A taste of South-east Europe: Cevapcici
Walking Around Mostar
Walking around the streets of Mostar, the smell of wood-burning fires and food charring on open grills wafted through the air. It smelled so good. The smell was Cevapcici, the local dish, and I just had to try some.
There are different versions of this dish around southeastern Europe, usually served with chopped onions, ajvar (a spicy relish made of peppers, aubergine, and garlic—pronounced 'eye-var') and a flatbread (similar to a pitta bread) known as lepinje. Why not try making Cevapcici—pronounced chewapchiechie—for yourself with this easy recipe?
Ingredients
To make 6-8 Cevapcici, you will need:
- 200g Minced Beef
- 200g Minced Lamb
- 200g Minced Pork
- 200g Minced Turkey (use all of the above meats, or a combination of a couple of them)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method 1
- Mix the meat together and set to one side.
- Sauté the chopped onions in a little bit of oil.
- Add the crushed garlic.
- Add the onions and garlic mixture to the meat.
- Add beaten egg white and paprika.
- Mix well.
- Form into sausage shapes.
- Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight).
- Pan fry until nicely browned on all sides.
Method 2
- Combine all ingredients and form into 3 or 4-inch long sausages.
- Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight).
- Cook slowly until well browned, turning often.
Leave the Cevapcici in the fridge overnight before cooking.
Ajvar
To make the ajvar, you will need:
- 5 red peppers
- 1 medium aubergine
- 3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1-2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparing the Ajvar
- Cut the aubergine in half, lengthways.
- Place peppers and aubergine cut-side face down in the oven until the pepper skins start to blister and go black.
- Place blackened peppers in a bowl and cover with cling film to let them steam.
- When the aubergine is soft in the middle, scoop out the flesh and discard any large seeds. Mash or chop it (depending on how chunky you'd like your ajvar) and mix in the garlic.
- Once the peppers are cool, peel off the blackened skin and chop finely.
- Add this to the aubergine and garlic mixture, then add the vinegar, paprika, and salt and pepper.
- Serve chilled.
Spice it Up
Add chopped chillies if you'd prefer it to have a bit of a kick! Serve your Cevapcici with chopped, raw onion, ajvar, and flat/pitta bread. Cevapcici served with ajvar, onions, and pitta bread—just the way I tried it in Mostar!
Have you tried Cevapcici? Try this recipe and let us know how you get on.
