Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article .com>,
> "D.A.Martinich" > wrote:
> > a great vacation bargain. If there is any interest, I'll put up a
few
> > Croatian recipes.
> Please do so. I likely won't make them but perhaps someone else will
--
> I'm just interested. :-) Do the Croats make anything like pirohy?
Yes, Barb, there is something similar. It's one of those several items
called pita. This one is a round case of rich flaky dough filled with
ground meat, onions and seasoning. I could not find a recipe for it.
The other form of pita in Croatia is similar to layers of filo dough
with filling of cheese, nuts or fruit, baked in a rectangular pan and
cut into squares.
The following recs are from the Dalmatian coast and islands where my
father was born. Some of these have been posted before but it may have
been a while, so, here they are again.
Grilling over wood coals or on a metal griddle is a popular way of
cooking meat or fish. To prepare for this, first, heat some olive oil
with thin slices of garlic, sage leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Don't let
the garlic get too brown. When ready, dip you slices of meat or fish in
the oil to coat it lightly before cooking. Serve fish with lemon and
parsley. Serve meat with ajvar and chopped onions.
Brodet (or, Brojet) - fish stew from Dalmatia
1 to 2 lb. mixed firm fleshed fish
12 clams
12 mussels
12 large shrimp
1/2 lb. squid
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1/2 lb. sweet peppers, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
1 1/2 lb. peeled ripe pear tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 dried hot chile
salt and pepper
Cook peppers and onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook
(but don't brown it). Add wine, vinegar, parsley and seasonings and
cook for 1/2 hour. If you use shellfish, add and cook during this
period. When this is completed add fresh fish and simmer 8 to 10
minutes. If you are using squid, add it at the very last and only cook
for 3 minutes. If you use shell fish such as mussels you can add them
15 minutes before the fish. Serve with crusty bread and wine.
This recipe is from my father's family from the island of Brac, one of
the many islands along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. This recipe
relies on using highly flavored beans such as the cranberry or
Borlotti.
Pasta i Faz~ul
1lb. cranberry beans- You may soak them overnight if they are older
beans. If they are fresh picked they will cook in about 1/2 to 1 hour.
Older beans can take up to 4+ hours.
water to more than cover the beans
3 oz. good olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 cups finely chopped onions.
2 to 3 cloves crushed garlic
3 oz. red wine vinegar (In CA, you can get brands like Solano and Dino
Barengo, which will give the right flavor. )
12 oz. dry pasta (Mostaciolli is traditional)
Salt & pepper Be generous with the pepper
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. (They used goat cheese on the
island)
Simmer the beans until about done. Add water as needed. Some people
like it soupy, some like it at a stewy consistency. Add accordingly.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onions. Cook until they
are
soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until it is done but not
brown. Add the vinegar and stir. The pan should be hot enough so that
it sizzles a bit. Pour into the beans and add the pasta. Cook until
done. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Accompany with crusty
bread, Zinfandel wine and a simple salad. If you have day old bread,
you
can tear it into pieces and put them in the bowl before pouring.
This should feed about 6.
The following is my grandmother's recipe for a cookie often made at
Christmas time.
Hrstule- pronounced hurst'-uh-lay
4 eggs
4 half eggshells of sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cups flour (all purpose)
4 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbs. brandy
Anise flavoring to taste.
Olive oil for deep frying (other cheaper oils will work OK)
Break eggs into bowl, reserving one eggshell half (fat end) with which
to measure sugar. Add rest of ingredients and mix into a consistent
dough. Have ready a floured board or marble. Take a small portion at a
time and roll out until the dough is thin enough to read newspaper
headlines through it. Take a ravioli cutting wheel and cut strips 1
inch wide and 9 inches long. Tie strips into an overhand knot (like a
pretzel) and deep fry a few at a time. Don't let the olive oil heat to
smoking. Fry to a light yellow-tan; don't brown. Let cool. Sprinkle
with sugar.
This should be enough for the usual large family Christmas gathering.
Sretan Bozic (Merry Christmas)
This is my cousin Steve Pitalo's version of Kupus (sauerkraut)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1/4 to 1/2 of an orange
2 to 3 Tbsp. of fresh parsley
2 jars of sauerkraut (use home made if possible)
meat of 2 to 3 pork chops (lean)
1 qt. of chicken stock
2 large cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil
Saute onion until slightly caramelized. Add garlic and parsley and
saute. In a different pan caramelize the pork (brown it). Add a small
amount of chicken stock to the onions and continue to caramelize adding
more stock as it evaporates. Add the pork and the sauerkraut.
Continue
to caramelize the sauerkraut until browm always adding small portions
of
chicken stock to keep from burning the vegetables. In about the last 5
minutes of cooking, add the zest and cook it to flavor the whole thing.
Then cut to the lowest heat and let sit for an hour. Heat up when
ready
to serve.
Pastic'ada, Pot Roast and Macaroni from my nonna, Eufemija Peruzovic.
This version is typical of the southern Dalmatian islands.
olive oil
rump roast of beef, 3-4 lb.
lean ground beef, 1 lb.
salt pork, 3oz., minced
2 yellow onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
chopped parsley, 1/3 cup
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
basil, 1 leaf
thyme, 1 pinch
marjoram, 1 pinch
salt and pepper
red wine, 1 cup
tomato sauce, 4 to 6 cups
12 to 15 prunes
mostaccioli, farfalle or shells
Dust the roast with salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Use about as
much of the spices as you would the salt and pepper (assuming you do
use s. and p.). Brown the roast on all sides in a little olive oil,
then remove. Add the ground beef to the oil and brown after seasoning
with salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves as you did with the roast. Add
the onions, garlic, parsley and salt pork and cook until soft. Add the
herbs and wine. Cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the
roast and simmer for four hours. Add the prunes after 3 hours. When
done remove the roast. Cook desired amount of pasta in boiling, salted
water, drain and mix with some of the sauce. Serve on a platter with
slices of the roast and the prunes arranged on top. Cover with more of
the sauce. Top with grated cheese (romano, parmesan etc.) and serve.
If you have any sauce left over, serve in a seperate dish.
Pushuratas (holiday cookies)
from: Stephen Sekul Pitalo
2lb self- rising flour
1 cup orange zest
1/2 cup lemon zest
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups milk
1/2 cup apple sauce
Dough should look like a bisquit, not wet, not too dry.
Shape dough into 1 to 1 1/4 inch ball and fry in hot oil until golden
brown.
icing:
3 or 4 boxes or powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 can evaporated milk large size
Put pushuratas into sugar icing and coat thickly, then let dry.
That's written exactly as I received the recipe. The next recipe will
make it a little more clear.
Prsurate
from: Catherine Arkovich, Women's Guild, St.Anthony Croatian Catholic
Church, L.A., CA.
1 sifter of of unsifted flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 large apples
Place all of the above in a large bowl. Pour about 2 cups of rolling
boiling water over all, slowly stirring until you have a thick paste.
Add 3 large apples that have been cooked (hot apple sauce). Let this
set until cool, covered.
1 cup walnuts, cut up
1 cup white raisins, plumped in hot water
2 coarsely grated apples
1/4 cup pine nuts
rind of 2 oranges
1 lemon rind
When dough has been cooled, add walnuts, raisins (squeezed dry),
apples, pine nuts, and grated citrus rinds.
3/4 c. whiskey
2 Tbsp. anise
2 Tbsp. lemon extract or other liqueur
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Mix ingredients listed above; add to dough when cool.
Tip: add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda last. Beat slightly and let set
for a little while. I leave for 2 hours.
6 cups vegetable oil
1 cup olive oil
Mix the oils in a deep iron skillet. Heat oil to stage when the dough
is dropped in it will rise to the surface quickly. Fry in hot oil size
you desire- either by teaspoons or tablespoons. Roll in sugar and
serve culd. Can be stored in airtight container for several weeks.
Tips: Be careful using the hot water, as sometimes your apple sauce is
more juicy than other times. Use good size apples. If dough is
watery, add just a little more flour. If you don't use up all the
liqueur it can keep. Use it with the dough after stored if it looks
dry. This dough will keep a week. Use whiskey and flavorings at your
discretion. Use your own judgment about amounts.
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