Djuvec Rice and Pljeskavica

A classic dish from the Balkans. The Djuvec rice is even the national dish of Serbia.

Nowadays you can´t find Balkan restaurants everywhere. They were all over every town until about 15 years ago.  Now they are a very rare commodity. The food there was high on garlic and great platters of meat were high  on the menu.

I miss a good Croatian restaurant. I have fond memories to a good one here in the City. But it was closed long ago. When I travelled around in Germany and was looking for a place to eat, a Balkan restaurant was mostly the place of choice.

recipe for Djuvec rice:
2 heaped tbsp lard with onions
1 large onion
1 carrot
3 cloves of garlic
500 ml chicken stock
225 g long rice
1 cup defrosted peas
2 red bell peppers
5 tbsp Ajvar
10 cm leek
150 g tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
fresh parsley

recipe for Pljeskavica:
500 g mixed beef and pork mince
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bread roll soaked in milk
1 egg
125 g sheep feta
1 tsp herbes de Provence
salt and pepper
chili pepper
30 ml chicken stock

The meat has to rest in the fridge for 30 min minimum, so give the mix a headstart and put it in the fridge to chill down.
The rice will take up to 50 minutes to get ready, so start the prep work. Everything has to be cut into fine cubes -Brunoise-.

Cooking the rice starts with the onion lard that has to melt in the pot. In goes onions, garlic, leek and carrot. They will need about 10 min to soften a bit. Get the paprika powders in and sweat them 3  min.
Then comes the rice, the ajvar and the chicken broth.

Stir often, like you would cook a risotto and make sure it does not stick to the bottem.
After 10 min, add the bell pepper, tomatoes and leek and after 10 more  min the defrosted peas.
Maybe you need a bit more water or stock. Keep stirring. When the rice is nearly done, take it off the heat and close the lid and let it sit for 15 min. Sprinkle some parsley on.

Pljeskavica.
Take the rested meat mix out of the fridge and form thin patties. In between each 2 place a piece of feta and close the top around it.
I used a burger press for my patties, that worked well.
Brown them on high heat on both sides, then reduce the heat, close the lid and le them cook through. Turn halfway.

Serve with some additional ajvar and some cheese.