North Croatian Ham And Pasta Casserole Krpice Sa Sunkom Recipes

NORTH CROATIAN HAM AND PASTA CASSEROLE (KRPICE SA SUNKOM)

Steps:

• Cook pasta until al dente.
• Sauté finely sliced onion on butter until soft and add sliced ham. Sauté it not more than 5 minutes than let it cool for a bit.
• Take casserole pot; coat it with butter and sprinkle bread crumbs over to cover the butter.
• Mix well eggs, milk, butter and some sour cream. Add chopped parsley leaves salt and pepper into eggs and mix with ham.
• To prepare casserole first lay one layer of pasta, than mix the rest of pasta with ham and eggs and cover the first layer of pasta.
• Cover with the rest of sour cream. Bake it for 25 to 35 minutes on 200°C Serve hot.

CROATIAN CHICKEN "PAPRIKAS"

Steps:

• Melt the lard in a pot.
• Add 2 large onions finely minced and sauté it until the onion is soft and transparent.
• Chop the chicken into small pieces (mouthfull). Than, add chicken pieces and sauté it until the meat is white.
• Add wine and sauté it for 5 more minutes.
• Than add 3 teaspoons of paprika (chili to taste), salt pepper and caraway seeds.
• Add water to cover the chicken.
• Sauté for 50 minutes or until chicken is soft.
• At the end add 2-3 teaspoons of sour cream and cook for 2-5 more minutes.
• Serve with noodles or mashed potatoes, and inevitably white wine (you've used in the paprikas).
• As a salad with it I would recommend red beet.

NORTH CROATIAN CABBAGE AND PASTA ("KRPICE SA ZELJEM")

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to manufacturer manual.
• During this cut cabbage into stripes up to 1 cm wide and put them on hot lard. Add salt and pepper. Sauté it until cabbage is soft (add some water for better results).
• When the cabbage is soft, mix it with pasta and sauté for few more minutes (it should be dry and greasy). Serve warm.

NORTH CROATIAN PORK AND SAUERKRAUT STEW (SEKELI GULASH)

Steps:

• Cut pork meat into small pieces.
• Finely slice onion and sauté it on lard until soft. Add meat and continue to sauté it until meat starts to change color.
• Add paprika and mix. Add some wine and continue to sauté it.
• After 10 to 15 minutes add sauerkraut (sliced), bay leaf, caraway seeds and more wine. Add water and brine (only if you like it really sour).
• Cook 30 to 40 minutes on low fire. After 20 minutes add flour (just one teaspon if you want thicker stew) and mix well. Continue to cook until sauerkraut is soft.
• Before serving add sour cream and mix.

KRAFNE (CROATIAN DOUGHNUTS)

Steps:

• Take a large pot (glass pot for salad or similar) and put in it flour, sugar, slightly melted butter, salt, rum and slightly warm milk (25-30°C) and mix well using mixer or dough-machine.
• The dough must be smooth and "shiny". Cover the dough with warm kitchen towel and leave it grow for 40-50 minutes (it must double in size).
• Knead the dough again and cut into two parts. One part cover with kitchen towel again and thin the second part into 2 cm thick dough. Use mould for "krafne" or normal glass 6 cm. in diameter. Cut round pieces. Do this until there is no more dough (re-knead and do it again).
• Now, knead the second part of the dough and do the same thing (with glass). Let it grow for more 20 minutes.
• Take a large pot, pour 1 liter of oil and heat to 80-100°C Fry several krafne in oil; first covered (not more than 1 minute or until brownish) on one side, and than uncovered1 minute on the other side (them must not touch each other). They must have white ring (we call it in Zagreb: "ramftl").
• When they are done, take them out of oil with hollow spoon and put onto paper towel to drain surplus of oil. Using cooking syringe put jam into each "krafn". Spread grounded sugar over and serve. They are very good when they are warm, but not too warm.