Croatian recipe
How to make Peka (dishes cooked under the bell)
ispod peke
Dalmatia and the islands, also found across the Balkans
Lamb, veal or octopus with potatoes, slowly cooked in a shallow dish under a heavy metal or clay bell covered with hot embers. The meat cooks in its own juices and comes out very tender.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg lamb or veal on the bone, in large pieces
- 1 kg waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks
- 2 onions, cut in wedges, and 1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated
- 2 carrots, cut in chunks
- 2 sprigs of rosemary and a few bay leaves
- 100 ml olive oil and 150 ml dry white wine
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Without a real peka, use a heavy casserole dish with a tight lid in the oven. Heat the oven to 180°C.
- Put the meat, potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots in the dish. Pour over the olive oil and wine, add the herbs and season well with salt and pepper. Toss everything together.
- Cover with the lid and cook for about 2 hours, stirring gently once or twice, until the meat is very tender.
- Take off the lid, raise the heat to 200°C and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes so that the potatoes and meat turn golden.
- Serve straight from the dish with bread and a green salad.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
The bell is called a peka in Croatia and a sač in several neighbouring countries. The same way of cooking is found from Turkey across the Balkans.
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