'Such' (Sač) - Traditional method for outdoor cooking

'Such' is traditional metal dish that is used for outdoor cooking in many Balkan countries, primarily in Bosnia. Its parts you can see below. A large amount of live coals is needed for this kind of slow cooking. Dish is filled, set on its posts above the coals, covered, ring placed on the lid and hot ash is placed on top. It should not be opened during the cooking, as it ensures preserving all aromas.
  
  Such Parts                                                Bosnian pita cooked under the Such

Ingredients:
4-5 tbs oil
Large cuts of lamb (or any other meat), with bones please
Potatoes, peeled
Other vegetables (optional)
salt and pepper
bay leaves
200 ml water ( or wine)

Method:
Season meat and vegetables, pour oil over it and mix to coat. Place meat first in the dish, then arrange potatoes around. Pour water over it, add bay leaves and place lid on top.
Set such over live coals (heat shouldn't be too strong), place ring on the top of lid and cover with hot ashes and small pieces of live coal. Let it cook for at least 2 1/2 hours. Let it cool slightly (uncovered) before serving.




Waiting for such...You can see on our faces that we were very hungry!
Cekanje da bude gotovo...Na licima nam se vidi da smo gladni!

Tradicionalno pečenje ispod sača

Sac je metalna posuda koja se koristi za pecenje u zaru. Njegove dijelove mozete vidjeti gore na slici. Nista nije tako ukusno kao obrok pripremljen na ovaj nacin. Bitno je pripremiti dosta zara prije pocetka kuhanja. Tokom pecenja, sac netreba otvarati, jer se na ovaj nacin osigurava zadrzavanje svih aroma i ukusa.

Potrebno:
4-5 K ulja
veliki komadi jagnjetine (ili drugo meso), sa kostima molim
krompir, oguljen
drugo povrce (opciono)
so i biber
lovorov list
2 dl vode (ili vina)

Nacin:
Zacinite meso i krompir, pospite ulje po tome i izmijesajte. Smjestite sve u sac (najprije meso, a krompir okolo), ubacite lovor i uspite vodu. Poklopite i smjestite iznad zara koji nesmije biti prejak. Postavite prsten na poklopac, zatim pospite vrelim pepelom i manjim komadicima zara. ostavite peci najmanje 2 1/2 sata. Prije sluzenja, ostavite neotklopljeno da se malo prohladi. Uzivajte!

Moody December in my Birth Town

I was hoping for more snow in Brchko (my birth town), or at least some  memorable 'crystal' scenes , when rain and low temperatures coat tree branches  in ice and put on an unforgettable magical display. Instead we had beautifully moody weather with thick fog. Nothing could spoil my time in Bosnia...but, I suppose that happens whenever we´re in love! 

Nadala sam se ponovnom snijegu u Brčkom ili makar onim nezaborabnim ´kristalnim´scenama, kada kiša i niske temperature ´obuku´ grane drveća u nezaboravljivu magičnu postavku. Umjesto toga smo imali ćudljivo vrijeme sa gustom maglom. Nije mi to pokvarilo raspoloženje...ali, pretpostavljam da nam se to uvijek dešava kada smo zaljubljeni!

   

There were a few sunny days too ; central park in Brčko (where all first loves begin).

Bilo je i sunčanih dana: centralni park u Brčkom (gdje su sve prve ljubavi počinjale). 

Night walk through my town and a Croatian celloist concert (Ana Rucner...listen to her Lindjo)

Noćna Šetnja i koncert Hrvatske čelistkinje Ane Rucner (poslušajte Lindjo)

Food here is AMASING, afordable and service supreme. Best restaurants in Brčko are: Bakarni lonac, Sheher, Kutak and Cicibela.

Hrana je ovdje BOŽANSTVENA, sa pristupačnim cijenama i savršenom uslugom. Najbolji restorani u Brčkom su: Bakarni Lonac, Sheher, Kutak i Cicibela.

I chose to eat freshwater fish whenever I could, because that´s something I can´t have in Australia.
Birala sam riječnu ribu kad-god sam mogla, jer tako nešto ne postoji u Australiji.

Walking through my town

Šetnja mojim gradom

 

    One late December rose
    Jedna zakašnjela decembarska ruža

  

November in Bosnia

On our way (pause in Abu Dhabi)

1st day in Bosnia

 

 Art of sausage making in Bosnia...glad I had my chance to help! I brought my recipe for Chorizos with me!

Umjetnost pravljenja kobasica..drago mi je da sam mogla pomoci. Donijela sam svoj recept za Chorizo kobasice.

2nd day

Visit to our cousin in Grbavica  (My father`s birth village)

Švargla (recipe coming!)

 

 Our hosts!

3rd day we had first snow! YAY!

Trećega dana je pao snijeg i obradovao nas!

 

Ethnic (Bosnian) Offal Recipe (Bumbar / Širden)

This is an old recipe. Last year, during my holiday in Bosnia, I had opportunity to try making this traditional dish. My father ordered a lamb for spit roast (as we Bosnians usually do whenever big family gathering or celebrations take place) and we got internal organs with it as well. Recipe is from book 'Bosnian Cook' (I slightly  changed and adapted it).

Ingredients:
Internal organs of a lamb
(I used hart, lungs and liver)
1-2 linings of internal fat (Caul fat)
4 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 onion
10 black pepper corns
1 tbs 'Vegeta', or any chicken / beef stock powder
1,5 cups rice (cooked in 1,5 cups water)
1 large bunch parsley leaves, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs 'Vegeta' (chicken/beef stock powder), extra
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
Method:
Cook all organs (except fat linings) with bay leaves, Vegeta, peppercorns, onion and garlic in 1,5 L of water. Cook rice separately (should be half cooked / still very firm).
Preheat oven to 190*C. Take all organs out of cooking water (reserve it), and mince. Mix really well with rice, parsley leaves, paprika, vegeta, garlic and pepper. Cut internal fat linings (caul fat) into 2 large pieces . Divide mixture in 2, place onto caul fat pieces and fold shaping a parcel . Place parcels into a deep oven dish, folded side down. Pour 2-3 cups of reserved water over it and bake for 20-30 minutes or until fat melted and golden brown.



Ovo je stari recept iz knjige 'Bosanski Kuhar' (Alija Lakisic). Prosle godine (na odmoru u Bosni) sam imala priliku isprobati moje umijece na iznutricama. Tata je narucio jagnje (kao sto to svi Bosanci rade kada su velika porodicna okupljanja ili slavlja u pitanju), sa kojim smo dobili i iznutrice. Recept sam blago promijenila i adaptirala nasim potrebama. Originalni recept cu u potpunosti prenijeti na kraju ovog posta.
Sastojci:
Unutrasnji organi jagnjeta
(ja sam koristila srce, jetru i pluca)
1-2 trbusne 'maramice'
4 lista lovora
2 cena bijelog luka
1 crveni luk
10 zrna crnog bibera
1 K Vegete (ili slicno)
1,5 solja rize (skuhane u 1,5 solju vode)
1 veca veza persunovog lisca, sjeckana
3-4 cena bijelog luka, protisnuta
1 K Vegete
1 K crvene paprike
1 k svjeze mljevenog crnog bibera
so prema ukusu
Nacin:
Skuhajte unutrasnje organe (samo ne maramicu) u 2 l vode sa lovorom, biberom, oba luka i Vegetom. Skuhajte rizu posebno; treba biti upola skuhana i ostati jos cvrsta.
Ukljucite rernu na 190*C.
Izvadite organe iz vode (sacuvajte je) i sameljite. Pomijesajte sa rizom i ostalim sastojcima. Dobro promijesajte. Izrezite maramicu na 2 dijela. Na svaki dio stavite pola punjenja i zamotajte u loptu. Slazite u dublju vatrostalnu posudu/tepsiju, sa zavijenom stranom na dole. Zalijte sa 2-3 solje vode u kojoj ste kuhali organe. Pecite 20-30 minuta ili dok se mast ne otopi i ne postane zlatno-zuta.
Evo i originalnog recepta:

Bosanski Širden 
"Uzmi jagnjecu bijelu i crnu dzigericu,operi ih i metni da se kuhaju u slanoj vodi. U medjuvremenu skuhaj pola solje pirinca sa jednom soljom vode.
Tada isprigaj glavicu sitno rezanog crvenog luka na kasicici masti i na taj luk dodaj kuhane dzigerice, koje si sitno isjeckala i sve malo preprigaj, onda saspi kuhani pirinac, ulij 3 jajeta, metni soli, bibera, persunova lista i 3 cesna sitno sjeckanog bijelog luka. Sve izmijesaj i saspi u jagnjecu maramicu, uvij maramicu da nadjev ne ispada, metniu podmazanu tepsiju i peci u rerni. Kada je lijepo porumenio, serviraj topao."

Bosnian Pita with Potato Filling ('Krompiruša')

This was my favorite 'pita' from childhood, and I finally decided to share my recipe with you.

Ingredients:
Dough- (for 8 individual or 1 large pita)
2 cups plain flour
220-230 ml water
1/2 tsp salt
Filling-
1 tbs oil
1 medium onion (optional), diced finely
600 g potatoes (3 large), diced finely
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp curry (not traditional; it's my addition -optional)

Method:
Mix all ingredients for pastry; knead until smooth. Dust with flour, cover with a bowl and let it rest for 25 min. Switch oven to 190*C; prepare a pan (oil it).
Slice peeled potatoes on a mandolin (medium thick), then cut into small dices. Leave aside in a bowl) until needed.
(For traditional way of stretching the dough (circle), look here. )
Stretch the dough; season potato and sprinkle around the edges. Continue to roll the dough as described. Place in a pan and bake as 8 individual-ones , or as one large spiral-30 minutes. Serve while warm.







individual serves                                                                                                                                        or one large    
..............................................................................................................................................................

Bosanska 'Krompiruša' / Pita sa krompirom

Konacno je i recept za krompirusu dosao na red! To je bila moja omiljena pita u djetinjstvu; danas je to pita sa gljivama /sampinjonima

Potrebno:
Tijesto- (za 8 individualnih ili 1 veliku pitu)
2 solje mekog brasna, prosijanog
220-230 ml vode
1/2 k soli
Punjenje-
1 K ulja
1 srednji crveni luk, sjeckan sitno(opciono)
600 gr krompira, sjeckan na kockice (5 mm)
1 k soli
1/2 k crnog bibera
1 k kari praha (nije tradicionalan dodatak - opciono)

Nacin:
Pomijesajte sastojke za jufku, umijesite glatko mekano tijesto; pobrasnite i poklopite 'ćasom' da se odmara 25+ min. Ukljucite renu na 190*C; pripremite tepsiju.
Izrezite krompir na sitne kockice ( ja ga izrezem na 'mandolini'/ ribezu prvo na srednje deblje snite, zatim na kockice)
Razvucite tijesto / jufku (Za tradicionalni nacin razvlacenja (u krug) pogledajte ovdje.) Zasolite i pobiberite krompir u zadnjoj minuti, zatim filujte. Zarolajte u 8 individualnih ili 1 veliku spiralu. Pecite oko 30 minuta. Servirajte dok je toplo.

Quick Burek (with ready made Phyllo Pastry)

A few of my (Aussie) friends have asked for a burek recipe with commercial phyllo pastry. Here it is!

Ingredients:
1 packet phyllo pastry, 375 g (you might not need all)
1 tbs oil
2 onions, diced
400-500 g mince
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
50 ml oil (3 tbs + 1tsp)
1/3 cup sparkling water (+ jar to mix it with oil)

Method:
Sautee onion in oil, add mince and spices. Cook until meat change colour. Let it cool. Pour oil and water in a jar with lid.
Preheat oven to 190*C; prepare a round pan (pizza - 30 cm), spray with oil.
Place 5 sheets of phyllo pastry on bottom of pan, laying them over the edges of the pan.
Sprinkle each layer of pastry in the pan with water/oil mixture (shake every time before sprinkling). Place 1/2 of mince mixture, crush 4-5 sheets of pastry (to cover mince; alternatively you can layer 4-5 sheets) , sprinkle with water/oil. Place another 1/2 of mince, now return hanging sheets to cover mince, sprinkling each sheet again. At top place one, or two whole sheets, sprinkle with oil/water again and tuck in underneath. Cover with al-foil (do not let touch pastry; it will stick during baking) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve cutting into wedges. (Fresh sliced onion, tomatoes or drinking yogurt is traditionally served with burek).

Brzi Burek sa gotovim korama

Nekoliko mojih (Australijskih) prijatelja je pitalo za burek recept sa gotovim korama. Evo ga!

Potrebno:
1 pakovanje tankih kora za pitu (375 gr, necete sve potrositi)
1 K ulja
2 crvena luka, sjeckana
400-500 gr mljevene govedine
1 k soli
1/2 k crnog bibera
1/2 k kima u prahu
50 ml ulja
80-90 ml mineralne vode (+ 1 tegla za pomijesati sa uljem)

Nacin:
Zagrijte ulje, proprzite luk. Dodajte meso i zacine, przite dok meso ne promijeni boju. Ostavite prohladiti. Stavite vodu i ulje u teglu sa poklopcem. 
Ukljucite rernu na 190*C; pripremite okrugli (pica) pleh. Nauljite ga pa postavite 5 listova tijesta, tako da krajevi vise preko ivica. Pospricajte svaku koru sa mjesavinom ulja i vode (protresite svaki put prije spricanja). Postavite 1/2 mesa preko dna tepsije; zguzvajte 4-5 kora, postavite preko mesa (mozete ih i postaviti bez kidanja i guzvanja). Pospricajte emulzijom obilato svaki sloj, zatim postavite drugu 1/2 mesa. Zavrnite kore koje su visile preko tepsije, spricajuci svaku. Na povrsinu stavite jednu ili dvije cijele kore, i fino ih podvucite ispod. Pospricajte ponovo, pokrijte al-folijom (pazeci da ne nalegne na tijesto - zalijepice se) i pecite oko 30 min. Skinite foliju pa dopecite jos 5 minuta. Servirajte toplo sa (luk salatom, paradajzom ili jogurtom).

Bosnian Mushroom 'Pita'

Have you tried Bosnian pita? My favourite (for last few years) is mushroom 'pita'. Here's how to make it!

Ingredients:

Dough / pastry-

2 cups plain flour, sifted

3/4 tsp salt

220 ml water

How to prepare and stretch pastry!

Oil and flour for stretching

Filling-

1 tbs oil

800 g mushrooms, (medium sized are best), sliced

1 garlic cloves, crushed

2-3 tbs sour cream (or thickened cream)

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Make dough (as stated in link), cover and let it rest.

Preheat oven to 190*C; prepare baking dish.

Heat oil in a pan, add mushrooms, garlic and cream. Saute until most of liquid evaporated; season to taste and then let it cool.

Stretch dough, fill with prepared mushrooms. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden-brown. Serve with some extra sour cream on top (or with drinking yogurt).

Pita Šampinjonka

Jeste li probali pitu sa gljivama / šampinjonima? To je moja (u posljednje vrijeme) najdraza pita.  

Evo kako je pravim!

Potrebno:

Tijesto-

2 solje brasna (znaci 500 ml), sitno/ meko za pitu, prosijano

3/4 k soli

220 ml vode

Kako pripremiti i razvuci tijesto!

Ulje i brasno za razvlacenje

Fill/ Punjenje-

1 K ulja

800 gr sampinjona (oni srednje velicine su najbolji), isjeckani

1 ceno bijelog luka, protisnuto

2-3 K vrhnja (kiselo ili slatko)

so i biber prema ukusu

Nacin:

Umijesite tijesto i ostavite odmarati, kako je opisano u linku.

Ukljucite rernu na 190*C. Pripremite pleh.

Zagrijte ulje, ubacite gljive, vrhnje i bijeli luk i dinstajte. Vecina tecnosti treba da ispari; zacinite prema ukusu, promijesajte i ostavite hladiti.

Razvucite tijesto i filujte. Pecite oko 30 minuta, ili dok ne postane zlatno-zuta. Servirajte sa malo vrhnja po povrsini (ili sa tecnim jogurtom).

Banjalučki ćevap (Chevups from Banja Luka)

Finally I took some time in having a look at some new blogs from my birth country. There are soooo many bloggers there; very creative and imaginative people. I like the fact that that part of the world has many influences in cooking. From eastern side Turkish, then Mediterranean  and Greek around the south, Hungarian, Polish and even Russian at north, to western side with influence of Germans and Italians.
Following recipe is influenced by Turkish cuisine. During Ottoman period in Bosnia, many people adopted Turkish way of cooking. This kind of chevups (ćevapi - famous skinless sausages) are made exclusively around Banja Luka (second largest city in Bosnia). A bit smaller chevups than ordinary are 'stuck' togheter in 4 or 5, then grilled as usual. They're always served with lepina (somun) and some freshly sliced onion.

Happy Eid (Bayram - another thing coming from Turks) to those who celebrate today!



Konacno sam nasla malo vremena da pogledam nove blogove iz moje zemlje (bivse). Jako mnogo blogera dolaze odatle; veoma kreativni i mastoviti ljudi! Volim cinjenicu da je taj dio svijeta bio tako mnogo pod uticajem mnogih drugih zemalja. Sa istoka Turska, zatim Grci i druge mediteranske zemlje oko juga, Madjari, Poljaci, pa cak i Rusi na sjeveru, i s a zapada Nijemci i Italijani.
Sljedeci recept je naslijedje Turske kuhinje. Tokom Otomanskog perioda u Bosni, mnogi ljudi su usvojili turski nacin kuhanja.
Ova vrsta cevapa (ćevapi - poznati u svijetu kao 'kobasice bez omotaca') je pripremana iskljucivo oko Banja Luke. Nesto manji cevapi nego inace se sastave (4-5 zajedno) i zatim peku na rostilju. Cevapi se iskljucivo serviraju sa  lepinom (somun) i svjezim crvenim lukom.

Sretan 'Bajram' (jos nesto naslijedjeno od Turaka) onima koji danas slave!

'Burek' - easy way

Burek ( pita with minced meat) is very loved dish in Bosnia. I wrote about pita and burek before.
Today I want to explain how to make individual burek, where you don't need to have special pin, or large space for stretching phyllo pastry. Burek is often made  this way commercially (in burek bakeries).

Ingredients:
-Dough-
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
200 (+) ml water
-Filling-
1 tsp oil
1 onion, finely diced
500 g beef mince (not lean or too fat)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
-Oil for stretching, 120 ml +

Method:
Dough- Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well until incorporated, then take out on a bench top and knead until smooth. Divide into 8 equal parts; shape little balls. Pour 120 ml oil in a bowl; place dough balls in oil; turn them to cover well in oil. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Prepare filling- heat oil, saute onion, then add mince, salt and pepper. Cook just until meat lose its pink colour. Take off the heat and let it cool.
Preheat your oven to 190-200 *C; prepare a large rectangle baking pan (oil it - spray is ok).
Oil the surface of your bench top, then take a ball of dough and flatten with your palms as much as possible (for this, you can use any rolling pin if easier). Now start puling edges of the pastry with your fingers, until very thin and well stretched. You should get and oval  (30 X 20 cm approximately) of phyllo pasty. Put 1/8 of filling on an longer edge and roll into a sausage. Shape a swirl (round or elongated ) and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with other balls of dough. When all made, oil surface of each burek and  bake for 30 + minutes, or until golden brown on top.




Burek iz Buregdzinice

Burek je omiljeno jelo u Bosni.  Pisala sam o metodu razvlacenja tijesta prije ( pita , burek ). Danas zelim pokazati kako se prave pojedinacni bureci. Za njih ne trebate oklagiju ili veliki prostor za razvlacenje tijesta. U mnogim buregdzinicama se na ovaj nacin prave bureci.

Potrebno:
Tijesto / jufke-
2 solje brasna (2 X 250ml)
1/2 k soli
200 ml (+) vode
Fil- 
1 k ulja
1 crveni luk, sitno sjeckan
500 gr mljevene govedine / junetine (ni premasno ni nemasno)
1 k soli 
1/2 k crnog bibera, svjeze mljevenog
-Ulje za razvlacenje- 120 ml +

Nacin:
Umijesite tijesto od navedenih sastojaka. Dobro ga izradite, zatim podijelite na 8 jednakih loptica, smjestite u posudu sa 120 ml ulja; okrenite loptice tijesta kako bi se prevukle sa uljem preko cijele povrsine. Ostavite odmarati oko 30 min.
Zagrijte ulje, proprzite luk. Ubacite meso i zacine i dinstajte samo toliko da meso izgubi pink boju. Ostavite hladiti.
Ukljucite rernu na 190*C; pripremite tepsiju (nauljite ju).
Nauljite povrsinu za rad (kuhinjsku glatku povrsinu), postavite lopticu tijesta na nju, pa dlanovima rastanjite tijesto koliko je to moguce (za ovajdio mozete upotrijebiti bilo kakvu oklagiju, ukoliko vam je tako lakse). Sada prstima razvlacite krajeve tijesta sve dok ne dobijete veoma tanku jufku (otprilike 30 X 20 cm oval). Stavite 1/8 fila na jedan duzi kraj , pa zamotajte kao rolat. sada oblikujte 'zvrk'; okrugli ili izduzeni. Uradite isto sa preostalim lopticama; smjestite na tepsiju, pouljite povrsinu i pecite oko 30 minuta, ili dok burek ne dobije lijepu rumenu boju.

Please Help

Balkans never had so bad flood. Bosnia, Serbia and a part of Croatia are desperate! ...More than 1.200 000 people are affected. Tens of thousands had to be rescued / displaced. Landslides taking homes and bringing danger of moving (war)mines. Whole cities under water.
Still raining ...Please help as much as you can!
Here is link for help to all those countries.

To help Bosnia ( International):

Ac. Holder- Red Cross Society of BiH
Ac.No.- 140-101-12001533-88
Bank - SBERBANK BH d.d. Sarajevo
Address - Fra Andela Zvizdovica 1/A, 71000 Sarajevo BiH
Swift- SABRBA22
Bank Code- BA391401011200153388


Map of affected areas. 


My City  (Brčko) before and after the flood!