Croatian Leek Stew Poriluk Cušpajz Food

CROATIAN LEEK STEW ("PORILUK CUšPAJZ")

Steps:

• Wash the leek very thoroughly (there might be some mud between the leaves) and cut them in 1 inch pieces (also the green parts, at least nice looking one). Preheat the water and when it boils put the leek in it and leave it boil for one minute. During this operation prepare this: put lard in a pot, heat it and brown flour in lard (but not too brown). Add grounded paprika and just few drops of cold water to make "zafrig" (a kind of "sauce veloutè"). Take out leek with hollow spoon, add sliced potato in small cubes and water you have cooked leek in it. Season with salt and pepper and cook until potato is soft (10-20 minutes). Serve as a side dish to steaks, sausages, dried smoked ham etc.

CROATIAN CABBAGE STEW ( PRISILJENO ZELJE")

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage to narrow strips approximately 5mm wide and 2-5 cm long.
• Heat water with vinegar and when it boils put cabbage in it.
• Cook for 3 minutes.
• During this put sliced bacon (in small cubes) on fat until transparent, add flour and brown it.
• Add cold water, tomato juice.
• Take out cabbage with hollow spoon, and throw the water out.
• Add caraway seeds, season with salt and pepper.
• Cook about 30 minutes or until cabbage softens.
• Serve as a side dish to sausages, pork chops, and similar meat and mashed potato.

CROATIAN LENTIL STEW

Steps:

• Soak lentil for 5 hours in cold water.
• Wash the lentil and put it in fresh cold water unit it boils. Cook it for 10 minutes, change the water, and cook for more 10 minutes or until you see lentil soft. Remove lentil and put it in cold water.
• Melt the pig-fat in the pot and add the onion. Sauté the onion until it is soft. Add garlic. Sauté it for 1-2 minutes and add flour. Sauté it until the flour is slightly brown and than add paprika. Add water gently and make a cream of all ingredients. Than add lentil and water to cover the lentil. Season with salt and pepper and add bacon skin.
• Cook for 30 minute on very gently fire, or less if the lentil get soft before. Add sour cream, mix it well and serve.

CROATIAN "COBANAC" STEW

Steps:

• Cut horse and beef meat into small pieces (not larger than 2x2 cm). Do the same with potato.
• Finely mince onion.
• Soak dried porcini mushrooms in cold water about 15 minutes, and than cut into small pieces.
• Cut pancetta into small pieces.
• Heat the lard and sauté onion until translucent. Add meat and continue to sauté (covered) 20 minutes. At that point meat will start to leave juices.
• Add paprika, salt, pepper, bay leaf, pancetta and thyme. Stir well and continue to sauté 5 minutes; now add wine, stir and sauté until alcohol evaporates.
• Add potato and water to cover meat and potato. Add mushrooms. Stir and cook on easy fire about 120 minutes.
• If you need to add more salt do it, but do not add additional pepper or hot paprika. If you want it hot, do it at the beginning.
• The stew must be soup-like. You eat it only with spoon. All ingredients must be soft and easy to eat.

NORTH CROATIAN CUCUMBER STEW ("CUSPAJZ OD KRASTAVACA")

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and cut them as for salad. Salt it and put aside for 10 minutes.
• Melt lard and add finely minced garlic and flour and sauté it until flour become brownish. Add paprika and stir well. Add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Squeeze cucumbers with hand to extract bitter liquid and add cucumbers into the pot. Add vinegar, salt and pepper and cover with water.
• Cook not more than 30 minutes. Before serving add sour cream and stir.

NORTH CROATIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH STEW (BUCE CUSPAJZ)

Steps:

• Cut butternut squash into stripes like thick spaghetti (we buy it usually already cut on the market).
• Salt it and add vinegar and leave it stay for 60 minutes. It must start to leave juices.
• Melt lard and add finely minced onion. Sauté onions until translucent, add flour, stir it until brownish; add cold water and make creamy liquid.
• Add red paprika and some more water.
• Squeeze squash with hands to remove water from it and than add into a pot. Stir it and add some fresh water to cover it.
• Cook gently (it can easily burn) until butternut squash is soft. Before serving add minced dill and sour cream. Serve with pork schnitzels and potato.