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Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style Recipe

Beans and Sardines
June 26, 2025 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, comfort, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly meal, Istrian dish, light meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, stuffed dishes, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian, weekend

If you are looking for a little inspiration for a slightly different appetizer, look no further.

Artichokes are a great garden vegetable, rich in potassium and iron, and low in calories, but somehow ignored and overlooked in the supermarkets or vegetable stalls as the majority of people are not acquainted with this vegetable, not quite sure how to prepare it, clean it and eat it.

This dish is rustic and informal, artichokes are trimmed and stuffed with garlicky breadcrumbs, then cooked in a saucepan until tender.

Each leaf is then individually removed to scoop up a bit of the sauce, and with the top of your teeth you scrape the bottom of the leaf.

This recipe might look complicated to make but despite its elegant appearance there is nothing difficult or intimidating about it.

Artichokes have been hugely popular up and down Italy, and artichokes bottoms are a specifically Venetian delicacy.

Due to geographical proximity there is no surprise that this wonderful vegetable has been prepared and cooked in Slovenian Istria since forever, the area was dominated and gastronomically influenced by the Most Serene Republic of Venice.

In a coastal town of Strunjan, every year, towards the end of May, there is a festival called Dnevi Artičok (Artichoke Days) to honour this humble vegetable that is growing and thriving in this area due to a mild Mediterranean climate.

During the festival you can learn and taste a variety of artichoke dishes. This event values a still little know Istrian Artichokes, smaller than the common artichoke but packed with flavour and therefore greatly appreciated among the gourmets community.

I am sharing here my mum's recipe, I loved cleaning the artichokes with her, and as a child I found pulling the outer leaves such a great fun. I think sometimes I pulled away far too many, but of course, my mother never said anything, and when she cooked this dish it always somehow felt a special treat.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter

  • 4 fresh globe artichokes

  • dry breadcrumbs, 70g (approximately 6Tbsp)

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, about a handful (7g roughly), finely chopped

  • extra virgin olive oil (about 6Tbsp) 4Tbsp for the stuffing and 2Tbsp for the sauce

  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and pressed

  • Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, about 30g (or to taste), optional, finely grated (can use other types of cheeses to your liking)

  • water or vegetable stock 200ml (using a good quality instant vegetable stock is perfectly fine)

  • sea salt, to taste

  • black pepper, optional, to taste

  • lemon juice of 1 lemon

Method

Take a big bowl (big enough to accommodate the artichokes), fill it with cold water and add lemon juice of 1 lemon.

Reserve the lemon halves for later use.

Start by cleaning and preparing the artichokes, one at a time.

Trim off the stem of the artichoke so it can stand and sit upright without rolling over. Put the stem in the acidulated water and set aside for later use.

Rub the base of the artichoke with a lemon half, this will prevent from turning it brown.

Tear off the outer toughest leaves, (one or two layers, depending on the artichokes) but leave most of the leaves on.

With the sharp knife cut off the tip of the artichoke, about 2-3cm (1inch).

View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 4.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 7.jpg

Take a pair of scissors and trim off the pointed and slightly prickly and spiky tips of the remaining outer leaves.

Place the artichoke on a working surface, and with your hands loose the leaves a bit, so you create little gaps between the leaves.

View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 6.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 8.jpg

Rub the artichoke with the cut end of half a lemon and place treated and trimmed artichoke in a bowl with cold acidulated water previously prepared (this stops the artichokes from browning, and discolouring). Carry on with the process with the rest of the artichokes.

While the trimmed artichokes are in the bowl prepare the stuffing.

In a bowl place breadcrumbs, finely chopped parsley, pressed garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and grated cheese, if using.

Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined, incorporated and amalgamated, set aside.

View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 10.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 11.jpg

Place about 2-3Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan, big and large enough to accommodate all 4 artichokes.

Take the artichoke out of the bowl (one at the time), drain it a bit, and with your hands loose the leaves once again if necessary.

Using your hands (or a spoon) stuff the spaces between the leaves of the artichoke and put some filling on the top of the artichoke.

(do not worry if some of the stuffing falls around the artichoke on your working top, scoop it up and put it back on the top of the artichoke, slightly pressing it down).

Place the stuffed artichoke in a saucepan, sitting upright, they should be snuggled together tightly.

View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 12.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 13.jpg

Repeat the process until you stuff all the artichokes and they are all in the saucepan.

Take the stems out of the bowl, if using, I highly recommend you do, as it will create a wonderfully delicious sauce.

Peel and finely chop or dice the stems. Scatter them in the saucepan all around the stuffed artichokes.

View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 16.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Artichokes Istrian Style 17.jpg

Carefully pour water or vegetable stock, cover with the lid and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat and gently cook and simmer for about 45 minutes. It can take up to 1 hour, this will depend on the age and the size of the artichokes.

Check now and again, give a saucepan a little shake. If the sauce is getting too thick simply add a splash of water or vegetable stock.

When cooked, artichokes should be nice and tender, the leaves should pull easily from the centre, most of the liquid should be evaporated, and you should be left with a sauce that is nor too thin or too thick.

Remove from the heat and serve warm or at room temperature.

Spoon a bit of the sauce around and on the top of cooked artichokes.

June 26, 2025 /tina oblak
fresh artichokes, globe artichokes, stuffed artichokes, Istrian Artichokes
Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, comfort, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly meal, Istrian dish, light meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, stuffed dishes, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian, weekend
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Grilled Squid (Calamari) Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
August 14, 2024 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Starters, supper

Tender and succulent, grilled or pan-fried squid can be enjoyed all year round, but it is particularly popular during the hot weather, it is light and fresh and makes a perfect summer meal.

This classic Mediterranean dish can be served as an appetizer or part of a main dish, and it is incredibly easy and fast to make.

Some people are put off and maybe a bit reluctant cooking with squid maybe as a result of experiencing chewy and rubbery tasting squid.

For the squid to be tender it needs to be cooked very fast for only a few minutes or slow cooked, at least 30 minutes, and seasoned with sea salt at the very end.

Observe these two tricks and successful end result is guaranteed. For a very tender squid I have been suggested to soak the squid in milk prior cooking (I have not tried this yet).

This dish is very popular along the Slovenian coast and can be found on menus in just about any type of restaurant. Locals refer to this dish as Kalamari na žaru or called Lignji na žaru in standard Slovenian.

It is traditionally served with a simple garlic, parsley and olive oil sauce referred to by the locals as Tržaska omaka (Trieste sauce, Triestine sauce or salsa Triestina).

I am sharing here the family recipe for this seriously delicious grilled squid, after you try it, you will be checking out the fish counter for fresh squid a bit more often!

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main with a side dish

  • 1kg fresh squid, tubes and tentacles, cleaned (if daunted by the task of cleaning the squid yourself ask your fishmonger to do it for you). Alternatively you can use store bought already cleaned frozen squid, make sure it is defrosted safely before using.

  • extra virgin olive oil, a generous drizzle

  • sea salt

  • black pepper, optional

  • 1 lemon, cut in wedges to serve, optional

  • For the sauce, optional

  • 1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 10g) washed, dried and very finely chopped

  • 2 cloves of garlic or to taste, very finely chopped, as finely as you can

  • 3-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Rinse well already cleaned squid under cold running water (make sure you rinse the inside of the tubes as well).

Dry well with kitchen paper and place in a dish, plate or bowl. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, toss the squid and leave to rest for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

View fullsize Grilled Squid 4.jpg
View fullsize Grilled Squid 5.jpg

While the squid is marinating in olive oil make the sauce if using. Place very finely chopped garlic and parsley in a small bowl and add extra virgin olive oil, mix well and set aside until needed. The quantities for this simple sauce in this recipe are approximate and you can adjust it and tweak it to your liking. Add more garlic if you wish, omit garlic altogether if not keen having raw garlic in the sauce, add more oil etc.

Take a griddle or regular non stick pan and heat very well.

When is very hot place the squid tubes and tentacles in a pan and cook for about 5 minutes, two and a half minutes on each side.

If you see the squid is drying out a bit just drizzle or brush a bit more olive oil.Season with sea salt at the very end.

Place the little bowl with garlic, parsley and olive oil sauce on the table, so everyone can spoon a bit of sauce on top of grilled squid if desired, and lemon wedges.

Serve grilled squid with boiled potatoes, chard with potatoes, chips or simply with some rustic bread. You can also serve it on a bed of rocket and make it into a main seafood salad dish.

Just a thought

The sauce should always be offered separately for everyone to be given a choice to spoon it over grilled squid if desired.

If you are left over with the sauce, you can spoon it on other types of grilled or pan-fried fish, great on grilled scallops and other sea food like prawns or langoustines.

Although not part of local costume this sauce can be spooned over grilled meat or pizza.

August 14, 2024 /tina oblak
fresh squid, fresh calamari, frozen squid, frozen calamari, quick squid dish, Kalamari na žaru, Lignji na žaru, Tržaska omaka, Trieste sauce, Triestine sauce, salsa Triestina
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Starters, supper
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Sea Bass Baked in Sea Salt Crust Recipe

Beans and Sardines
May 22, 2024 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, baked fish, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Venetian dish

Cooking sea bass, or any medium to large fish, covered in sea salt is one of the best ways of preparing it. The crust that forms during the baking helps to seal in the fish juices resulting in the fish meat having a very delicate taste and staying very moist and succulent which makes it incredibly flavoursome and deliciously tender to eat.

Sea salt crust prevents and shelters the fish in the oven from direct heat and allows it to bake evenly without the risk of overbaking it and therefore drying the fish. This recipe is also incredibly healthy as there is no need for additional fats or condiments.

This recipe for sure is a real showstopper and meant for special occasions. When you break the sea salt crust in front of your guests you create a bit of drama and bring a bit of theatre to your meal, it will leave them very impressed indeed!

The recipe has a very cheffy feel to it, but on the contrary to what you might think, the recipe is surprisingly simple.

This simple method of cooking the fish has been widely known and practised in various countries in the Mediterranean. It would have been expensive to prepare this dish, as quite a large amount of salt is needed. The dish would have been reserved as a feast dish for prosperous and wealthy, but it is believed that the recipe originated from the people on a more modest budget living in the areas where sea salt was produced.

This way of cooking is very popular in the Venetian area where preparing the fish this way is traced back before the end of the Roman Empire, during which time the salt pans were fully operating in the lagoon of Venice.

This practice of cooking the fish covered in sea salt crust has been also very popular along the Slovenian coastline since the time when La Serenissima (the Most Serene Republic of Venice) occupied this territory which is also blessed with the presence of the salt pans and the abundance of sea salt.

This recipe is not really suggested as your mid-week dinner. The locals would sometimes prepare the fish baked in sea salt crust in the households to mark and celebrate special occasions, but most of the time it would be enjoyed and ordered as a treat in the restaurants specialised in serving fish and sea food where you can find this dish on the menu in Slovenian as Brancin v soli or in Italian (due to present bilingualism) as Branzino al sale.

I am sharing here my family recipe to enjoy.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 people

  • 2 whole sea bass (each weighing about 400g), clean, gutted and ideally not scaled, however, you can use the fish that has been scaled already. Ask the fishmonger to help you with this task if uncomfortable tackling it yourself.

  • 2kg sea salt

  • fresh rosemary or parsley sprigs, optional

  • pepper, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Gut and clean the fish.

Rinse well the fish inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

If you wish you can stuff the inside of the fish belly (cavity) with fresh spring of parsley or rosemary and season with pepper.

Prepare the salt mixture to make the salt crust by putting the sea salt in a bowl and add enough water (about 100ml but you might need a bit more) so the mixture is wet and moist enough to be moulded. A bit like the sand on the beach when you are trying to build a sandcastle, if the sand is too dry or too wet you cannot shape it.

The principal for making sea salt mixture is similar, use a little bit of your judgment how much water you should use.

View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 2.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 3.jpg

Line a baking tray (large enough to fit the fish comfortably) with baking parchment.

Put half of the salt mixture into a lined baking tray and flatten to make a bed for the fish.

Place the fish on top.

Cover completely with the remaining salt mixture.

Press with your hands to mould and seal.

View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 5.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 6.jpg

Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and lightly golden.

Remove the fish from the oven and bring it to the table in its crust.

Carefully crack the salt crust, remove it from the fish and discard.

Peel and remove the skin from the fish and discard that too.

Brush off any excess salt to avoid getting on to the fish.

View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 7.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Baked in sea salt crust Recipe 10.jpg

Flake the fish from the bone in large pieces and place them onto a serving plate.

Spoon over a simple green sauce made with olive oil and finely chopped fresh parsley, and serve with some boiled new potatoes, spinach or chard with garlic and olive oil, salad, creamed spinach, bean salad, green beans salad, peperonata Istrian style.

Just a thought

You can stuff the cavity of the fish with herbs of your preference like fresh parsley, rosemary or thyme, or garlic and a slice of lemon, or a combination.

Wine suggestion

Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2023 - Selezione Argiolas

May 22, 2024 /tina oblak
Sea Bass, Fresh whole Sea Bass, Fresh whole Sea Bream, sea salt, fresh herbs, Sea Salt Crust, Fresh whole fish in Sea Salt Crust
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, baked fish, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Venetian dish
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Steamed and Marinated Prawns Istrian style Recipe

Beans and Sardines
December 27, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, bite-sized nibbles, Canapés, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Starters, supper, Venetian dish

This uncomplicated dish with its delicate flavour consists of quickly boiling, chilling and dressing the prawn tails with a simple dressing. This dressing is made with olive oil, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped garlic (optional), freshly squeezed lemon juice and seasoned with sea salt. Black pepper can also be added if desired.

It is perfect to make ahead of time and enjoyed as a starter or as a second course.

Traditionally, this recipe would call for Mantis shrimps (from Latin Squilla Mantis) which is a type of mantis shrimp, fished in the shallow sandy lagoons of the northern Adriatic and Mediterranean during colder months of the year. They represent a real seasonal treat and a type of seafood not typically seen anywhere else. This particular variety of shrimp is also widely used to make risotti, it is delicious in fish stew, and used to prepare pasta sauce.

This seafood delicacy is very much valued and appreciated along the north Adriatic coast from Venice to Trieste in Italy, in nearby inland towns, and along the Slovenian coast, where Mantis Shrimp is known as morska bogomolka or morska bogomoljka or in local dialect as kanoče (strong influence from nearby Venice, where these types of shrimp are referred to as canoce, also spelt canocce).

In Italy, this particular type of shrimp has many names, in standard Italian it is called Cannocchia, pannochia or cicala di mare, which literally translates into cicada of the sea.

I am sharing here the family recipe for this simple dish that can be prepared ahead of time and be ready when you are. Enjoy it with some rustic bread to soak up the juices.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 500g prawns

For the dressing

  • 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or to taste)

  • a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 3g), finely chopped

  • small clove of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped, optional

  • lemon juice, to taste, optional

  • sea salt

  • finely ground black pepper, optional

Method

Wash the prawns (or mantis shrimp, if you can get hold of them) under the cold running water.

Place them in a fairly large, shallow pot lying side by side, preferably in a single layer.

Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.

Add a pinch of sea salt and bring to boil, then turn the heat down.

Cover with the lid and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink in colour.

View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 2.jpg
View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 3.jpg

Remove from the pot and let them cool a bit, i.e. enough to handle them.

Remove the tails from the shell.

Place cleaned prawn tails in a serving dish in a single layer.

View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 4.jpg
View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 5.jpg

Prepare the dressing by putting in a small bowl finely chopped garlic (if using), fresh flat leaf parsley, extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of half of lemon juice or to taste, sea salt to taste and finely ground black pepper to taste (optional).

Mix well so all the ingredients incorporate well.

Spoon over the cooked prawn tails and serve immediately with some fresh crunchy bread and some lemon wedges (optional).

View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 6.jpg
View fullsize Boiled shripms ( canocchie) with dressing 7.jpg

If made in advance, cover with the cling film and put in the fridge.

Take out of the fridge half an hour before serving and add a little more extra virgin olive oil if needed, sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with some bread to soak up the juices.

December 27, 2023 /tina oblak
Prawns, Mantis shrimps, Squilla Mantis, morska bogomolka, morska bogomoljka, kanoče, Cannocchia, pannochia, cicala di mare, extra virgin olive oil, fresh flat leaf parsley, lemon juice, dressing
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, bite-sized nibbles, Canapés, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Starters, supper, Venetian dish
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Clear Beef Broth Soup Recipe

Beans and Srdines
November 22, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, Austrian inspired dishes, Celebratory dish, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Christmas dish, dinner, Eastern European dishes, Eastern European recipes, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Hearty soups, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Italian soups, light meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Soups, Starters, supper

Beef broth is a strained, thin, clear type of a soup, cooked with meat, vegetables and fresh herbs. It is incredibly easy to make, and therefore, a perfect recipe for the beginners.

This soup is very comforting, hearty and delicate but incredibly flavoursome. It can be eaten as a hot starter or as a first course meal, instead of other types of soups, pasta, risotto or gnocchi dishes.

It is also recurrently used as a stock, to make risotto dishes for example, and in countless other recipes.

This is a staple dish in Slovenia where it is almost impossible to imagine a traditional family Sunday lunch without it. It will be prepared and served also during holidays including Christmas, New Year, Easter, and to mark special family celebrations. It is one of the basic dishes in Slovenia together with clear chicken or vegetable broth, and every household will have a little secret how to make the best one.

Slovenian households will almost always have some stored in the fridge or in the freezer, and you will have no trouble finding it on almost every menu as Goveje juha.

If you happen to fall ill with the cold or a flue in Slovenia, you will most surely be offered a hot clear broth to make you feel better as it is used like a “magic cure”.

Along the Slovenian coast the use of fresh marjoram will distinguish this broth from other regional varieties of the recipe found in neighbouring Italy and Austria for example, where this soup is also very popular and very much-loved dish.

I am sharing here my family recipe for this delicious soup.

Ingredients

It will make about 2 litres of broth.

  • about 800g beef meat (cheaper cuts like shin of beef/shank or shoulder/beef clod are normally used, these types of meats are quite tough but when slowed cooked over a low heat will result in tender, moist and rich in flavour). You can use chicken meat, with most of the skin removed, or a combination of chicken and beef.

  • about 450g oxtail or beef bones (beef marrow bone rings), optional

  • 1 parsnip, washed and peeled

  • 1 carrot, washed and peeled

  • 1 medium onion, peeled

  • a piece of celeriac (about 80g), peeled, optional

  • 1 celery stick, washed

  • a few celery leaves, optional

  • a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs (stalks included), washed

  • a few sprigs of fresh marjoram, optional

  • a few whole black peppercorns

  • sea salt

  • 4 l cold water

Method

Cut the onion in half and place the two halves of the onion in a small pan (flat sides facing down) without adding any oil or other types of fat.

Fry for a few minutes until blackened slightly, then set aside.

View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 3.jpg
View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 4.jpg

Wash the meat and the bones, and place them in a fairly large pot (big stock pot is ideal if you have one).

Add all the washed and prepared vegetables, and the herbs.

Add the black peppercorns, water and bring to the boil.

View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 5.jpg
View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 6.jpg

With the slotted spoon skim the foam from the surface.

Lower the heat to a minimum and partially cover with the lid.

Check the broth now and again and make sure it is not boiling aggressively, it should simmer very gently for about 3 hours.

Skim regularly the foam from the surface.

When the broth is cooked add sea salt to your taste.

Remove all the vegetables, the meat and the bones from the pot and set aside.

View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 7.jpg
View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 8.jpg

Filter the broth, if you want to end up with a very clear soup (this phase is optional if you do not want a “muddy” looking broth).

Place the colander, lined with clean kitchen towel, muslin cloth, or cheese cloth, over another large pot (big enough to contain all the broth) and gently pour,or ladle, the broth into the lined colander.

View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 9.jpg
View fullsize Clear Beef Broth 11.jpg

Beef broth can be enjoyed clear, on its own, or with a small, shaped pasta (like little stars or orzo pasta), egg type noodles (like vermicelli or tagliolini pasta), croutons, shredded pancakes, grated egg based pasta dough, semolina dumplings, little tortellini, capelletti or passatelli, and Austrian style bread dumplings, just to mention a few.

Vegetables and herbs removed from the broth get normally discarded (except the carrot, parsnip and other root vegetable, which sometimes are cut into smaller pieces and put back into the broth when served).

Meat can be shredded back into the broth, or sliced and eaten as a main dish separately, traditionally it is accompanied by horseradish cream sauce, freshly grated horseradish, mustard, mayonnaise and pan-fried potatoes with onions and pancetta.

Just a thought

You can store the broth in the fridge for 2/3 days. Make sure you cool it first completely and then store it in the fridge, leaving the broth in a pot or transferring it into an airtight container.

You can also freeze the broth for up to 3 months.

November 22, 2023 /tina oblak
clear beef broth soup, clear meat broth soup, clear chicken broth soup, clear vegetable broth soup, parsnip, carrots, meat based stock, made ahead, goveja juha, domaca goveja juha, brodo di carne, beef meat, shin of beef, beef shank, beef shoulder, beef clod, oxtail, beef bones, beef marrow bone rings, celeriac
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, Austrian inspired dishes, Celebratory dish, Central European recipes, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, Christmas dish, dinner, Eastern European dishes, Eastern European recipes, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, festive dish, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Hearty soups, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, Italian soups, light meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Soups, Starters, supper
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Classic Tomato, Cucumber, Pepper and Onion Summer Salad Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
July 20, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, dinner, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This colourful cucumber, tomato, pepper and onion salad is very refreshing, and it is made during the summer when the vegetables are at their best and in abundance.

It is absolutely delicious, so easy to make, it hardly takes any effort.

It is traditionally served as a side dish to accompany grilled meats, but can be enjoyed as a main meal on a hot summer's day when you want to keep things easy.

To make it more substantial, I simply toast a piece bread, cut it into cubes and mix it into the salad (resembling a concept of Italian, Tuscan, Panzanella salad).

If you ever had a chance to travel along the Istrian coast or Dalmatia (in Croatia) and asked in the restaurant for a side salad, it is most likely that you were brought this one. It is an absolute classic during the summer season as the vegetables in this salad have a very high content of water and therefore the salad is very cooling.

This type of salad has been on the dinner tables of the locals – well, since forever, during the summer months almost on a daily basis.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4 (as a side salad)

  • 1 yellow bell pepper (can use orange, red or green bell pepper)

  • 1 medium-large cucumber

  • 2-4 tomatoes (depending on the size, I used vine tomatoes each weighing roughly 170g) Make sure you use in season, ripe and juicy tomatoes (can use San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beef tomatoes, grape tomatoes or a variety of your preference).

  • red onion or salad onion (about 40g), sliced

  • a few fresh basil leaves, torn, or dry oregano (optional)

    For the dressing

  • extra virgin olive oil, generous drizzle

  • red or white wine vinegar, a drizzle

  • sea salt, to taste

  • black pepper, to taste

Method

Peel and slice the cucumber into coins and place into a big salad bowl.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the bowl.

Slice the bell pepper and the onions and put into the bowl.

Mix gently all the vegetables.

Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of vinegar, season with sea salt and black pepper.

For extra dimension, in terms of flavour, sprinkle the salad with a bit of dried oregano or with a few freshly torn basil leaves.

Toss and serve.

July 20, 2023 /tina oblak
fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, red onions, salad onions, fresh basil leaves, dried origano, red wine vinegar, white whine vinegar, Istrian summer salad, Croatian summer salad
Adriatic Recipe, dinner, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Summer Risotto with Fresh Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
June 21, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This light and fresh summer risotto is made with juicy and ripe tomatoes that are in season, and it is a great alternative to a very much loved and more common pasta with tomatoes sauce.

It is low in budget, healthy, incredibly easy and simple to make, an ideal solution for a midweek lunch or dinner, it can be served as first course or as a main paired with grilled or pan fried fish or meat.

During the whole of the summer season, and especially during the summer holidays, my mother would make this colourful risotto quite often, this is the time of the year when the the tomatoes are at their peak, the ripest and the sweetest, and they are in abundance.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for this humble and delicious summer tomato risotto served with freshly torn fragrant basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, you will come back to this recipe time and time again.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped

  • 500g vine tomatoes or other variety of ripe and sweet tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped

  • 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)

  • a few fresh basil leaves

  • 1 litre of hot vegetable broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable stock powder)

  • a bit of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

  • sea salt

  • ground black pepper

  • a handful of Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, optional

  • a knob of butter, optional

Method

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable stock ready to hand for later.

Put extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes on a gentle heat until cooked down and soft.

View fullsize Tomato Risotto 3.jpg
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Add roughly chopped tomatoes, a few basil leaves, put the lid on and cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should be fully cooked and broken down.

View fullsize Tomato Risotto 4.jpg
View fullsize Tomato Risotto 6.jpg
View fullsize Tomato Risotto 9.jpg
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Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

View fullsize Tomato Risotto 11.jpg
View fullsize Tomato Risotto 12.jpg

Pour or ladle a bit of hot vegetable stock and cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more (you might not need all the stock).

There should be enough liquid just to cover the risotto, the Italians say that a risotto should be smooth and runny enough to be described as all'onda, on the wave.

Cook on a medium heat, siring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente (meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten).

It should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with black pepper (if using) and sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores generally speaking contain salt already.

Stir in finely chopped fresh leaf parsley.

For even creamier texture and a slightly richer flavour you can finish cooking the tomato risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase (as soon as the risotto is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a knob of cold butter to the risotto, and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously).

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot and a bit runny in consistency.

Ladle the risotto onto the plates and sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh parsley and a few basil leaves for garnish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Valle Isarco Müller Thurgau DOC "Sass Rigais" 2021 - Manni Nössing

June 21, 2023 /tina oblak
fresh tomatoes, ripe tomatoes, sweet tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh vine tomatoes, risotto rice, Arborio rice, Carnaroli rice, light risotto, tomato risotto
Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Mackerel in a Pan with Olive oil, Lemon juice and Fresh parsley Recipe

Beans and Sardines
May 11, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, brunch, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper

Mackerel, or any other type of fish, cooked in a pan with olive oil, fresh parsley, lemon juice and a splash of water is probably the simplest fish-based recipe, and it is absolutely perfect for all of those who are slightly intimidated and generally not too confident cooking with fish.

It is a no-fuss dish and a great choice for a quick and uncomplicated rustic lunch or dinner, it is very nutritious and healthy as it contains beneficial fats (omega-3 fatty acids).

This dish is of Venetian influence and the success of it lies in seasoning well the fish and using the freshest and best quality ingredients you can find and afford to buy.

Mackerel is an inexpensive, affordable, massively underrated fish, and far too often overlooked by the shoppers, maybe perhaps it is an oily fish that carries a slightly stronger and distinctive flavours compared to some other fish.

In this one pan recipe the fresh and citrusy ingredients like parsley and lemon juice, cut through the richness, “oiliness” and “fishiness” of the mackerel, and when combined with the juices released from the fish during the cooking process. This combination of the flavours produces the most stunning plate of food.

I am sharing here this very simple family recipe, which is an absolute winner. Fish cooked this way has been prepared and loved in my family for generations using different types of fish depending on what was found fresh in the fish market on the day.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1kg fresh mackerel, gutted, cleaned, washed, and dried (the fishmonger will be happy to do this for you, alternatively you can use the fillets).

    For this recipe you can easily replace mackerel for other types of fish or fillets of your choice like sea bream, sea bass, sardines, trout, and monkfish to name just a few.

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about10g, plus some extra for serving), finely chopped

  • lemon juice of ½ lemon or to taste

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Season the outside and the inside (the cavity) of the mackerel with sea salt.

Put the olive oil in a pan (big enough to accommodate the mackerel).

Place the whole fish or the fillets in a pan in a single layer.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley, add the lemon juice, a splash of water and black pepper to taste (optional).

Cover with the lid and cook the fish on a gentle heat for about 25 minutes (if using the fillets cooking time will reduce to about 15 minutes).

View fullsize Mackerel with lemon juice, olive oil and parsley 2.jpg
View fullsize Mackerel with lemon juice, olive oil and parsley 3.jpg

To serve, lay the whole mackerel, or the fillets, on a plate and pour the juices they have released during the cooking process, over them.

Best enjoyed warm with some crunchy rustic bread, boiled potatoes, cooked rice, grilled polenta, and a side salad of your choice.

Wine suggestion

Venezia Giulia Bianco Sivi IGT 2018 - Dario Princic

May 11, 2023 /tina oblak
whole mackerel, whole fresh mackerel, fresk mackerel fillets, trout, sea bass, sea bream, monkfish, lemon juice, fresh parsley, skuša
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, brunch, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper
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Grilled Polenta Recipe

Beans and Sardines
May 04, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, bite-sized nibbles, breakfast, brunch, Canapés, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Finger food, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, savory nibbles, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Snacks, supper, Vegan, Vegetarian, Venetian dish

Polenta, despite being offered and marketed as one of the fairly recent gastronomic fashions in high end restaurants around the world, has incredibly humble origins, it represents a staple peasant food that fed the poorest of the poor.

Grilled polenta slices taste great, they are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and will have a very light smoky flavour when barbecued, they are very easy to make and incredibly practical and convenient, as polenta mixture can be prepared ahead of time.

Polenta is incredibly versatile, in fact, there is nothing really that does not go with grilled polenta, it is one of the best side dishes you can pick to go with your grilled or barbecued meat, fish or vegetables.

Grilled polenta slices topped with vegetables (sautéed mushrooms, peppers, courgettes), different types of cheeses, cured meats and spreads make the most sophisticated appetizers and finger food to be served with drinks.

Polenta in Slovenin Istra is traditionally enjoyed with different meat, fish or bean stews, and Venetian style liver. What is wonderful is polenta with creamed salted cod, and even a simple fried egg can accompany humble polenta.

Polenta used to be also eaten for breakfast, however, this gastronomic ritual from the past has nowadays almost disappeared. Only a handful of elderly people would still have it as the first meal of the day, perhaps as a nostalgic reminder of their youth.

My nona told me that cooled and set polenta would be cut into smaller pieces, put into a bowl, then some milk would be added, and a pinch of sea salt to counterpart the natural sweetness of the milk. This provided a very nourishing morning meal. I guess it was like an old-fashioned concept of bowl of cereal with milk.

Polenta is also incredibly popular in the neighbouring region of Friuli, in Italy, where maize flour cooked in milk, speciality from the region called Suf, used to be eaten either for breakfast or as an evening meal, this dish provided a nutritious and easily digested plate of food.

Nowadays, polenta, being soft cooked, hard cooked or grilled, it is still very much loved and is a recurrently cooked dish in almost every household for unpretentious mid-week meals, or during festivities. Its popularity has never decreased and reflects a true identity of the local people and is deeply rooted in the gastronomic traditions of the area.

I am sharing here the recipe for this polenta dish where hot cooked runny polenta would be traditionally poured on round wooden boards, and not into loaf tins like I do for practical reasons. When polenta was completely cooled and set so it becomes firm it would then be cut into strips or random shaped chunks, and then quickly pan fried (only left over polenta used to be grilled).

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 250g yellow or white polenta (instant polenta) maize flour

  • 1 litre of water

  • sea salt

Method

Before you start cooking the polenta prepare the loaf tin. With a brush (or just with your hands and fingers) slightly oil the loaf tin, this will prevent polenta from sticking.

Pour the water into a pan and bring to boil (to speed up the process you can use hot boiling water directly from the kettle).

View fullsize Grilled polenta 2.jpg
View fullsize Grilled polenta 4.jpg

Lower the heat and gradually start slowly pouring the polenta into a hot water, whisk constantly.

Cook and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and becomes smooth in consistency with no lumps. Follow the instruction how long to cook the polenta (timing may vary a bit, mine took about 10 minutes).

During the cooking process polenta mixture will create air bubbles that will pop (a bit like tiny volcanos erupting, be careful not to burn yourself).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt.

View fullsize Grilled polenta 6.jpg
View fullsize Grilled polenta 9.jpg

Pour cooked polenta into a loaf tin, smooth the top with the back of the spatula or a wooden spoon. (you can pour the cooked polenta into a baking tray, previously lined with backing parchment, spread it and flatten it, when the polenta is completely cooled, cut it in whatever shape you like, strips, triangles, rounds or use cookie cutters of your choice).

Allow the polenta to set and cool completely at a room temperature or put it in the fridge to speed up the process.

View fullsize Grilled polenta 10.jpg
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Tip the polenta onto a chopping board (it should be completely moulded into the shape of your loaf tin).

Cut the polenta loaf into 1-1.5cm (about ½ inch) slices.

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Preheat a non-stick griddled pan (indoor grill pan) or a regular non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat for a few minutes.Place polenta slices in the griddled pan and charcoal grill on a fairly high heat for a few minutes. Do not move the polenta around., let the polenta slices sizzle in the pan undisturbed (do not overcrowd the pan and work in batches).

Turn the slices the other side and grill for another few minutes. Be patient with this process, only turn and flip the slices after you have tested the edges, flip the slices when the polenta easily lifts off the grill pan.

Polenta slices should have grill marks when fully grilled and have crispy outside layer.

Serve hot immediately.

View fullsize Grilled polenta 14.jpg
View fullsize Grilled polenta 18.jpg

Just a thought

This is a very convenient dish, you can make polenta mixture about up to two days before you actually need to grill it.

Although not done traditionally, you can cook the polenta with a stock of your choice for extra flavour and you can also add some grated cheese of your choice to a hot polenta mixture.

May 04, 2023 /tina oblak
polenta grigliata, polenta, pan fried polenta, barbecued polenta, maize flour, white polenta, instant polenta, cucina povera
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, bite-sized nibbles, breakfast, brunch, Canapés, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Finger food, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, savory nibbles, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Snacks, supper, Vegan, Vegetarian, Venetian dish
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Sea Bass Risotto Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
January 18, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, one pot meal, one post fish recipe, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, supper, Venetian dish

Sea bass risotto is light, creamy and flavoursome, it is made with very simple and delicate in flavour ingredients.

This dish is a true testimony to honest and uncomplicated cooking. It might not be the most colourful dish, it is modest, and humble in its appearance, but it most surely delivers in flavour. It will delight all the generations around the dinner table and will be enjoyed by the most reluctant fish eaters due to its very mild “fishy taste”.

This Venetian inspired risotto is made with fresh sea bass, a very much appreciated fish. It is one that is considered to be a real delicacy, and is very often represented in the antique mosaics by the Romans. A good quality fish stock is pretty much essential to the success of this risotto. Home made fish stock is very easy and quick to make, it is fresh, resourceful, sustainable and incredibly satisfying and economical since you are using up every part of the fish.

What are the origins of this type of risotto? The fishermen sold the precious filets of fish in the market, and so to provide for their families, they used the left-over bones and heads, which they cooked to form the most delicious stock that was then used for cooking this type of risotto.

Venetian style risotto is very popular along the Slovenian coast, where I come from, an area once part of ‘La Serenissima,’ the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Sea bass or sea bream risotto is found in most good fish restaurants and cooked in local households on a regular basis.

I am sharing here my family's recipe for this rustic fish based risotto, that can equally, and proudly sit on elegant plates during a more formal dining setting.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

Fish Stock

  • 500g roughly, sea bass or sea bream (1 big fish or two smaller in size) washed, cleaned, gutted and scaled (fishmonger will be happy to do this for you)

    You can use other type of sustainable white fish like hake, pollack, and flat fish, avoid oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna, as they are too fatty and will make your stock greasy and unpleasant.

    You can make the stock using just the bones, again only from the white fish. You will need about 1kg of these, the fishmonger will sell them very cheaply or even given for free.

  • 1 small bay leaf or ½ of big one (fresh or dry)

  • a few whole black peppercorns (about 6)

  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled

  • 1 carrot (about 40g), peeled

  • stick of celery (about 40g)

  • 1 shallot or a piece of anion (about 40g)

  • small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, washed

  • extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle

  • sea salt

Risotto

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 shallot or onion (about 40g), peeled and finely chopped

  • 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio, Carnaroli)

  • fish chunks removed from previously cooked sea bass or sea bream

  • 1 litre of hot fish stock

  • knob of butter

  • handful of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, optionala

  • small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 4g), finely chopped

Method

Fish Stock

Start by preparing the fish stock.

Place the fish in a pan, big enough to accommodate the fish lying flat (if using 2 fishes lie them next to each other or one on top of the other).

Add a few black whole peppercorns, clove of garlic, bay leaf, a generous pinch of sea salt and about 1.5 litres of cold water.

Bring to boil, turn down the heat, cover with the lid, and gently cook the fish for about 10-15 minutes.

When almost cooked, remove from the water, place on a big plate and allow to cool a bit.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the fish meat from the bones in medium size chunks, put them in the bowl, cover so the fish pieces do not dry, and set aside for later use.

Put the head and the bones back in the pot, in the same water in which the fish was cooked.Add a carrot, celery stick, shallot or onion, fresh flat leaf parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with the lid and gently simmer for about 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 2.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 3.jpg

Place the fine sieve over a saucepan and pass the stock through a sieve. Discard the head, bones and cooked down vegetables.

Put the saucepan with the stock back on the stove, on a very minimum heat, put the lid on and keep it warm and ready to hand for later use.

View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 4.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 5.jpg

Risotto

Place the oil in a pan and gently sauté chopped shallots or onions until soft.

Add the risotto rice and toast a bit, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the pan.

View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 6.jpg
View fullsize Sea Bass Risotto 7.jpg

Add the fragments of sea bass or sea bream.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot fish stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

There should always be enough liquid just to cover the risotto.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten.

Removing from the stove, add a knob of cold butter and a handful of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley. Stir with a wooden spoon, quite vigorously, in order to develop its delicious creamy texture.

The risotto should be smooth and runny enough to be described by the Italians as risotto all'onda, meaning risotto on the wave.

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot.

Just a thought

To cut the corners, you can make this risotto by using fresh sea bass or sea bream fillets and using a high quality store bought fish stock.

Sea bass risotto will keep in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container.

It can be enjoyed at room temperature as well, and is not suitable for freezing.

Wine Suggestion

Soave Classico DOC "Calvarino" 2020 - Pieropan

January 18, 2023 /tina oblak
Fresh Sea Bass, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, white flesh fish, fish risotto, fish stock, risotto rice, Arborio rice, Carnaroli rice, Vialone nano rice
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Fish & Seefood, fish starter, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, one pot meal, one post fish recipe, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, supper, Venetian dish
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Peas with Ham Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
January 11, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Rustic dish, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, stew, supper, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Winter dish, Winter recipe

This mouthwatering recipe for peas with ham is easy, uncomplicated and super fast to prepare, as it can be made in no time at all, with fresh or frozen peas.

With this Italian style dish, referred as Piselli con prosciutto cotto, you might win over the most reluctant vegetable eaters.

It can be served as a side dish or as a main with boiled, oven roasted or mashed potatoes, fried or hard boiled eggs, a salad, or simply with plenty of fresh, crunchy rustic bread.

My mother used to make peas with ham very often when I was little, as this vegetable dish is particularly appetizing for small children because of the “sweetness” of the peas and cooked ham.

I am sharing here her recipe with which you can delight all generations around the dinner table with this fresh and very pleasant dish.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 shallots or onions (about 75g), peeled and finely chopped

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 500g fresh or frozen petits pois, defrosted (can use garden peas)

  • 150g thick slice of cooked or roasted ham, diced

  • 200ml vegetable, chicken stock or water

  • handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 7g), finely chopped

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Place the oil in a frying or sauce pan, add the onion, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Cook for a few minutes on a gentle heat until soft and translucent.

View fullsize Peas with Ham 3.jpg
View fullsize Peas with Ham 4.jpg

Add the peas, stock or water, and cubed ham.

View fullsize Peas with Ham 5.jpg
View fullsize Peas with ham 6.jpg
View fullsize Peas with Ham 7.jpg
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Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes until the peas are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in fresh chopped parsley, adjust the seasoning, and serve hot immediately.

View fullsize Peas with Ham 9.jpg
View fullsize Peas with Ham 10.jpg

Just a thought

For this dish you can use pancetta, bacon or lardons instead of cooked or roasted ham, in which case you sauté the meaty element together with the onions first and then follow the other steps of the recipe.

January 11, 2023 /tina oblak
frozen garden peas, fresh garden peas, peas, frozen petits pois, fresh petits pois, early spring peas, peas in pods, make in advance, cooked ham, roasted ham, pancetta, lardons, fresh flat leaf parsley
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Sliced Fennel and Rocket Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon Dressing Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sradines
January 04, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, brunch, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Root vegetables, Rustic dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This simple and fresh salad makes a full-flavoured side dish and will sit nicely along side any main course. It is quick and easy to make, all you need is a few fennel bulbs, rocket leaves and uncomplicated olive oil and lemon dressing. It can also be enjoyed as a main salad if you are looking for a nutritious and light meal recipe.

Raw fennel can be quite fibrous, but when sliced very thinly and mixed with some salad leaves it really makes a wonderful salad.

Wild rocket has been used as a culinary herb since Roman times, and this peppery leaves was a little known weed.

Fennel and wild rocket salad has been popular along the coast of Slovenian Istria, where I come from, long before wild rocket became “fashionable” and mass produced for the supermarkets and food stores.

Along the Slovenian coast and inland Istria wild rocket grows naturally on the fields and other areas with dry and poor soil (close to typical Istrian dry stone walls), and has been foraged by the locals since – well, since forever, and they mixed wild rocket leaves with other types of salad leaves to make a variety of different salads. My 96 year old nona remembers very vividly picking it.

View fullsize Wild rocket 2.jpg
View fullsize wild rocket.jpg

I am sharing here this traditional and unpretentious shaved fennel and rocket leaves salad recipe that will bring freshness to your dinner table, and for extra flavour and a bit of crunchy texture you can top this salad with walnut kernels or lightly toasted pine nuts.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

  • 2 fennel bulbs

  • pack of rocket leaves (about 60-100g)

  • juice of ½ of lemon, or to taste

  • extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle, or to taste

  • sea salt

  • a handful of walnut kernels, optional

Method

Wash fennel bulbs under cold running water and dry them with kitchen paper or kitchen towel.

Place the bulbs on the chopping board and cut off the hard hollow stalks from the bulb which are quite tough and very fibrous.

Cut the feathery fronds from the stalks if you are using them for this dish for adding extra flavour and garnish.

Trim off a thin layer of the root end of the bulb (the base of the fennel bulb).

View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 4.jpg
View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 5.jpg

Thinly slice the bulb using a sharp knife or ideally mandoline slicer, if you have one.

Transfer the fennel slices into a big salad bowl and add rocket leaves.

Season with sea salt, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Toss together, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Sprinkle and scatter a few walnut kernels and fennel fronds, if using.

Serve immediately directly from a salad bowl or pile onto plates.

January 04, 2023 /tina oblak
fresh fennel, fresh fennel bulb, rocket salad, rocket leaves, wild rocket, wild rocket leaves, olive oil and emon dressing, sliced fennel, shaved fennel, walnut kernels, fresh salad
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, brunch, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Root vegetables, Rustic dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Stuffed Squid Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
December 16, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, casserole, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Festive dish, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, one post fish recipe, one pot meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, stew, stuffed dishes, summer recipe, supper, Winter dish, Winter recipe

Stuffed squid is a light and delicate fish based dish packed full of flavour, with simple ingredients being used for the stuffing mixture to maximise the scent and flavour of the squid.

This is a very tasty seafood recipe, perfect for any occasion and any season, and makes a fantastic centrepiece, you will surely impress your family and friends.

Works for both rustic style eating or slightly more formal and elegant dining, whether for big parties or small groups alike.

Squid is a highly popular ingredient in Istrian cooking, it is used to make rosotti, fish soups and stews, grilled and deep fried squid are very much loved.

Stuffed squid represents one of the most quintessentially Istrian seafood based dishes, it is made in the households, maybe not perhaps as your average mid week supper but prepared during the weekends or festivities or to mark a special occasion. Along the Slovenian coast stuffed squid would be traditionally briefly cooked in white busara sauce (simple sauce made with olive oil, hint of garlic, white wine and fresh parsley), as supposed to the red busara sauce variation where tomato element is added to the basic white busara sauce.

This is the dish that would be prepared and cooked instead of a meat roast, and also commonly found on the menus in the restaurants (polnjeni kalamari or nadevani lignji, calamari ripien).

Stuffed squid has been very much loved in the family, my father especially adored cooking this dish, and here I am sharing his recipe, serve this dish to your guests and and you will most certainly not fail to impress.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • about 1 kg fresh medium size squid

    (the sacks of the squid should be long between 13-15cm, if they are too short and small you will find it a bit tricky to fill, very big squid not particularly suitable for this recipe), bodies and tentacles separated, if using frozen squid, defrost first

  • about 80g dry breadcrumbs

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra

  • 1 small clove of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped

  • small handful (about 3g) fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus some extra for the sauce

  • 50ml white wine, optional

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Clean and prepare the fresh squid and separate the tentacles. When cleaning the squid be careful not to damage the pockets (sacks), as the filling might come out during the cooking process.

If uncomfortable tackling this task, your fishmonger will be happy to do it for you.

Tap dry cleaned squid pockets with kitchen paper.

View fullsize Stuffed Squid 4.jpg
View fullsize Stuffed Squid 5.jpg

Start by making the stuffing.

Place the oil in a large non stick frying pan. Weight the squid tentacles, then chop quite finely and add to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, add white wine if using, and cook further until all the wine evaporates.

View fullsize Stuffed Squid 6.jpg
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View fullsize Stuffed Squid 8.jpg
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Turn off the heat and add an equal wight of breadcrumbs.

Add finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, crushed garlic and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well so all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, set aside.

View fullsize Stuffed Squid 10.jpg
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Stuff the squid sacks with the mixture, using the teaspoon, not too full, or they can potentially burst during the cooking.

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Close the openings of the sacks with cocktail sticks (toothpick).

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Use the same non stick large frying pan and pour a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Gently fry stuffed squid in batches, if making large quantity, (do not overcrowd the pan) for about a minute or so on each side until they start to colour.

If you have leftover stuffing mixture, add it to the pan.

Add a touch of water, cover with the lid (ideally a lid with a steam whole) and cook on a gentle heat for about 20 minutes.

Move them around gently, now and gain, taking care not to break them.

View fullsize Stuffed Squid 18.jpg
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During the cooking a small amount of the filling will come out and become part of a delicious sauce that should not be too thick nor to watery.

If your sauce is too watery, cook for a short while until the sauce thickens to your desire, if on the other hand you think the sauce is too thick for your liking, just dilute a bit by adding a splash of water.

View fullsize Stuffed Squid 21.jpg
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When the squid is cooked , remove the cocktail sticks (toothpicks).

Sprinkle with some extra roughly chopped parsley and serve hot with some fresh crunchy rustic bread, toasted bread, bruschetta or soft cooked or grilled yellow or white polenta.

Just a thought

You can add a bit of freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese to the breadcrumb mixture.

Sometimes when you buy frozen squid, they come with no tentacles. In this case you can replace the tentacles for the filling with 1-2 thin slices of finely chopped Prosciuutto crudo (Italian dry ham). Be mindful of the seasoning as the prosciutto crudo is quite salty.

It is quite common also to use parboiled white rice (cooked al dente) instead of dry breadcrumbs to make the filling, and you can also substitute bread crumbs with some old and stale bread (no crust) soaked in a bit of water, squeeze well to remove the excess, 1 lightly beaten egg.

This dish is best eaten fresh, when just cooked, but can be stored in a fridge for a day or two at most, in an airtight container, and it is not really suitable for freezing.

If you do want to be ahead of time you can clean the squid and make the filling a day before and store them overnight in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with cling film.

You can add some chopped tomatoes to the white busara sauce if you prefer red busara sauce variation.

Wine suggestion

Collio Friulano DOC 2019 - Borgo del Tiglio

December 16, 2022 /tina oblak
stuffed squid, stuffed calamari, polnjeni kalamari, nadevani lignji, calamari ripien), fresh squid, frozen squid, white busara sauce, white buzara souce
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, casserole, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Festive dish, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, one post fish recipe, one pot meal, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, stew, stuffed dishes, summer recipe, supper, Winter dish, Winter recipe
2 Comments

One Pot Roasted Octopus with Potatoes and Vegetables Istrian Recipe (Octopus Peka)

Beans and Sardines
August 31, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one post fish recipe, one pot meal, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper

One pot roasted octopus with potatoes and vegetables called Octopus Peka (dish found in Slovenian and Croatian Istria and along Dalmatian coast in Croatia) is seriously delicious, very aromatic and one of the easiest and simplest recipe for a one pot roast where the preparation for it requires minimal effort but the finished dish is a serious show stopper, and although this dish is very rustic and formal, for locals it feels very special and celebratory, as it is usually prepared for a large number of people, for friends and family to mark a special occasion

The word Peka, in Slovenian (also called črpinja) and in Croatian, refers to a large metal baking dish with a lid that resembles a bell-shaped dome but it is also a name given to the finished dish (lamb peka, octopus peka etc.) cooked with this very ancient method (in an open fireplace) and the oldest roasting technique which ensures the slow and even cooking as hot coals and embers are placed on top of the dome.

Most of us do not have a possibility to make this dish with the authentic and traditional peka method, but I am sharing here the recipe that would come as close as you can get to the “real deal octopus peka” using Dutch oven, cast iron casserole dish, even a baking tray and some aluminium foil will do.

Serve this dish hot, place the pot in the centre of the table and make sure there is plenty of crunchy bread to soak up the juices, prepare a mixed salad to accompany the dish, and you are ready to go.

I am sharing here this traditional one pot roasted octopus using potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic as basic selection of vegetables, together with fresh fennel bulb that can be replaced by courgettes, aubergines, and bell peppers. Play around and use the vegetables, or a combination of vegetables that you like or prefer. There really is no wrong or right way here, the most important thing is that you enjoy the dish!

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • octopus, cleaned, 1 big or a few smaller ones, about 2kg in weight (fishmongers will be happy to clean it for you).

  • For this recipe it is best if the octopus has been previously frozen and then thawed, or buy an already frozen octopus if you can.

  • 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

  • onion (about 150g) peeled and cut into chunks

  • carrots (about 280g) peeled and roughly cut into chunks

  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled

  • tomatoes (I used 6 mini San Marzano Tomatoes), you can use other variety of small tomatoes or use one bigger in size and cut into chunks

  • one fresh fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into chunks. You can also replace fennel with other vegetables, such as courgettes, aubergines and bell peppers, or you can use fennel in addition to other vegetables. Few black pitted olives are a tasty addition too.

  • 50ml white wine, optional

  • extra virgin olive oil, a very generous drizzle

  • one small sprig of fresh or dry rosemary

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Place clean and defrosted octopus (or octopuses) in a pan, put the lid on and cook the octopus on a medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. There will be quite a lot of liquid coming out of the octopus. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C static or equivalent.

View fullsize Octopus Peka 3.jpg
View fullsize Octopus Peka 6.jpg

Put all the vegetables in a Dutch oven, baking dish or tray, and very generously drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix well.

View fullsize Octopus Peka 5.jpg
View fullsize Octopus Peka 7.jpg

Place previously cooked octopus on top of the vegetable and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Put the lid on and roast for 60 minutes.

View fullsize Octopus Peka 8.jpg
View fullsize Octopus Peka 9.jpg

Take the lid off and roast for further 10 minutes, or a bit more if there is still a lot of liquid. This will partially depend on the type of vegetables you are using and personal preference.

You want enough liquid so the final dish is juicy and moist.

Place the dish at the centre of the table, so everyone can help themselves, with some crunchy bread to soak up the juices and maybe a nice fresh salad.

Just a thought

This dish is best served hot immediately.

It can be reheated but the dish will be slightly drier as the potatoes and other vegetables will soak up all the juices, although it will still be tasty though.

This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

Wine suggestion

Vitovska 2019 - Čotar

August 31, 2022 /tina oblak
octopus, cooking octopus, roasted octopus, octopus peka, octopus peka with vegetables, roasted seafood, hobotnica pod peko, hobotnica z zelenjavo v pecici, polipo al forno con le verdure
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one post fish recipe, one pot meal, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper
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Courgette risotto Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
August 24, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Venetian dish

Courgette risotto is a perfect choice if you want to make a light and elegant dish, but one that is delicate in taste and yet filling. Summer risotto is incredibly easy to make, and during the summer months, when courgettes are in full season and in abundance, choosing this delicious vegetable to cook with seems almost an obvious choice.

This is not a risotto you will find in the restaurant menus on the Slovenian coast, it is cooked in the households that almost always keep a slab of pancetta in the fridge, and whenever possible grow courgettes. This recipe, since Istria is geographically so close to Veneto region in Italy, where there are a great variety of risotti recipes, it should be no surprise that courgette risotto has been created, and cooked on a regular basis and enjoyed by generations.

This risotto will cover all occasions, it is a perfect rustic and informal choice for a mid week lunch or dinner, but has nothing to dread if it is served in a more formal setting.

I am sharing here my mother's summer courgette risotto, most of the time made with freshly picked courgette that my paternal grandfather used to grow in his vegetable patch.

If you happen to grow your own courgettes and have courgettes flowers as well, and not quite sure what to do with them, use them in the risotto, just chop them roughly and cook together with sliced courgettes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)

  • courgettes 430g roughly, sliced

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • 1 onion, 80g roughly

  • 50g pancetta, finely sliced (can use cubed pancetta, sliced bacon, lardons or pork sausage meat), optional for a vegetarian variation

  • small clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

  • 1 litre of hot chicken broth or stock (can use vegetable broth or stock)

  • sea salt

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, optional (for garnish)

  • generous knob of butter, optional

  • a handful of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated, optional

Method

Before starting to make the risotto have your boiling hot chicken or vegetable broth or stock ready to hand for later.

Wash the courgettes and pat dry them with kitchen paper or clean kitchen towel.

Trim off the ends of the courgettes and slice or cut into smaller pieces (if the courgette is big, cut in half first, then slice lengthways into quarters, then chop into smaller chunks)

View fullsize Courgette risotto 4.jpg
View fullsize Courgette risotto 5.jpg

Put olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, pancetta, crushed garlic, a pinch of salt and cook on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft and translucent.

View fullsize Courgette risotto 6.jpg
View fullsize Courgette risotto 7.jpg

Add courgette pieces and cook for a few minutes until they soften a bit.

View fullsize Courgette Risotto 7a.jpg
View fullsize Courgette risotto 8.jpg

Add the risotto rice and toast for a bit , stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the pan.

View fullsize Courgette risotto 9.jpg
View fullsize Courgette risotto 10.jpg

Pour or ladle ½ litre (500ml) of hot chicken or vegetable broth or stock.

Cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed then start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

There should always be enough liquid just to cover the risotto.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, it should roughly take between 15 -18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks that come from the store generally speaking are salty already!

For even creamier texture, you can finish cooking the courgette risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a bit of cold butter to the risotto when it is almost finished, and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously in order to develop its delicious creamy texture. This phase is optional.

Sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and finely grated Parmiggiano Reggiano Cheese (only if you have not used it already in the mantecare phase) and serve immediately while the risotto is still hot.

Just a thought

Courgette risotto can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container.

It can be enjoyed at room temperature as well and is not suitable for freezing.

You can freeze the onion, courgettes and pancetta base and defrost when deciding to make a risotto.

With a leftover courgette risotto you can make some arancini (staple Sicilian stuffed rice ball, coated in breadcrumbs and fried)

Wine suggestion

Roero Arneis DOCG 2021 - Malvirà

August 24, 2022 /tina oblak
fresh courgettes, risotto rice, zucchini risotto, creamy courgette risotto, vegetarian risotto, vegan risotto, courgette risotto with pancetta
Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Venetian dish
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Peperonata Istrian style Recipe

Beans and Sardines
August 10, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, brunch, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, Rustic dish, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, stew, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian, vegetarian summer stew, Venetian dish

This quintessentially summer dish gets devoured and seems to be a real hit every single time, it is a very “practical” dish, as it usually prepared in advance, and takes central stage on the tables of the locals back home on the Slovenian coast, where during the summer months the heat can be terrible but it is also during this time of the year that the ingredients for this dish are most abundant and taste their best.

Peperonata is cooked by the locals during the fresh, cooler, hours of the day, usually early in the morning or in the evening when it cools down a bit (there is a different rhythm of life, a different way of doing things, when you live in a climate that can regularly be very hot).

Moreover, better cooking follows this different, summer, rhythm of daily activities, since the following day the dish tastes even better as all the ingredients have a chance to mingle together!

Peperonata is so delicious you can just eat it on its own with some fresh crunchy or toasted bread, it is great paired with grilled meats and fish, cheeses, cold meats, cooked rice, makes a great base for a risotto or a pasta dish and incredibly tasty spread on bruschetta.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for Istrian style peperonata, which is different from the Venetian variety where a little white wine is added to the dish.

When I cook this dish, I get immediately transported back home, to the sound of cicadas, to the fragrance of salty air, and to the childhood memories of long summers that never seemed to end...

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

  • 5 Tbsp olive olive

  • onions (about 300g) peeled and finely sliced

  • 400g aubergines, diced

  • 500g yellow or green bell peppers, washed, deseeded and sliced into strips or cut into chunks)

  • 300g tomatoes (juicy, ripe and sweet) roughly chopped

  • sea salt

  • few fresh basil leaves, optional

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish, optional

Method

Place the oil in a fairly large pan, add sliced onions, crushed garlic, a generous pinch of sea salt and cook the onions on a gentle heat (for about 10 minutes) or until soft and translucent stirring now and again (do not rush this process as the slowly caramelized onions will add a final taste of the dish).

View fullsize Peperonata 6.jpg
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Add cubed aubergines and cook gently for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked down and soft, stirring occasionally, making sure they do not catch to the bottom of the pan.

View fullsize Peperonata 8.jpg
View fullsize Peperonata 9.jpg

Transfer sliced bell peppers to the pan and cook together with the onions and aubergines for about 10-15 minutes or until softened a bit and cooked down, stirring now and again (if onion, aubergine and pepper mixture starts to catch at the bottom of the pan add a splash of water).

View fullsize Peperonata 10.jpg
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Add chopped tomatoes, a few fresh basil leaves, a splash of water and cover with the lid.

View fullsize Peperonata 12.jpg
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Simmer on a very gentle heat for about 40minutes, checking and stirring now and again making sure it does not stick to the bottom.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt.

Let it cool, sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and some basil leaves (optional) and serve tepid, at room temperature or cold.

Just a thought

Peperonata will keep very well in a fridge in an airtight container for a few days and is suitable for freezing especially if you make a large quantity, and want to eat it again in the near future; or, indeed, you want to bring back summer memories in the middle of winter.

The traditional way of preparing this dish does not call for chill, however, if you wish to add a bit of a kick to this dish it is perfectly fine to do so during the cooking process.

You can also add courgettes, some olives and capers to taste as a variation of this dish.

Wine suggestion

Calabria Rosato IGT "Terre Lontane" 2021 - Librandi

August 10, 2022 /tina oblak
bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, green bell peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, fresh basil, bell peppers summer stew
Adriatic Recipe, brunch, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, Rustic dish, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, stew, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian, vegetarian summer stew, Venetian dish
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Risotto Primavera Venetian inspired Recipe 

Beans and Sardines
July 27, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This classic spring vegetable risotto, using any seasonal spring vegetables, must be one of the most loved and popular dishes for all generations. This risotto is rustic, simple, and filling, and represents a genuine plate of food that puts a smile on anyone's face with the array of colours on the plate offered by the vegetables.

It can be enjoyed as a first course meal, which is traditionally what it is in Italy, or as a main course with a nice salad on the side.

This vegetarian risotto really celebrates the new season of vegetables, it is light but full of freshness and flavour and it is very satisfying. You can vary the recipe using different vegetables and combinations according to what is in season, just mix and match the vegetables that are your top favourites, add a handful of fresh roughly chopped baby spinach or broad beans a few radishes for example.

My mother has made this risotto time and time again, it was a regular mid week meal, we knew we had risotto primavera but it would be slightly different every single time depending on the variety of vegetables she would find available in the season from the market or from my paternal grandfather's vegetable patch. 

Ingredients 

Serves 4 

  • 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli) 

  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

  • 1 celery stick (about 30g), finely chopped 

  • 1 medium courgette (about 113g), sliced or diced 

  • 1 medium carrot (about 90g), peeled and sliced or diced 

  • 1 medium onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped 

  • green asparagus (about 100g), wash, trim off the wooden ends and finely slice the stalks leaving the tips whole 

  • green beans (about 50g), sliced 

  • fresh peas in pods (about 300g), remove the peas from the pods (can use frozen petits pois, about a handful) 

  • 1 tomato (about 170g), roughly chopped 

  • sea salt 

  • fresh flat leaf parsley (about 4g), finely chopped 

  • 1 litre hot vegetable or chicken broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable or chicken stock powder) or hot water 

  • Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated for serving, optional 

Method 

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable or chicken stock (or just hot water) ready to hand for later. 

Put extra virgin olive oil in a pan,  add finely chopped onions, carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes on a gentle heat until cooked down and soft. 

Add all the other vegetables (except asparagus tips, if using).

View fullsize Risotto Primavera 5.jpg
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Add the parsley, and cook on a gentle heat for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of a pan. 

View fullsize Risotto Primavera 10.jpg
View fullsize Risotto Primavera 11.jpg

Pour or ladle ½ litre (500ml) of hot vegetable or chicken stock, or hot water. 

Cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed then start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. 

Cook on a medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente, meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, it should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked. 

Add the tips of the asparagus, if using, a few minutes before the end of cooking time. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores generally speaking contain salt already. 

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot and a bit runny in consistency. 

Ladle the risotto onto the plates, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and garnish with some roughly chopped fresh parsley. 

Just a thought 

For even creamier texture, you can finish cooking the asparagus risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a bit of cold butter or cream to the risotto when is almost finished and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously in order to develop that delicious creamy texture.

Wine suggestion

July 27, 2022 /tina oblak
riso Arborio, riso Vialone Nano, riso Carnaroli, Spring vegetable risotto, vegetarian risotto, vegan risotto, plant based risotto, fresh tomatoes, fresh sweet peas, carrots, green asparagus, courgettes
Adriatic Recipe, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Cooked fennel salad with lemon and olive oil dressing Istrian Recipe

Beans and Srdines
July 20, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Healthy, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Root vegetables, Rustic dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Cooked fennel salad is a great choice when you want to complete a meal with a simple salad, all you need is a few humble fresh fennel bulbs and an uncomplicated olive oil and lemon dressing which will get soaked up with some crunchy bread.

This fennel salad is rustic and informal, very healthy and nutritious and a great companion to grilled meats and fish, very fresh and incredibly easy to prepare, can be done in advance, stored in a fridge and served cold on a hot summer day.

Along the Slovenian coast, where I grew up, the area is blessed with Mediterranean climate, which subsequently means that there is an abundance of fennel, a very much loved vegetable by the locals, it is traditionally eaten raw or cooked in salads, or braised, which does go down a treat. Wild fennel is also abundant and grows just about anywhere it can, the fronds are used in the local cuisine instead of flat leaf parsley or in combination with.

I am sharing here this traditional and unpretentious cooked fennel salad that it has been made in my family, and by the locals, well, since forever.

If you go so the food store, see some lovely fennel bulbs, and not quite sure what to do with them, you can start with this recipe...

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 as part of meal

  • few fresh fennel bulbs, approximately 900g (smaller bulbs are better for this dish)

  • extra virgin olive oil, a very generous drizzle

  • 1 lemon (juice of ½ or whole lemon, depending on a taste)

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly or finely chopped (amount to taste)

  • sea salt

  • black pepper, optional

  • fennel fronds, optional

Method

Wash fennel bulbs under cold running water and dry them with kitchen paper or clean kitchen towel.

Place the bulbs on the chopping board and cut off the hard hollow stalks from the bulb which are quite tough and very fibrous. Cut the feathery fronds from the stalks if you are using them for this dish for adding extra flavour and garnish.

Discard the stalks or use them in other recipes for soups and stews, you can use them as a bed for roasted chicken or other meats, and roasted fish.

Trim off a thin layer of the root end of the bulb (the base of the fennel bulb).

View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 4.jpg
View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 5.jpg

Stand your fennel straight up and slice in half.

Check how big the core is, if it is quite big, it is a good idea to remove it for this recipe, as they are very fibrous. The cooking time for this recipe is fairly short, and the core, if not removed, could stay quite hard.

View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 6.jpg
View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 7.jpg

To remove the core, take a knife at a 45 degree angle on both sides of the core and slice in, the core will pop out easily.

Place the fennel in a pot, add boiling water, about ¾ up, alternatively you can steam the fennel.

Put the lid on and gently simmer for about 15 minutes, cooking time will depend on the size of the fennel pieces and the desired consistency.

Adjust cooking time, depending on whether you want the fennel quite soft, or prefer it with still quite a bit of a bite.

View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 9.jpg
View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 10.jpg

Drain in a colander, run under cold water, leave to drain well and cool a bit.

Slice cooked fennel to your liking.

View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 11.jpg
View fullsize Cooked fennel salad 12.jpg

Transfer sliced fennel onto a serving plate.

Season with sea salt and black pepper, if using.

Dress cooked fennel with very generous extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh flat leaf parsley an fennel fronds, if using.

Serve at room temperature or cold, place the serving plate in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves, and make sure you have some crunchy bread to soak up all those juices.

Just a thought

For extra flavour, sprinkle dressed fennel salad with dried garlic, not a very traditional way of serving, but a nice addition or a variation of the recipe.

July 20, 2022 /tina oblak
fresh fennel bulb, cooked fennel, fennel salad with olive oil and lemon dressing, summer salads
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Healthy, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Root vegetables, Rustic dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Whole baked Sea Bass on roasted potatoes Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
July 06, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, baked fish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, roasted fish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper

Whole baked sea bass on a layer of potatoes is very simple, easy, and healthy recipe for oven-roasted fish that calls for only a few fresh simple ingredients, and it is a perfect choice for a light meal main course option. This delicate fish, baked whole in the oven, is effortless to make, flavoursome and never fails to impress your guests. The recipe gives you a superior taste, the flesh remains really tender and moist and the potatoes, during the baking, absorb all the wonderful flavours and aromas from the garlic, onions, olive oil and the juices from the fish.

This basic method of roasting the whole fish on the bone on a bed of sliced potatoes represents the most common and traditional way of preparing and eating fish along the Slovenian coast in restaurants as well as in the households. It is considered one of the best fish based recipes by the locals, very often made on Sundays as a Sunday roast choice, and as a alternative to a meat roast.

I am sharing here my family recipe for whole baked sea bass with potatoes that would traditionally be accompanied by a vegetable side dish such as (depending on what is available in the season) sautéed courgettes, peas or bell peppers, green beans with tomatoes, borlotti beans salad, creamed spinach, braised fennel and different types of seasonal salads, just to mention a few...

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 4 fresh whole sea bass (each weighing around 300g), cleaned, scaled and gutted (your fishmonger will be happy to do this for you)

  • potatoes (about 800g), peeled and sliced (roughly3-5mm)

  • 1 small onion (about 50g), peeled and very finely chopped

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary (small enough to fit into the body cavity of the fish)

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus some extra for drizzling)

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

  • 100ml white wine, fish stock or water (I used a ¼ Tsp of dry granulated fish powder and dissolved it into a 100ml of hot water)

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving, optional

  • fresh lemon, for serving, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C static or equivalent.

Line a baking tray with non stick baking parchment.

Peel the potatoes and cut them with the knife or a mandolin slicer into slices the thickness of about 3-5mm.

Place sliced potatoes into a bowl and add finely chopped onions, sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper and mix well.

Transfer the potato mixture onto a baking tray and with your hands arrange them, distribute evenly more or less, into a single layer (they will overlap a bit).

Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While the potatoes are baking prepare the fish.

View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 7.jpg
View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 8.jpg

Wash the fish thoroughly inside and out under cold running water and pat dry well the fish with the kitchen paper.

With a sharp knife, slash the fish 3 to 5 times through the flesh, about 5mm deep, almost to the bone.

Season with sea salt and black pepper and put a small sprig of fresh rosemary into the body cavity of each fish.

Take the potatoes out of the oven (after 15-20 minutes) and place the sea bass on top of the potatoes, side by side, scored side up and drizzle each fish with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Cover the baking tray with the aluminium foil, put it back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 9.jpg
View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 10.jpg

Remove the aluminium foil and bake further for 10 minutes.

View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 11.jpg
View fullsize Roasted sea bass with potatoes 12.jpg

Pour white wine, fish stock or water over the fish and potatoes and bake further for about 5-6 minutes.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Just a thought

If you end up with a leftover baked sea bass, it is delecious eaten cold or at a room temeprature with a drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped fresh flat parsley and accompanied with some cruncy bread, or alternatively you can make a fish spread (see my recipe for Rustic Sea Bream spread)

Wine suggestion

Fiano di Avellino DOCG “Ciro 906” 2019 - Ciro Picariello

July 06, 2022 /tina oblak
fresh sea bass, whole sea bass, whole baked sea bass, whole roasted sea bass, roasted sliced potatoes, branzino al forno con le patate, brancin v pecici s krompirjem, roasted fish
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, baked fish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Fish & Seefood, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light fish course, light meal, main course, main dish, main fish course, main fish meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, roasted fish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper
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Egg frittata with wild herbs Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
June 16, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, baked dish, bite-sized nibbles, breakfast, brunch, Canapés, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Finger food, first course, first course dish, first course meal, foraging, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Snacks, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, supper, Vegetarian, Fresh herbs

Egg frittata with wild herbs is a very simple and rustic dish, quick to make and a perfect recipe choice for an easy and uncomplicated midweek or weekend lunch, dinner, brunch or breakfast.

It is delicious when eaten hot, but equally very tasty at room temperature or cold, it can be made ahead, providing a great picnic solution, and frittata cut into small bite size pieces will make a brilliant finger food feeding larger groups served together with some drinks.

This humble frittata is a very traditional dish in the Slovenian Istra where I grew up, it is similar to an omelette, it is Italian in origin (Italian word frittata roughly translates to “fried”) and to me, is more than just a quick meal solution.

This type of frittata together with other two most common variations (frittata with dry sausage and frittata with wild asparagus and pancetta) represent a real speciality in Slovenian Istra which, due to close geographical proximity to Italy, made this dish very popular and is referred by locals as Fritaia de erbe, Fritaja, Fritata or Frtalja, Fritaia, and all of these words derive from the Venetian word fritaia, given Venice's domination of the region.

Both my paternal and maternal grandfathers loved all variations of frittata and would have them for merenda (a dialect word, from Italian meaning snack) indicating in the past a quite substantial late morning breakfast (a slightly less sophisticated version of a “modern” brunch) for pheasants, farmers, fishermen and workers. They all started work at dawn, so by mid morning, when they finished working, and before returning home for lunch, they were all quite hungry, and more than ready to have some food to replenish the energy. Nowadays, merenda indicates a light mid morning or mid afternoon snack, that can be savoury or sweet, and of course, children always push for a sweet option...

Both my grandfathers would pick up wild herbs (spring providing the widest range) when returning home from spending a morning working in their vegetable gardens, orchards or olive groves, in which case egg frittata with wild herbs would be prepared for lunch or dinner.

Wild herbs frittata and other types of frittata were for a long time considered a dish for only the poorest people, but thanks to new gastronomic traditions, they are very proudly back on the menus of many homes and restaurants, and given the true dignity they deserve. They are quick and cheap to prepare, have low caloric intake, and are abundant with nutrients from freshly picked herbs in the local area.

I am sharing here a very easy family recipe for this modest frittata. All you need to do is take a nice walk in the natural world around you - forests, meadows etc., and pick some seasonal wild herbs. What can be easier than that?

Well, if you are mainly in an urban area, you can skip the walk and use store bought baby spinach, wild rocket, some fresh basil and flat leaf parsley and you are ready to go...

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 100g-150g (about 4 full handfuls) fresh mixed wild herbs, washed and finely chopped

    In this recipe I used wild garlic leaves, wild fennel, stinging nettle, dandelion leaves, mint, chives, lemon balm, sage, marjoram, flat leaf parsley, basil.

    You can also use store bought baby spinach, wild rocket, any combination, proportion does not really matter as long as you have more or less the total amount of fresh herbs stated in the ingredients list.

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 8 medium sized eggs (in this recipe I calculated 2 eggs per person)

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Wash thoroughly fresh mixed herbs, dry them using a salad spinner, if you have one.

Finely chop the herbs and set aside.

View fullsize Egg frittata with wild herbs 4.jpg
View fullsize Egg frittata with wild herbs 6.jpg

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk well, add sea salt and black pepper.

Add finely chopped herbs into a mixing bowl and mix well with the egg mixture.

Put extra virgin olive oil in a fairly large non stick frying pan (28cm or 30cm) and heat it up a bit.

Pour the egg and wild herbs mixture into a pan, cover with a lid (glass lid with steam hole works very well if you have it) and cook on a gentle heat.

The frittata is ready and cooked when the underside is set and the egg mixture on the surface no longer has “runny and raw” consistency.

View fullsize Egg frittata with wild herbs 7a.jpg
View fullsize Egg frittata with wild herbs 10.jpg

Hold a plate upside-down over the pan and turn the two over together so that the frittata inverts on to the plate. Slide the frittata back into the pan and cook for a further minute or so.

Fresh herbs frittata can be eaten and enjoyed warm, room temperature or cold and will make a complete meal accompanied by some salad, fresh crunchy bread, soft cooked or grilled polenta and it also makes a great sandwich filler.

If you want to enjoy it Istrian style, pour yourself a small glass of red wine.

Just a thought

This type of frittata will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for about two days and is not suitable for freezing.

In this recipe, I have chosen to cook the frittata in a traditional way, on the stove with a lid, as my family has always used this method. However, if you are familiar cooking the frittata in the oven, and that is your preferred method, it is perfectly fine to do so.

Wine suggestion

Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla DOC 2021 - Torre Rosazza

June 16, 2022 /tina oblak
fresh herbs, fresh wild herbs, wild herbs, fresh parsley, fresh basil, fresh sage, fresh wild dill, fresh wild garlic, stinging nettle, dandelion leaves, fresh mint, Frtalja z zelišči, Fritaia z zelišči, Fritaia de erbe, meadow herbs, edible plants, wild garlic leaves
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Appetizers, baked dish, bite-sized nibbles, breakfast, brunch, Canapés, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, Finger food, first course, first course dish, first course meal, foraging, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Small bites, Snacks, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, supper, Vegetarian, Fresh herbs
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