clear sea, soaring cypress trees and the bottomless blue sky. In this manner, those who were lucky enough to visit this amazing country speak about Croatia. It is also a true paradise for gourmets who are hungry for unusual discoveries.
Meat under the hood
What is a must-try in Croatia? Meat under the lid, it is also meat under the oven. Its main secret, in fact, lies in the bake-a flat pan with a lid-dome and with recesses for coals. The meat and vegetables inside are heated from the top and bottom, so they do not need to be mixed. In a simplified version, this dish is baked in the oven in a cast-iron pan. We chop large pieces of 2.5 kg of cold cuts-lamb, beef and pork. Divide the garlic head into slices. Cut into large slices 1 kg of potatoes, 2 tomatoes and 2 onions, zucchini, eggplant and sweet pepper. Put all the ingredients in the pan in layers, add salt, pepper, marjoram and rosemary to taste. Top them with 50 ml of olive oil and 250 ml of dry white wine. Put the pan in the oven at 160°C for 3-4 hours. Do not be surprised if in a Croatian restaurant you will be invited to taste the meat under the oven only the next day: this dish is often ordered in advance.
Epic Beef
Food in Croatia is primarily meat. A special place in the menu is occupied by the Dalmatian pastitsada. First, let’s start with the marinade. Boil for 2-3 minutes a mixture of 150 ml of wine vinegar and water, pour into it 3 chopped carrots, 2 onions, 2 stalks of celery, a handful of chopped parsley. We make incisions on a piece of beef weighing 1.5-2 kg and insert slices of bacon, garlic and dried clove buds into them. Fill the meat with marinade and leave it in the refrigerator for a day. Then fry it until golden brown, add the marinade with vegetables, 50 ml of cognac and 600 ml of meat broth. Season everything with 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp rosemary, 2 tsp sugar, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put the pan in the oven at 180°C for 2 hours. When the dish cools down, we puree the vegetables and pour them back into the pan. Put the beef cut into strips with 10-12 prunes in the puree and bake in the oven for another 45 minutes. It is customary to serve pastitsada with potato gnocchi.
Expanse in a saucepan
Lovers of first courses will also find something to try from the national cuisine of Croatia. Maneshtra soup successfully combines the features of corn chowder and meat solyanka. Soak 150 g of peas and red beans overnight. In a large saucepan, cook until ready a piece of beef, pork knuckle and smoked ribs with a total weight of 1.5–2 kg. For flavor and aroma, add a whole carrot and onion with bay leaf. We chop the meat, filter the broth and put the beans and peas in it, as well as 250 g of canned corn. Croats prefer to add sauerkraut, fresh or sauerkraut, potatoes, tomatoes in their own juice to manestra. Choose any component or combine them at your discretion. Bring the soup to readiness, salt and pepper to taste, pour out the chopped fennel greens. This dish will surprise even gourmets who are familiar with various delicacies.
The Sea Brotherhood
The fish national dishes of Croatia make an indelible impression. One of the most popular is the brodet fish soup. We will need fish of three different varieties with a total weight of 1-1. 5 kg. Most often it is sea bass, cod and trout. Add two types of seafood: a dozen large shrimps and mussels. Finely chop 2 heads of garlic and divide equally. Mix half of it with 100 ml of olive oil, juice of half a lemon and 50 g of parsley. We keep the seafood in this marinade for a couple of hours. The second half of the garlic is fried with an onion, you can directly in the pan. Add 500 g of tomatoes without skin, 100 ml of dry white wine and simmer the resulting sauce for 15 minutes. Spread the fish in slices, pour 500 ml of fish broth, cook over medium heat for another 20 minutes. Now pour out the seafood and bring the soup to readiness. As a supplement to brodet, Croats serve polenta.
A delicious kaleidoscope
Croatian pastries are also amazing. So, in the pie gibanitsa from two types of dough put four types of filling at once. Knead the shortbread dough from 250 g of flour, 80 g of butter, eggs, 3 tbsp. l. cream, 1 tsp. sugar and a pinch of salt. Unleavened dough is made from 300 g of flour, 150 ml of water, 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. While both tests are resting, we will prepare the fillings. Combine 100 g of poppy seeds, 100 g of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon, pour 200 ml of milk. Rub 500 g of cottage cheese with egg, 6 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp sour cream, put a handful of raisins. Mix 4 grated apples with 2 tbsp sugar, 0.5 tsp cinnamon, juice and lemon zest. Combine 150 g of ground walnuts with 4 tablespoons of sugar. We tamp the shortbread dough into a round shape with sides. We divide the unleavened dough into 8 parts and roll it out thinly. In turn, we put the fillings in the form, separating them with layers of dough. The top of the cake is greased with oil and put in the oven at 180°C for an hour.
Now you know exactly what to try in Croatia from food, which means that you will get acquainted with the national cuisine. If you want to continue it, take a look at the recipes section of the website “Healthy Food Near Me”. And if you have already tried Croatian dishes, share your impressions in the comments.