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Easy Lamb Casserole Istrian Recipe

Beans and Sardines
June 07, 2024 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, 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, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, main meat course, Meat, one pot meal, one pot meat recipe, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, make ahead, weekend, slow cook, comfort, batch cooking

This slow-cooked lamb casserole recipe is absolutely amazing, it is incredibly easy to make using cheaper and tougher cuts of lamb that by the end of cooking become so tender they truly melt into your mouth.

It is a simple dish to put together, perfect for a cosy and satisfying meal, and great to make ahead of time as the flavours will have the chance to mingle, develop fully and intensify.

Along the Slovenian coast you might find this dish in more informal and rustic style restaurants called in local dialect Janje or Jančić na rošto or referred to as Pečeno Jagnje in standard Slovenian.

This very popular and much-loved dish is frequently prepared in the households during the weekends, and when the family and friends get together for special celebrations. It is also a recipe that is understandably appropriate for an Easter menu.

I am sharing here my family recipe with you. It only needs a few basic ingredients and you are ready to go.

You will come back to this recipe time and time again, as the best things about this incredibly flavourful lamb casserole is that the oven will take over and do the work for you.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1kg diced lamb meat of your choice (I used neck fillet). You can use boneless shoulder or leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat and diced.

  • 1 medium onion (about 150g), peeled and finely chopped

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil

  • 100 ml white wine, optional

  • 100g ripe and sweet tomatoes of your choice, roughly chopped (I used mini-San Marzano tomatoes)

  • If you cannot get hold of ripe and sweet tomatoes, you can use high quality tinned chopped tomatoes instead.

  • a sprig of fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • leaves from a small sprig of fresh rosemary (about 1 Tsp), very finely chopped or ¼ Tsp of dry rosemary

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 250°C static or equivalent.

Trim off the excess fat from the diced meat if necessary to avoid the final dish being too greasy and potentially unpleasant to eat.

Put the olive oil in a fairly large flameproof casserole dish or Dutch Oven.

Add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and gently fry until soft and transparent.

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Place diced lamb meat in a casserole dish and mix with the onions.

Transfer in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

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Remove from the oven and add chopped tomatoes, the herbs, and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Add white wine, if you are including it, and pour enough water to almost completely cover the meat.

Stir gently so all the ingredients are mixed together.

Turn the heat down to 220ºC.

Transfer the casserole dish back into the oven and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat is very tender.

Check the casserole now and again, giving it a good stir making sure there is always enough liquid.

If the casserole gets too dry, top up with a bit more water.

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When the dish is ready you can spoon out any excess oil at the surface of the casserole.

Great served with oven baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, soft cooked polenta, some crusty rustic bread, sautéed peas, and other green vegetables like beans, broccoli, curly kale, and cavolo nero just to mention a few possible vegetables.

Just a thought

This lamb casserole is great for freezing. Once fully cooked, allow it to cool completely, and then freeze for up to three months.

June 07, 2024 /tina oblak
lamb, lamb meat, tougher cuts of lamb, cheap cuts of lamb, diced lamb neck fillet, lamb neck fillet, lamb shoulder, leg of lamb, Janje or Jančić na rošto, Pečeno Jagnje
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, baked dish, 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, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, main meat course, Meat, one pot meal, one pot meat recipe, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, make ahead, weekend, slow cook, comfort, batch cooking
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Meatloaf with Hard Boiled Eggs and Oven Baked Potatoes Istrian Recipe 

Beans and Sardines
December 23, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, baked dish, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, main meat course, Meat, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, Winter dish, Winter recipe, Starters

Meatloaf with hard boiled eggs is a real crowd pleaser.  It is moist, tender, satisfying, and comforting, and when eaten hot, it will warm you up body and soul. It is equally delicious cold, and it makes a fantastic starter. Slices of leftover meatloaf are a great sandwich filler, and it is also brilliant to take on picnics, as it transports very well. 

This dish is made with minced beef and pork combined with stale pieces of bread previously softened in milk, fresh parsley, marjoram, onions, garlic, salt and pepper, it is then shaped in a log and cooked. It has a rustic appearance from the outside but when you cut through it, it looks quite elegant and sophisticated, presenting itself quite cheffy, elaborate and complicated to make, but this meatloaf dish could not be easier to prepare. 

Nowadays, this dish might be considered and perceived to be a regular family midweek meal, or a weekend dinner, but this was not always the case. In fact, my nona  told me that in Slovenian Istra, meatloaf stuffed with hard boiled eggs was exclusively reserved for festivities and to celebrate special occasions. To make it extra special finely chopped pancetta would be added to the meat mix and it could also be baked wrapped inside bread dough, almost resembling Beef Wellington. Another way of cooking the meatloaf is wrapping it in a cloth and boiling it in plenty of simmering water. 

This dish is called Polpeton by the locals, a dialect word clearly influenced by the neighbouring Italian Polpettone, which has numerous regional variations from North to South of Italy. 

Regardless of what it is called, Polpettone in Italian, or Polpeton in Istrian , they both showcase a very humble but creative way of using stale bread or breadcrumbs, the latter one, once again, being home made from old bread. 

The Istrian meatloaf distinguishes itself from the others by adding fresh or dry marjoram, a herb very commonly grown along the Slovenian coast, and characterizes quite specifically many savoury dishes in Istrian cooking, offering distinctive flavour. 

I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this delicious meat loaf which is traditionally served and enjoyed with sone oven roasted potatoes, a selection of vegetables and a side salad. 

This is easier to make than it looks, give it a go, it will become one of your favourite recipes for meatloaves, and you will be asked to share the recipe by your family and friends. 

Recipe 

Ingredients 

Serves 4-6 

  • 250g minced beef 

  • 250g minced pork 

  • 2 soft white baps or some stale bread (roughly 120g) 

  • 150ml milk

  • 1 Tbsp marjoram (fresh or dry), finely chopped 

  • a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 12g), finely chopped 

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

  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and pressed 

  • 1 egg, slightly beaten 

  • 4 eggs, hard boiled and peeled 

  • sea salt 

  • black pepper 

Oven baked potatoes (optional) 

  • 500g potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 

  • extra virgin olive oil, generous drizzle 

  • sea salt, to taste 

  • black pepper, to taste 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180C or equivalent. 

Cut or tear with your hands white baps (or any other type of stale bread you are using) into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Pour over the milk, mix well and leave to soak for a few minutes until the bread is completely softened (if necessary squeeze out gently with your hands excessive milk). 

While the bread is soaking in milk, prepare the meat mixture. 

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Put both minced beef and minced pork in a fairly large bowl. Add finely chopped onions, crashed garlic, finely chopped fresh parsley and marjoram, lightly beaten egg, generous pinch of sea salt, black pepper and softened pieces of bread.    

With your hand mix very well all the ingredients, almost using a squeezing action, to thoroughly combine the mixture (if you end up with bigger bread pieces just break them with your fingers). 

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Transfer the meat mixture onto a large sheet of baking parchment (roughly the size of your baking tray) and flatten it with your hands into an approximate 30x25cm (12 x 10 inch) rectangle. 

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Place 4 whole hard boiled eggs in a row, along the centre and form the meatloaf around the eggs using the baking parchment.

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Press it gently to seal any seams, and tuck well the edges. 

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Transfer the meat loaf, seam side down (together with the baking parchment) on to a baking tray. 

Place cubed potatoes around the meatloaf, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. With your hands arrange them in a single layer and mix and toss so all the cubed potatoes are evenly coated in olive oil and the seasoning. 

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Bake at180C static or equivalent for 60 minutes. 

Halfway through baking, check the colour of the meatloaf, if it is browning too much, tent it with some aluminium foil to prevent it from browning too much and starting to burn. 

When baked, cover the meat loaf with the aluminium foil to keep it warm and allow it to rest for a bit before slicing it. 

Just a thought 

Meatloaf will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 3-4 days. Best reheat it in a microwave, covered. 

Before baking the meatloaf you can “dress it up” by topping it with overlapping slices of pancetta giving it that additional festive look and flavour. 

Wine suggestion

Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2021 - Poliziano

December 23, 2022 /tina oblak
mince beef, mince pork, hard boiled eggs, Meatloaf, Festive Meatloaf, Christmas meatloaf, Polpettone, Polpeton, stale bread, old bread, Oven baked potatoes, Potatoes, picnic food, sandwich filler, meat starter
Adriatic Recipe, All year round recipe, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, baked dish, Celebratory dish, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easter, Easter dish, Easter recipes, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, main course, main dish, main meat course, Meat, roasted dish, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, supper, Winter dish, Winter recipe, Starters
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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.

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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.

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

Put the lid on and roast for 60 minutes.

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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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