Croatian Gastronomy - Nostromo

Good fish-papriKash must contain as
many typEs of fish as possiBlE.
frEshly Ground rEd papriKa as an
addition to frEsh cottaGE chEEsE - a
simply irrEsistiBlE comBination.
intEnsE, hot flavours arE a synonym
of slavonian Gastronomy.
Cooking in the open is just as popular in Slavonia
as it has always been, involving a great deal of
passion, emotions and even nostalgia.
slavonia is
also Known
for its many
typEs of
GrapE.
available on Croatian markets, since they are bred in a
number of fish farms. However, there are those who know
that the range of fish on offer is far more varied: catfish
and horned pout (liked for practical reasons because it
has no small bones, just the spine) can often be found in
continental fishmongers. Somewhat rarer is the very tasty
pike perch and pike. Rarely, one can chance upon tench,
a rather fatty but exquisitely flavoursome fish. Lately, in
Zagreb’s Dolac market it has been possible to obtain, at
more than reasonable prices, smoked common bream,
an extremely tasty fish but best appreciated by the more
patient connoisseur, as it is full of tiny bones. Eels cannot
be bred in captivity but they do appear in fishmongers’
shops. Among other types of fish found in clear and cold
rivers, which are of interest to gastronomes, is the grayling,
but one has to go out and catch it as it almost never
appears on the markets.
There is a fish dish known as paprikash, logically named
fish paprikash, regarded as one of the most outstanding
Slavonian specialties, but which can also be found
in Zagreb, particularly on Fridays. A good fish paprikas
demands as many types of fish as possible. It is prepared
in a small (or sometimes not so small) cauldron and
cooked over an open fire. Its main spice is paprika, hot
and sweet. Hungarians in Croatia are renowned producers
of top quality paprika, both ground and crushed. In the
vicinity of Vukovar, especially in the village of Èakovci
(not to be confused with the town of Èakovec), hot and
sweet paprika of the highest world quality is grown, dried,
crushed and ground.
s a l e n j a c i
Today, cakes made with pork fat seem like some distant
example of gastro-archaeology, but when those who today are
old were young, salenjaci were one of the most common desserts
in many parts of the Slavonian and Zagreb clusters. Flaky pastry
was made with minced fat, and stuffed with apricot or plum
jam, or with walnut filling, prior to baking.
podEranE Gać e
(rippEd pants)
Quite apart from their taste of traditional popular cakes,
poderane gaæe owe their survival in no small measure to their
highly memorable name. Rectangular-shaped cakes, the main
ingredients of which are flour, sugar and eggs, with a touch of
rum for a fulsome aroma, are nicked in two or three places
before being fried in hot oil, the finished article resembling a
ripped piece of cloth.
croatian Gastronomy
39
KulEn or Kulin -
thE most hiGhly
valuEd salami-typE
product of
slavonia.