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47 recipes

Morcilla dulceSweet blood sausage with walnuts

No Uruguayan parrilla is complete without morcilla dulce: a soft pork blood sausage sweetened with sugar and scented with orange peel, studded with walnuts and raisins, grilled until the skin crisps and served first, as part of the achuras, while the beef is still cooking. It is pork throughout: pork blood, pork back fat and natural pork casings. Making it at home is a project. Buy fresh pork blood with an anticoagulant added from a butcher who supplies it for sausage making, keep it chilled below 4 °C and use it within a day. The common mistake is poaching at a rolling boil, which bursts the casings. Chef's tip: keep the water at 80–85 °C, just shivering, and prick a sausage after 25 minutes: it is done when brown, not red, juice comes out.

120 min

Paraguayan Meat

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Cocido quemadoBurnt sugar mate drink

Cocido is how Paraguay starts the day: in Asunción, in the villages of Guairá and Itapúa, and in school kitchens, a pot of burnt yerba is brewed and poured into cups with chipa, the cheesy cassava bread, or with a hard galleta. The old way is to drop a glowing piece of charcoal into a pot with yerba and sugar and stir until the sugar burns. On a home stove you caramelise them together in a dry pan instead, which is safer and gives the same smoky, toffee-like taste. The drink is clear amber-brown, with roasted, slightly bitter mate notes over burnt-sugar sweetness; with milk added it becomes cocido con leche, creamy and coffee-coloured. Yerba mate contains caffeine, so treat it like a cup of coffee. The common mistake is letting the sugar go black: it turns acrid and bitter. Pull it off the heat when the caramel is deep amber and the yerba smells toasted, not burnt. It is ready when the liquid is a clear dark amber and tastes of toffee and smoke. Chef's tip: the water will spit fiercely when it hits the hot caramel, so pour it in from the side, at arm's length.

14 min

Paraguayan Drinks

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LakrorLeek and cheese pie

Lakror comes from the south of Albania, around Korçë, where it was baked in a round copper tray under a saç, a domed iron lid heaped with embers, and eaten for breakfast or carried to the fields. Thin rounds of homemade dough are layered with oil, then filled with leeks, onions and cheese, giving a pie that is crisp at the top and soft inside. At home, a very hot oven stands in for the saç. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thick: each round should be thin enough to see your hand through, or the layers stay doughy. Chef's tip: rest the dough balls for 30 minutes after kneading; relaxed dough rolls out thin without shrinking back.

100 minBalkan Baking

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TereréIced yerba mate

In Asunción the hottest part of the day stops for tereré: a horn or cup packed with yerba mate, topped up again and again with ice water infused with crushed herbs, and passed round the group through a metal straw. It was recognised by UNESCO as part of Paraguay's cultural heritage, and the herbs (yuyos) change with the season and the drinker's mood. Yerba mate contains caffeine, so it isn't one for small children. The common mistake is pouring water straight into loose yerba, which then clogs the straw; tilt the yerba to one side first. Chef's tip: for tereré ruso, swap the water for cold orange or grapefruit juice.

10 min

Paraguayan Drinks

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BusecaTripe and white bean stew

Buseca arrived in Montevideo with Italian immigrants from Lombardy and became a classic winter dish of Uruguayan bodegones and family kitchens, eaten on cold June and July days. Honeycomb tripe is simmered until tender, then stewed with white beans, pork chorizo, bacon, peppers, tomato and paprika into a thick, warming stew served with crusty bread. Buy tripe that is already cleaned and blanched (dressed). The usual mistake is undercooking the tripe: it needs a full 2 hours, until it's soft enough to cut with a spoon. Slow-cooker option: after step 4, cook on low for 8 hours. Chef's tip: a little grated lemon zest and parsley stirred in at the end lifts the rich, gelatinous sauce.

185 min

Paraguayan Meat

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Postre MassiniCustard sponge with burnt sugar top

Montevideo's birthday cake of choice since the early twentieth century, the Massini is two thin layers of sponge sandwiching a thick filling of whipped cream folded with egg-yolk custard, crowned with a thin glassy crust of torched yolk and sugar. Bakeries across Uruguay sell it on Sundays. Traditional versions sometimes add a sweet fortified wine to the custard; this one is alcohol-free. The custard is cooked to a safe 71 °C. The common mistake is assembling with warm custard, which melts the cream into a puddle. Chef's tip: if you don't have a blowtorch, put the sugared top under a very hot grill for a minute and watch it closely.

80 min

Paraguayan Baking

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ZlevankaBaked cornmeal and buttermilk cake

Zlevanka, from the Slovenian for 'poured', is a farmhouse batter cake from the Prekmurje and Štajerska regions, poured into a tin and baked for breakfast, then cut into squares and eaten with a big cup of milky white coffee. This sweet version is made with cornmeal and buttermilk, which give it a soft, moist, slightly crumbly crumb with a golden crust; some families add fruit on top. The common mistake is overmixing the batter once the flour goes in, which makes it tough; stir only until combined. Chef's tip: soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk for 15 minutes before mixing, so it softens and the cake isn't gritty.

50 minBalkan Baking

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BrudetFisherman's fish stew

Brudet (or brodetto) is the fisherman's stew of the Dalmatian coast and islands, cooked in Split, Hvar and Korčula with whatever the morning's catch brings, and eaten for Friday lunch and summer suppers. Thick fish steaks on the bone stew slowly in olive oil with onion, garlic, tomato and a dash of wine vinegar, and the pot is shaken, never stirred. It is high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; polenta is the classic partner, but grilled courgettes, chard or a small portion of soft polenta keep the carbohydrate down. About 330 kcal and 10 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is stirring with a spoon, which breaks the fish into shreds. Chef's tip: use at least three kinds of fish, mixing firm and softer ones, for a deeper broth.

60 minBalkan Fish

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KajmakClotted milk cream

At the Zlatibor and Čačak markets, women sell kajmak from wide tubs, cut in soft ivory folds that taste of cooked milk, butter and a little salt. It is made by slowly heating rich milk, letting it settle in shallow pans and lifting off the thick skin that forms as it cools, then layering those skins with salt. This home version uses pasteurised milk and cream and stays in the fridge throughout; the long-aged, raw-milk kajmak of the villages is not something to copy at home. Spread it on warm lepinja or proja, or stir it into hot potatoes. A common mistake is letting the milk boil: the bubbles tear the skin and you end up with flecks instead of a thick sheet. Chef's tip: keep the skimmed milk left underneath for porridge, proja or pancakes; nothing goes to waste.

1440 minBalkan Basics

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Karađorđeva šniclaBreaded stuffed pork roll

Belgrade restaurants have served this since a local chef created it in the mid-20th century, naming it after Karađorđe, leader of the First Serbian Uprising; diners fondly call it the maiden's dream. A thin pork escalope (veal is the other classic) is spread with kajmak, Serbia's rich, slightly tangy clotted cream, rolled tight, double-breaded and fried into a golden log that oozes when cut. It comes with chips or roast potatoes, a lemon wedge and tartar sauce. If you can't find kajmak, beat cream cheese with a little soft butter and a pinch of salt. Rolling it loosely is the mistake that ruins it, because the cream escapes into the oil; roll tightly and chill before breading. Chef's tip: fry only until golden, then finish in the oven, so the crumb stays crisp while the pork cooks through to the centre.

60 minBalkan Meat

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Kranjska klobasaSmoked pork sausage

Slovenians eat Carniolan sausage everywhere, from the stalls of Ljubljana's market to mountain huts and the ski slopes: a coarse, garlicky pork sausage, smoked until bronze, then heated in water and served with mustard, freshly grated horseradish and bread. Made with pork shoulder and back fat chopped rather than finely minced, it snaps when you bite it and spills juice. The official sausage uses curing salt for its pink colour; this home version leaves it out, so the inside is pale, and it is hot-smoked until fully cooked, so it is safe to eat. A common mistake is boiling the sausages to reheat them; they split and dry out, so keep the water just below a simmer. Chef's tip: cut the meat and fat by hand into small dice for some of the mix, it gives the classic chunky bite.

240 minBalkan Meat

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KrompirušaPotato filo pie

In Bosnia only the meat pie is called burek; the potato version is krompiruša, and Sarajevo's buregdžinice bake it in great round copper trays, coiled like a snail. Thin pastry is wrapped around raw diced potato and onion seasoned with pepper, rolled into long ropes and coiled into the tin, then baked until the outside shatters and the potato inside turns soft and peppery. It is entirely plant-based when made with oil and shop-bought filo, which usually contains only flour, water and oil. Eat it hot with a glass of cold plain yogurt, or soya yogurt to keep it vegan. Where most people go wrong is cutting the potatoes too early, so they turn grey and watery; prepare them just before rolling. Chef's tip: when it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with a little hot water and cover with a clean tea towel for 10 minutes, which softens the top layers just as Bosnian bakers do.

90 minBalkan Baking

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KulenPaprika and garlic pork sausage

In Slavonia, eastern Croatia, kulen is the prize of the winter pig slaughter: lean pork, plenty of hot paprika and garlic packed into a thick casing and then smoked and air-dried for months until firm and brick-red. Long home dry-curing needs controlled rooms and curing salts, so this recipe makes a safer fresh kulen-spiced pork sausage, rested overnight in the fridge and cooked through to 71 °C. If you want the real cured kulen, buy it sliced from a good deli; it is eaten uncooked, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Serve the fresh sausages hot with bread, pickled peppers and sour cream or ajvar. A common mistake is letting the meat get warm while mixing, which makes it crumbly. Chef's tip: chill the mince and the bowl until icy before you start.

1485 minBalkan Meat

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Leskovačka mućkalicaCharred pork stew with peppers

Leskovac, in southern Serbia, is the country's grill capital, and its late-summer barbecue festival fills the main street with smoke; mućkalica is what the grill cooks make with meat that has spent time over the coals. Chunks of pork neck or shoulder are charred, then stewed with roasted peppers, onion, tomato and hot paprika until the sauce turns thick, glossy and fiery. This home version marinates the pork in the fridge and sears it on a griddle pan for that charred note. Serve straight from the pot with flatbread and a cucumber salad. The name comes from shaking the pan, and constant stirring is the usual mistake; swirl the pot instead so the pepper strips keep their shape. Chef's tip: char the peppers until black and blistered, then steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes and the skins slip off in seconds.

80 minBalkan Meat

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Njeguški ražanjPork rolls with ham and cheese

Njeguši, the stone village high above the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, is famous for two things: its air-dried pršut ham and its sheep's cheese. This dish wraps both inside thin pork escalopes, which are rolled tight, threaded onto skewers and roasted, traditionally on a spit, until the outside is browned and the cheese melts into the ham. It is pork through and through, and once the rolls are cooked right through the cured ham inside is cooked too. Serve with roast potatoes and a little kajmak or sour cream. A common mistake is pounding the pork too thin, so it tears; aim for 5 mm. Chef's tip: marinate the pork overnight in the fridge with garlic and oil; the meat stays juicy around the salty filling.

90 minBalkan Meat

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Ohridska pastrmkaBaked trout with garlic and parsley

Lakeside restaurants in Ohrid, North Macedonia, are known for trout cooked simply with garlic, parsley and good oil, eaten on a terrace above the water. The famous Ohrid trout itself is now protected and should not be bought, so use farmed rainbow or brown trout fillets: the flesh comes out pink, tender and juicy, with a crisp garlicky crust of breadcrumb-free herbs. Serve with boiled potatoes dressed with oil and a tomato salad. A common mistake is overbaking: trout fillets are thin and go dry in minutes. Chef's tip: mix the garlic and parsley with the oil and a pinch of salt half an hour ahead so the garlic mellows.

25 minBalkan Fish

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PaprenjaciHoney, walnut and pepper biscuits

Paprenjaci have been baked in Zagreb and the villages of northern Croatia for centuries, and today they are on the list of Croatian heritage foods, sold at Christmas fairs and as gifts in pretty tins. The dough is sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and a surprising amount of black pepper, then pressed into carved wooden moulds so each biscuit carries a flower, bird or heart. They are firm at first, with a slow peppery heat behind the honey, and soften after a few days. Serve them with tea, mulled apple juice or coffee. The usual slip is forgetting to flour the mould, so the dough sticks and the pattern tears; dust it every time. Chef's tip: grind the pepper as finely as you can, almost to a powder, so you get warmth in every bite rather than hard specks.

90 minBalkan Baking

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PastrmajlijaFlatbread with salted pork and egg

Štip in eastern North Macedonia holds a whole festival for pastrmajlija, a long boat-shaped flatbread baked in a wood oven and loaded with little cubes of salted pork, finished with a cracked egg and sometimes a hot pepper. Traditionally the meat is pastrma, dried salted pork or mutton; this home version salts diced pork shoulder in the fridge for a few hours and then bakes it on the dough until fully cooked, so it is safe and juicy. Eat it hot from the oven, torn by hand, with pickled peppers and a glass of cold yogurt drink. A common mistake is rolling the dough too thin; it needs a soft, chewy base to hold the meat juices. Chef's tip: bake on a pizza stone or upturned heavy tray, as hot as your oven goes.

150 minBalkan Meat

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PispiliCornbread with spinach and cheese

When the spring greens come up in southern Albania, around Korçë and down towards Gjirokastër, households bake pispili in a round tray: a coarse cornmeal batter spread over a thick bed of spinach, leeks, dill and crumbled white cheese, then baked until the top is cracked and golden. Neither bread nor quite a pie, it is cut into diamonds and eaten warm or at room temperature, often with a bowl of yogurt, olives and spring onions for a simple lunch. Albanian white cheese and most feta are made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian feta-style cheese. The usual slip is leaving the greens wet: squeeze them hard, or the bottom layer steams into a soggy paste under the cornmeal. Chef's tip: drag a fork across the batter before it goes in the oven and drizzle oil into the grooves; that gives the rough, crackly crust pispili is loved for.

60 minBalkan Baking

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PodvarakSauerkraut baked with pork shoulder

On Serbian winter tables, at Christmas, slava feast days and Sunday lunch in Vojvodina farmhouses, podvarak is the sauerkraut that has drunk up the roast. Shredded fermented cabbage is fried with plenty of onion and paprika, then baked under pieces of pork shoulder (turkey is the other favourite) until the top of the kraut caramelises and the meat falls from the bone. It is sharp, sweet and savoury at once; serve it with mashed potato or bread and pickled peppers. Fry in lard for the old-fashioned flavour or sunflower oil if you prefer. Baking it dry is the common mistake: the cabbage needs water and a tight cover first, or the edges scorch before it softens. Chef's tip: uncover for the last 40 minutes and baste the meat; the sticky, browned edges of the kraut are the prized bit.

150 minBalkan Meat

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Prekmurska gibanicaLayered poppy seed and apple cake

Prekmurje, the flat north-eastern corner of Slovenia on the Mura river near the Hungarian border, built this towering cake for weddings and harvest feasts, and it is now protected as a traditional speciality. On a shortcrust base sit eight thin layers, four fillings repeated twice: poppy seed, curd cheese, walnut and apple, each separated by thin pastry and soaked with sour cream and melted butter, so every slice shows neat stripes of grey, white, brown and gold. Serve it warm or the next day with coffee; it keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well. Curd cheese (skuta or quark) is usually rennet-free, but check the label. Going heavy on the fillings is the classic trap: each layer should be about 1 cm, or the cake won't bake through and the stripes blur. Chef's tip: make all four fillings the evening before, and assembly the next day takes just 20 minutes.

180 minBalkan Baking

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Hadžijski ćevapBeef and onion stew with vinegar

Named for the hadžije, pilgrims returning from Mecca who were welcomed home with a feast, this Bosnian stew is nothing like grilled ćevapi: cubes of beef are slowly braised with an almost equal weight of onions, garlic, paprika, black pepper and a good splash of vinegar until the onions melt into a sweet-sour gravy. In Sarajevo it is served in a clay pot with mashed potato or rice, and it tastes even better the next day. The usual slip is skimping on onions; they are the sauce. Chef's tip: add the vinegar in two stages, half at the start to tenderise and half at the end for brightness.

120 minBalkan Meat

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BallokumeCornmeal butter cookies

Every 14 March, Elbasan in central Albania celebrates Dita e Verës, Summer Day, an old spring festival that is now a national holiday, and the whole town smells of ballokume. These pale golden cookies are made from cornmeal, lots of butter, sugar and eggs, beaten until almost fluffy, then baked into little domes that crack on top and melt into sandy, buttery crumbs. Families give plates of them to neighbours and children nibble them alongside the red-and-white spring bracelets called verore; they are lovely with tea or Turkish-style coffee. This version is gluten free, made with fine cornmeal and cornflour, so check both packets carry a gluten-free label. Under-beating is the classic error: the butter and sugar need a full ten minutes until almost white, or the cookies bake dense and greasy. Chef's tip: chill the shaped cookies for 15 minutes before baking so they keep their dome.

45 minBalkan Baking

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Brav u mlijekuLamb slow-cooked in milk

Highland shepherds in northern Montenegro cook young lamb this way when the flocks come down from summer pastures, slowly in a covered pan with milk, garlic and rosemary until the meat comes off the bone and the milk has reduced to a savoury, slightly curdled, golden sauce over the potatoes. It sounds unusual but tastes wonderfully mellow, sweet and garlicky. Serve it with bread and a green salad. The usual slip is cooking it uncovered from the start, so the milk scorches before the lamb is soft. Chef's tip: uncover only for the last half hour, so the top browns while the sauce underneath stays creamy.

150 minBalkan Meat

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