Undiscovered Tastes #6 – 4 Balkan dishes to try on the BBQ

Elevate your barbecue menu with the Balkan dishes below, all hailing from a region we might describe as just a little obsessed with meat on the charcoal grill/’roštilj’!  While they’re not all explicitly BBQ recipes, they all feature regularly on al fresco dining tables, from Croatia to Montenegro.

Whether you’re looking for some inspiration for your next garden party or you’ve visited the Balkans and you’d like to recreate some of the yummy foods you tried, load your buns with ćevapi and pljeskavica instead of plain old hot dogs and burgers. And hummus? That’s so vanilla. Swap it out for ajvar (cool red pepper sauce).

Not only are these meals tasty, they require minced meat instead of pre-made patties and dogs, meaning you can dodge the crowds fighting over the last ones on a hot day in the supermarket. If you want to go all out Balkan, treat your guests to a tipple of rakia or a bottle of fine Croatian wine to wash it down with.

Dobar tek!

Ajvar

What is ajvar?

Pronounced “ay-var,” this sauce is thought to have been introduced by the Ottomans. Although there are regional variations, ajvar is predominantly made out of bell peppers and aubergine. The sweet yet tangy flavour of this relish is achieved by grilling the peppers and eggplant over a charcoal fire before simmering the sauce to bring out the sweetness in the peppers. If you prefer to cheat, buy a jar of Pelagonia’s ajvar at Coop or Waitrose

Ajvar recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 red bell peppers
• 1 medium sized aubergine
• 5 tsp freshly crushed garlic cloves
• 70g sunflower or olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Place the peppers whole on a preheated charcoal grill (a BBQ is perfect) and cook until the skin has blackened, roughly 10-15 minutes, and transfer to a bowl until cool enough to touch.
2. Pierce the skin of the aubergine all over with a fork and place on the cooler side of the grill. Cook for about 30 minutes or until it’s soft all over when pressed with tongs, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking. Put aside to cool off a bit.
3. Peel the black skin from the peppers and remove the seeds and core. Cut the aubergine in half and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin and stalk.
4. Blitz the peppers and aubergine in a blender along with the garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until you have a smooth sauce.
5. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer on a medium-high heat. Once simmering, reduce to a medium-low heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge in an airtight container. The sauce will keep for two weeks.

Original recipe at seriouseats.com.

Ćevapi

What is ćevapi?

Invented by the Ottomans, ćevapi (“che-vapi”) is essentially a grilled meat sausage. Ćevapi is the national dish in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, but it’s found widely across the Balkans. It is traditionally served in a pitta-like flatbread with a side of cool ajvar. It’s equally as comfortable nestled in a hot dog bun or even on its own with some salad or roasted veggies.

Ćevapi recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb (114g) ground beef
• 3/4 lb (114g) ground lamb
• 3 tbsp diced onion
• 3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until well combined.
2. Mould the meat mixture into sausages , roughly the length of a finger and 3-4 inches thick.
3. Preheat the barbecue and place the sausages on an oiled grill. Cook over a medium-high heat for around 8 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure they’re evenly browned.
4. Serve up immediately, either in a bun, pitta bread or alongside some roasted vegetable skewers and salad. However you serve them, don’t forget the ajvar.

Original recipe at seriouseats.com.

Pljeskavica

What is pljeskavica?

Pljeskavica is essentially ćevapi but instead of being rolled into sausages, the meat mixture is moulded into burger patties. It’s traditionally served in a flatbread with ajvar, kajmak (a soft white cheese) and salad and like ćevapi, it tastes best when cooked on a charcoal grill.

Grab some buns and follow the recipe above for a twist on the classic beef burger at your next BBQ.

Punjene paprike, japrak, sarma

What are punjene paprike, japrak and sarma?

These are all deliciously stuffed veggies, made with vine leaves (japrak), soured cabbage leaves (sarma) and bell peppers (punjene paprike).  You sometimes see them called ‘dolma’ on Balkan menus because of the shared origin with Greece. Leaves or hollowed out vegetables are stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat and other ingredients.

Punjene paprike recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 bell peppers (or vegetable of your choice, such as alternatively, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergine or vine leaves)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 400g minced beef
• 1 cup (Xg) basmati rice
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 handful parsley, finely chopped (plus extra to serve)
• ½ tbsp white pepper, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp ajvar

To serve:

• Crusty bread (optional)
• Creme fraiche (optional)
• Parsley leaves, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200℃
2. Cut the tops off your peppers and dice them for the stuffing. Remove the seeds and set aside the pepper skins while you prepare the stuffing.
3. In a large bowl, mix the minced beef, diced pepper tops, tomato puree, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and ajvar. Add ½ cup of boiling water.
4. Fill the peppers with your stuffing, leaving 1cm from the top which allows for the mixture to expand.
5. Place the stuffed peppers in a deep saucepan and pour boiling water in between them, taking care not to submerge the peppers and stuffing under water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Carefully transfer the peppers to an oven dish, but don’t discard the water in the pan.
7. Add the tomato puree and ajvar to the boiling water in the pan and bring to the boil. Once bubbling, pour this mixture over and between the stuffed peppers.
8. Pop the mixture into the oven and bake for 40 minutes, basting the peppers occasionally with the sauce.
9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the creme fraiche, either as a side to your cevapi and pljeskavica or enjoy as a meal with some crusty bread or soft pittas.

Original recipe at apinchofsaffron.nl.

Has this post got your mouth watering? Find more traditional Balkan dishes from our Undiscovered Tastes series on the blog.