Recipes from my travels – Slovenia is the inspiration for Paul’s delicious Bograc
CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
I am visiting Slovenia for a few days to attend the wedding of my nephew and his lovely bride-to-be.
I’ve also agreed to do a review at the accommodation I’m staying at, which is just a stone’s throw from the beautiful Lake Bled – things to do for a discount…
If you don’t already know, Slovenia is in Central Europe and is known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes.
The town of Bled, a popular tourist destination for visitors from all over Europe, contains an island with a church,
The islet in the middle of the lake is home to the pilgrimage of the Assumption, where visitors often ring its bell – due to an old folk tale that it brings good luck.
Well, if that’s the case, I can see myself paddling up there a few times, as I need all the luck I can get.
Bograc is a traditional Slovenian meat stew, which, according to folklore, was introduced by Hungarian shepherds when Prekmurje was under Hungarian rule.
This region in the upper eastern part of Slovenia is a mixture of Slovenian, Hungarian and Croatian cultural influences.
Bograc is a one-pot dish that, due to its location and cultural background, is unsurprisingly reminiscent of Hungarian goulash and usually contains three types of meat, but since this dish is entirely related to my nephew and his bride’s wedding and the fact that they are vegan, I thought it would tone down a bit on the flesh front.
In fact, this dish could be turned into a vegan version by using the ingredient ‘Seitan’
Seitan, made from wheat gluten, mimics the taste and texture of meat and can be enjoyed by vegetarians and vegans.
But to be honest, my last encounter with this ingredient in making a vegan kebab went horribly wrong. Because of its elasticity, I underestimated the time in the refrigerator when it is shaped into a kebab. To make a long story short, it spread so much that it came out of the cling film and foil.
Anyway, back to bograč, which got its name from bograč – the traditional cauldron in which it is still prepared today.
To be honest, I tinkered with this recipe like all cooks do – you can add extra meat if you want, and replace the fresh tomatoes with canned.
Recipes are just guidelines that the chef adjusts.
But whatever you do, please avoid the spread ‘Seitan’
A visit recipesfrommytravels.com for more of Paul’s recipes and his blog.
Godfather
Ingridients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
1 clove of garlic, crushed
4 pork loin steaks (or diced pork if you prefer)
1 tablespoon of plain flour
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 package of good quality tomatoes (such as piccolo), crushed with your fingers.
600 ml of vegetable base
1 cup of roasted paprika
Chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon white ground pepper (for seasoning)
Salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
100 ml of red wine
The method
1. Turn the slow cooker to high.
2. Add oil to a medium-heated pan and fry the pork until nicely browned. Push to one side and add onion, garlic, flour, chilli and paprika and mix.
3. While the onion is gently sauteing until translucent, add the vegetable stock and wine to the slow cooker, followed by the tomatoes and roasted peppers.
4. Mix well, then add the pork and onion mixture from the pan.
5. Turn the slow cooker down to medium and let all the spices and flavors infuse for at least four hours.
6. Season with white pepper for extra flavor and heat
7. To serve, remove the pork from the slow cooker and gently place it on a warm plate.
8. Add a handful of chopped parsley to the sauce mixture in the slow cooker and stir. (If you feel that the sauce is not thick enough, add just a little cornmeal mixed with water).
9. The steaks are then drizzled with sauce and served with smooth creamy mashed potatoes.