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Traveling to different countries leaves a pleasant aftertaste, which you want to prolong as much as possible. No wonder we bring home mountains of souvenirs and countless photos. To plunge into the sweet bliss of memories for real and to be transported to places dear to the heart will help food. More precisely, the national dishes that I had a chance to try in my travels. We invite you to an exciting gastronomic tour of Europe together with the National trademark.
Risotto with Italian soul
The fastest way to transfer your thoughts and soul to Italy is to cook risotto. To achieve the most harmonious taste will help rice “Giant” “National”. This is a large medium-sized rice, the grains of which are unusually wide in size. Large grains with a pearly sheen are the hallmark of Giant rice. In the finished form, rice has a creamy taste, and its peculiarity is the ability to absorb the tastes and aromas of other components of dishes. Soak 200 g of dried porcini mushrooms in water for 4 hours, then remove and cut into slices. Cut 200 g of mushrooms a little larger, brown them in a saucepan in butter with the addition of salt and black pepper. We put porcini mushrooms here together with the liquid, add a liter of water and cook the broth for half an hour.
We pass the chopped onion in a frying pan in olive oil until it becomes transparent. Pour out 200 g of rice and, stirring frequently, fry until it absorbs the oil. Pour in and evaporate 4 tablespoons of white wine. Next, pour the mushroom broth into one ladle at a time, as it will be absorbed. At the end, we mix 40 g of grated parmesan and a handful of chopped parsley. Add the mushrooms to the plates with risotto before serving. Here is an exquisite memory of Italy for you.
Unknown Greek salad
Greece is not only the famous Greek salad with olives with feta. Mavromatika salad with beans and vegetables conveys the flavor of this country no worse. For its preparation, we will use white beans “National”. It is a rich source of fiber, with a unique content of macro – and microelements, vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. White beans should be soaked for several hours before cooking.
Pour 200 g of beans with cold water, cook after boiling for about 40 minutes, throw the beans into a colander. We cut the fleshy red sweet pepper and 2 large tomatoes into identical slices. Chop the purple onion rings and marinate for a few minutes in 1 tbsp. l. wine vinegar. We chop a small bunch of parsley. Combine the beans, vegetables and herbs in a salad bowl, season with olive oil, salt to taste, decorate with sprigs of arugula. For a bright aroma, you can put a pinch of ground oregano. Before serving, you need to let the bean salad stand in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Surprise from the Balkan coast
Montenegro is an amazing beautiful corner of the globe. Stuffed peppers in the Balkan style embodied all the unique flavor. Delicious shades of the dish will give the rice “Krasnodar” “National”. White polished round-grain rice is considered one of the best. It goes well with meat and vegetables, fully reveals the taste properties when languishing.
First, we make a passerovka from an onion and a carrot. Gradually add 800 g of minced meat and brown a little. Pour out 150 g of washed rice, pour in the meat broth so that it slightly covers the filling. Add salt, sweet paprika and black pepper to taste, evaporate over low heat.
We cut off the caps of 12-15 medium light green sweet peppers, remove the seeds and partitions, fill with minced meat. We insert slices of tomatoes in the form of lids into the holes. We set the peppers vertically in a deep form and pour a gravy of 200 g of tomato paste, 100 ml of meat broth, 2 tsp sugar, a pinch of salt and coriander. Put the mold in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 °C. Serve the stuffed peppers hot, right with the tomato sauce.
Generosity in Croatian
Manestra soup is one of the dishes of Croatia that are mandatory for tasting. This is a cross between meat solyanka and bean soup. This means that we will need two National products: whole yellow peas and Marron beans. Thanks to calibration and additional cleaning, the ground peas do not need to be sorted and washed. Marron beans are a unique variety of beans, it does not need to be soaked, it cooks quickly and does not lose its shape. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals, this type of bean has excellent dietary properties, so it is used for dietary nutrition for the treatment and prevention of stomach diseases.
In a large saucepan, we put the beef tenderloin, pork knuckle and smoked ribs-weighing up to 2 kg in total. Add the onion and carrot whole, fill with water, throw the bay leaf and cook the broth. We chop the cold cuts, and filter the broth and put peas and beans in it. You can add some grains of young corn. Croats themselves add tomatoes in their own juice, sauerkraut or turnips.
We bring the soup to readiness, salt and pepper, pour out a cup of chopped celery greens, stand under the lid without fire for 10 minutes. Pour the thick soup on plates and add a generous portion of meat.
Paella and sea treasures
Being in Spain and not trying paella is a gastronomic crime. You just need to remember the taste sensations in all the nuances, so that you can then cook this dish at home. And here the rice “Giant” “National” will help us. It perfectly harmonizes with seafood and is designed to become a delicious paella.
In a frying pan with a wide flat bottom, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry 2-3 cloves of garlic with plates, after a minute pour the onion into cubes and fry until transparent. Next, add a quarter of the chili pepper rings and 4 tomatoes without skin.
Now, in turn, we lay 200 g of chicken breast in cubes, 200 g of chorizo sausages in circles, 300 g of white fish in slices, 200 g of squid rings, peeled shrimp and mussels in the sashes. Simmer the mix on low heat for 7-8 minutes, then gently stir in 150 g of rice, 300 ml of chicken broth and 200 ml of white wine. Add salt, paprika and turmeric to taste, bring the rice to a boil, cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Paella is served with lemon slices and fresh herbs.
Bulgaria in a spoonful of soup
There is also a special soup in the national menu of Bulgaria. Bob Chorba will revive in the soul the warmest and most exciting memories of a trip to this country. In our case, it will be based on white beans “National”. Having a pleasant mild taste, it generously gives it away when cooking, while maintaining the correct shape and delicate aroma.
Soak 450 g of white beans overnight, then throw them into a colander. Cut into a small cube 150 g of root celery, 2 carrots and onions each. Fry the vegetables in a saucepan in vegetable oil until they soften. Then add the sweet pepper in small slices and 2 chopped tomatoes without skin. After 5-7 minutes, pour out the beans, pour 500 ml of water and simmer on low heat for an hour.
Next, add another 1 liter of hot water, lay 2 cloves of crushed garlic, a chopped bunch of parsley and a handful of mint leaves. Salt and pepper to taste, bring the soup to readiness for 20-25 minutes. It is customary to eat bean chorba with black bread, rolling each piece in a mixture of salt and red pepper.
Gastronomic wanderings in Europe do not end. This is just a fraction of delicious memories that anyone can immerse themselves in. It will be especially pleasant to do this together with the products of the National trademark. The brand line contains cereals and legumes of the highest quality. Thanks to the generous palette of tastes, you can easily prepare any dishes of any national cuisine and be able to arrange for your relatives an exciting trip to those countries where a piece of your heart has remained.