Croatian Old Time Veal And Baby Goat Pod Peku Food

CROATIAN OLD TIME VEAL AND BABY GOAT «POD PEKU»

Steps:

• Take appropriate large pot and spread lard over the bottom.
• If meat is too large cut into few pieces, salt them and put into the pot.
• If you use potato, peel potato and cut into 1/8 parts, salt them and put under meat.
• Put spring onions, bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorn into the pot, pour olive oil over, cover with aluminum foil and bake on 200°C for 90 minutes.
• After 90 minutes uncover, see if meat is done, cut larger pieces into smaller and bake 30 to 50 more minutes.
• If you are doing real "peka" you will have to bake it covered, but using aluminum foil now you may decide to bake it uncovered. That will make meat crusty on top.

TRADITIONAL CROATIAN POVITICA

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients except raisins in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is fairly thick (about 30 minutes). Set aside to cool.
• In a large heated bowl, combine yeast, warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar; stir until yeast is dissolved. Set in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until foamy.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter and salt. Add boiling water; stir and cool until lukewarm. Add this mixture to yeast.
• Stir in beaten eggs and add flour gradually.
• Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 5 minutes. This will be softer than bread dough. Place in a greased bowl; cover and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.
• Method for rolling out dough: Cover a work table with a large cotton dish towel or a cloth large enough to cover the entire table. Sprinkle cloth lightly with flour all over the cloth. Put dough in center and roll out as thin as possible with a rolling pin, maintaining a square or rectangle shape.
• Spread the pulled dough evenly with the prepared filling.
• Sprinkle with raisins.
• Roll up the povitica as for a jelly roll, by lifting the cloth up on one side and letting the dough roll itself up.
• Place in a large greased baking pan, two inches deep and form it into an "S" shape. Tuck in the ends and flatten it a little. This may also be cut in half and baked in angel food cake pans or bread pans.
• Cover and let raise for 2-1/2 hours in a warm place.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 50 minutes until nicely browned.
• Cool in pan for 30 minutes then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.

CROATIAN PEPPER COOKIES (PAPRENJACI)

Steps:

• Keep lard 20 minutes on room temperature to become soft. Put lard into flour; add sugar, triturated walnut, yolk, and honey, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pepper. Make crisp dough out of it. Leave the dough 1 to 2 hours in cold place. Make thin (up to 5 mm) flat surface and cut cookies with your wooden mould. If you do not have one, use your mould you have for other cookies (stars, rabbits, ducks, Santa�s etc.). Put them on greased surface and bake them on 200°C about 25 minutes. Serve with hot tea. You can vary spices but be careful: no spice should prevail. I am not sure about number of cookies you will get, depends how big your mould is.