Unković - The Adriatic kitchen: recipes inspired by the abundance of seasonal ingredients flourishing on the Croatian island of Korčula

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ADRIATIC
Kitchen About the author Barbara Unkovi was born in New Zealand, the daughter of a Croatian father and an English mother. She is D.H. Lawrences cousin. Barbara holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and is the recipient of more than 30 writing awards from the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Her published titles include: Adriatic Blue, Weeds in the Garden of Eden, A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Moon Walking, Furry Blur and Naughty Noosa Meets the New Neighbours. For more detailed information about Barbara, please visit her website at www.barbaraunkovic.com. First published 2017 Exisle Publishing Pty Ltd Moonrising, Narone Creek Road, Wollombi, NSW 2325, Australia P.O.

Box 60490, Titirangi, Auckland 0642, New Zealand www.exislepublishing.com Copyright 2017 in text: Barbara Unkovi Copyright in illustrations: Colin Unkovich Barbara Unkovi asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. Except for short extracts for the purpose of review, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. A CiP record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia. ISBN 978-1-925335-36-1 ePub ISBN 978-1-77559-327-0 Designed by Big Cat Design Dedication This book is dedicated to my husband Denis, whom I would like to thank for his continued support, encouragement and tireless tending of our organic gardens and olive trees. Denis was a well-known chef and coffee roaster in the vibrant caf and restaurant scene in Wellington, New Zealand, during the eighties and nineties.

He owned a number of popular establishments including The Pat Shop, Turnbull House, Bowen Street Caf and The Begonia Caf. In 1999, we set up Caf 51 in Wellington, followed by Costa Noosa Espresso in Queenslands Noosa Heads, Australia, in 2003. By this time, Denis had moved on to become a highly skilled coffee roaster, while I took over supervision of the kitchen and menu design together with my duties as a chef. Although working together proved to be tough at times, we made a great team and I always admired Denis passion, drive and dedication. A special thank you also to my daughter Rebecca Fletcher for her invaluable assistance, and to my brother Colin Unkovich for creating the sensational artwork. Introduction On my first visit to the island of Korula I was both astonished and delighted by the abundance of edible seasonal delights flourishing around me.

This, combined with the natural beauty of the island, was largely responsible for me choosing to make the island my home. As I watched the days turn into months and the months evolve into seasons, in the village of Raie, it seemed only natural to put together this recipe book. Croatian cuisine is particularly regional and the specialties differ greatly from the mountainous regions of the interior, to the Dalmatian Coast with its hundreds of islands. In Slavonia, in the north-east of Croatia, you will encounter kulen, a hot spicy salami; whereas if you visit Korula, you will discover prut, a dried smoked ham, and the renowned black risotto. During my time here I have been fortunate to taste many traditional Croatian foods and dishes. The influences in Croatian cuisine are varied and come from Italy, Turkey and Austria.

Croatian people have lived off the fruit of the land and the sea for several thousands of years. They harvest and enjoy wild fruit, home-grown vegetables and wild herbs including sage and oregano. Asparagus, capers, mushrooms, olives, figs, pomegranates and blackberries also flourish freely here. The Adriatic Sea, which surrounds the island of Korula, yields a boundless variety of seafood including anchovies, squid, octopus, mackerel and eel. Throughout Croatia, the main meal of the day is often a drawn-out affair commonly eaten in the middle of the day. The meal does not begin without a glass of aperitif or rakija, the fiery homemade spirits brewed by the locals.

There are many different varieties, and on this island the more common ones are walnut or herb, and the most unusual one, blueberry. This long lunch is invariably accompanied by excellent local wine. Here on Korula we are privileged to enjoy Grk, a dry white from the village of Lumbarda; Plavac, a rich, fragrant red from Blato, rnovo, and Pupnat; and Rukatac, an aromatic white from ara and Smokvia. The combination of excellent wine and superb food ensures a marvellously tasty meal. This book is not intended to feature only Croatian recipes, but recipes inspired by the fantastic range of fresh, seasonal produce available in this small sleepy village with its lush vegetation, rich fertile soil and hot, endless summers. My recipes have been tried and tested many times and I pride myself on using only the finest, freshest, seasonal ingredients, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black or distinctive green pepper.

It is my desire to share with you my passion for simple, creative cuisine inspired by the bountiful fresh fare of the beautiful Adriatic. Spring This is one of my favourite times of the year. On the Dalmatian Coast spring is usually short and sharp, stretching from March until May. As soon as winter departs the temperature often increases from 13C (55F) to 23C (73F) in the space of merely a few days. Spring arrives almost overnight and even though I know this is the case, I cannot seem to get used to it. At this time of year, the landscape is a profusion of beautiful flowers.

One of the most spectacular sights is the pink and white blossoms on the numerous almond trees. They begin flowering in January. By March, when they reach their blooming peak, the trees are smothered with delicate, snow-like flowers. Fields are dotted with daffodils, wild snapdragons, bright red poppies and vibrant, purple sage. Ancient stone walls are covered with small wild flowers, white daisies and the tiniest bright pink, delicate cyclamen. The countless olive trees are smothered with small, white star-like flowers and in May, tiny vivid tangerine blossoms open on pomegranate stems against a backdrop of small yet bright green, glossy leaves.

Hillsides no longer cultivated or maintained are ablaze with bright yellow broom. Spring is the time for preparing this rich fertile soil before planting a multitude of seeds and seedlings. At the end of winter, the landscape is at last awake and alive. It is a joy to behold the beauty of spring in this lush, green land. Peasant BreadZVON, A YOUNG ENTHUSIASTIC CROATIAN CHEF FROM ZAGREB, SHARED THIS RECIPE WITH ME. IT WAS TRADITIONALLY BAKED UNDER A METAL OR EARTHENWARE PEKA OR BELL COVERED WITH BURNING EMBERS FROM A HOT, OPEN FIRE.

TODAY, IT CAN BE BAKED SUCCESSFULLY IN A VERY HOT FAN-FORCED OVEN. TO PRODUCE A BOOST OF STEAM TO HELP ENSURE A STRONG, EVEN CRUST, POUR A CUP OF WATER INTO A DISH IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OVEN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE DOOR TO BEGIN BAKING THE LOAF.Ingredients: 250 grams (about 2 cups) strong bread flour (high gluten content) 250 grams (about 2 cups) plain flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 grams (1 tablespoon) fresh yeast, crumbled 2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon liquid honey 500 millilitres (2 cups) tepid water, approximate In a large bowl, sift together the two types of flour. Using a knife, make two indentations in the flour one on each side. In the first indentation add the salt followed by the oil. In the second indentation, rub in the yeast using your fingertips. Add the sugar and honey to this indentation.