Bulgaria: Kyufteta Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, Stuffed Tomato Salad & Bulgarian Potato Salad
Known as the Land of Roses, Bulgaria is a country of culinary surprises. Recognised as one of the emerging organic farming regions in Europe, this south eastern European nation’s passion for agricultural biodiversity is at its strongest in deep Balkan valleys that grow the bulk of the World’s rose and lavender oil alongside stone-fruit orchards and wheat fields. Not surprisingly, Bulgarian cuisine is simultaneously fresh, earthy, fragrant and uplifting.
The Balkan Mountains stretch grandly across the entire length of Bulgaria. Rising out of the Black Sea on Bulgaria’s eastern coast, these colossal mounts march westward all the way to the Serbian border, making The Republic of Bulgaria the geographical centre stone of the Balkans Peninsula. Other countries sharing a border with Bulgaria include Romania to the north, Turkey and Greece to the south and North Macedonia to the west.
Location is everything when it comes to food traditions and as Bulgaria sits on a line teetering between Europe and the Middle East it is not surprising that this crossroads country has been exposed to centuries of culinary enrichment from both the east and the west. Bulgarian cuisine has shared culinary exchange of herbs and recipes with the Middle East since the 7thCentury. As such, Bulgarian cuisine has significant influences from Persia which are equalled and counterbalanced by strong relationships between Bulgarian cuisine and the Mediterannean food practices of Greece and Turkey.
Our Bulgarian menu included:
Kyufteta Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Stuffed Tomato Salad
&
Bulgarian Potato Salad
..................................................................................
KYUFTETA MEATBALLS
Ingredients:
· 500g pork mince
· 500g beef mince
· 1 large onion, finely diced
· 5 green onion/shallots, finely chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, crushed
· 1 tbs fresh Savory, finely chopped
· 2 tbs fresh Parsley, finely chopped
· 50g breadcrumbs
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten
· ¼ tsp salt
· several good grinds of pepper
· generous dash of cumin
· 1 teaspoon paprika
· 1 cup of flour, seasoned with a pinch of pepper and 2 pinches salt
· 5 tbs sunflower oil ( for frying)
note: Savory is known as the ‘Queen of herbs’ in Bulgarian cooking. If you can not access Savory the closest replacement for aroma and taste is to combine equal parts of fresh thyme and mint chopped together
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 c.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (except for the seasoned flour and sunflower oil) and knead well until it forms a ball of even consistency
3. Cover the bowl and place the meat mix to rest and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour
4. Line a tray with kitchen wax paper
5. Make meatballs about the size of a ping pong ball from the minced meat then flatten then with your hands so they are about 3-4 cm in diameter. Place meatballs on the paper so they are close but not touching. If you still have meat mix left after the whole bottom of the tray is covered by meatballs, put another layer of wax paper on top and begin making another layer
6. Cover the tray and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour
7. Put the seasoned flour in a flat bowl/container with low sides
8. Roll the chilled meatballs in the seasoned flour and put back on a clean tray ready for frying.
9. You will need a large pan that can move from the stove top to the oven
10. Heat the oil in the pan on top of the stove and brown the meatballs
11. Fry the balls on one side first. As they begin to brown lift them with a
metal spatula to stop them from sticking
12. When meatballs are browned on the first side turn them over and
repeat
13. Place the meatballs in the oven for 20 mins
14. Remove from oven, turn meatballs over and cook for a further 20
minutes in the oven on the other side
15. Kyufteta Meatballs can be served crispy on a plate with the tomato
sauce on the side in a sauce dish of at the last minute when the meat balls have been put on the plate you can pour the sauce over
This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several sources found at:
TOMATO SAUCE
Ingredients:
· 1 bunch onion hives, finely chopped
· 2 garlic clove, crushed
· 2 x 400 gm cans of diced peeled tomatoes
· 4 pinches salt
· ¼ tsp paprika
· 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
· 2 pinch fresh cracked black pepper
· 1 tsp sugar
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
· 120 ml dry white wine (I used a good quality Pinot Gris)
· 100 ml water
· 2 fresh bay leaves
Method:
1. Take a medium sized pot, add the oil and bring to a moderate heat
2. Sautéchives and garlic lightly in the oil for a few seconds
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and bay leaves, stir well and bring to a simmer
4. After a few minutes use a wooden spoon to stir in the white wine, parsley sugar, paprika,cayenne, salt andpepper
5. Cook about 15 - 20 minutes stirring often, adding the water as needed
6. Remove from the heat and set aside to be re-heated just before serving the Kyufteta, either on the side or poured over the meatballs
This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several sources found at:
STUFFED TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients:
· 8 vine ripened tomato
· 3 sticks celery, cut in 2mm dice
· 200g brined sheep's milk Fetta Cheese, crumbled
· 1 tbs fresh chopped parsley
· 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
· 2 tbs sunflower oil
· salt
· pepper, freshly ground
Method:
1. Blanch the celery in boiling salted water
2. Strain the celery and run under cold water to chill rapidly then drain
3. Slice tops off the tomatoes
4. Use a teaspoon to carve out the seeds and pulp creating tomato ‘cases’
5. Turn the tomato cases upside down on kitchen towel for a few minutes to drain off excess juice
6. Dry the cooled celery on a kitchen towel or similar
7. Mix the cheese with the celery, oil, vinegar and finely chopped parsley
8. season with salt and pepper to taste
9. Use a teaspoon to fill the cases with the cheese mixture and serve
This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several sources found at:
BULGARIAN POTATO SALAD
Ingredients:
· 6 large potatoes
· 2 tbs finely chopped white pickled onions
· juice of ½ a lemon
· 3 tbs olive oil
· 2 tbs finely chopped fresh dill
· salt
· pepper
Method:
1. Place potatoes in large pot of salted water
2. Gently boil the potatoes for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through
3. Drain potatoes and leave to cool in the strainer
4. Mix the finely chopped onions, dill, lemon juiceand olive oil in a salad bowl
5. Peel the skin off the potatoes with a small knife
6. Cut the potatoes into cubes and add the salad bowl
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and gently mix
This is a Q-Zine original recipe informed by several sources found at:
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