Bosnian kitchen - bosnian cuisine

GRILLED MEAT BALLS – ĆEVAPI or ĆEVAPČIĆI


The word cevapcici comes from the Turkish kebab (roast) but the way our meat balls are made has nothing in common with the dish its name originated from. For making the meat balls take half beef and half mutton or in a proportion of 3/5 to 2/5. One helping should amount to about 150 gr. of meat without bones. The meat should be quite clean when purchased for if the meat balls are to have a good flavour the meat must not be washed but only wiped with a damp cloth. The meat is diced, mixed together, spinkled with salt, and double minced. It is then neaded for some time and allowed to stand for two to three hours. In some places in Bosnia a little mineral water is added to the mixture, to give added flavour and prevent the meat balls from sticking to the grill. Bicarbonate of soda should not be added. Nowadays some people add a little powdered flavouring, but this is not advisable. When the mixture has stood long enough it is made up into oblong meat rolls, about 3-6 cm long, either with a special machine or by hand; their diameter is about 1.5 cm. When the minced meat comes out of a machine like a long roll of sausage meat it is cup up into „cevapcici“. Ideally, they should be cooked on a charcoal grill and served at once. If made at home they are usually cooked on the hot plate of the cooking range or electric grill, or baked in the oven. When done, the meat balls are sprinkled with freshly- - ground pepper and served with freshly chopped onions— about one small onion to one helping.

MOSTAR BAKLAVA (MOSTARSKA BAKLAVA)

For 20 pieces: 550 gr. of fine flour, 100 gr. of coarse flour, 150 gr. of ground walnuts, 200 gr. of lard or butter, a little oil, one egg, 600 gr. of sugar, a lemon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Using 500 gr. of flour, a little oil, salt, tepid water and half an egg, knead a soft dough. Divide and add a little coarse flower until the dough has become firmer. The dough is then rolled out into paper thin sheets and left to dry. While the pastry sheets are drying, prepare the filling: 5 dkg of soft (fine) flour is mixed with half an egg and a little water, and then rubbed between the palms to form tiny grains about the size of rice. This is then slighty browned in hot fat and mixed with ground walnuts and fine sugar. Sometimes the sugar is omitted. ( In Travnik the fine dough crumbs are obtained by forcing the dough through a sieve). The pastry sheets are then placed on a greased round baking tin alternately with the filling and sprinkled with melted butter, until all the pastry has been used up. The uppermost sheet (in some places called duhak which means a bridal veil) must be thin and unblemished so that when baked the svweetmeat looks as attractive as possible. Finally, the baklava is cut into diamond- shaped pieces and baked in the oven, first moderate, then hotter, and lastly turned down again. The baklava is baked until it is a rich golden brown. Care should be taken not to over-bake it.