OkusiHrvatske

🧅 Ingredients

• Flour type 00300 g
• Eggs3 large
• Olive oil, salt1 tbsp / pinch
• Fresh white or black truffle20–30 g
• Or: quality truffle paste2–3 tbsp
• Butter (high quality)60 g
• Heavy cream150 ml
• Parmigiano, freshly grated60 g
• Garlic clove1
• Salt and white pepperto taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Mound flour on a board, make a well. Add eggs, oil and salt. Mix from centre outward and knead 12 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest 30 minutes — this step is not optional.
2. Roll dough to 3mm thickness. Cut into 5cm squares. To shape fuži: roll each square diagonally around a thin stick or pen, pressing both ends firmly to seal into a hollow quill. Dust generously with flour.
3. Melt butter over low heat. Infuse a crushed garlic clove 2 minutes, then discard it. Add cream and bring to a very gentle simmer.
4. Cook fuži in abundantly salted boiling water 3–4 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
5. Toss fuži in cream sauce over medium heat, adding pasta water gradually to achieve a silky, flowing consistency. Add half the Parmigiano and toss again.
6. Plate immediately in warm bowls. Shave or finely grate fresh truffle generously over each portion. Add remaining Parmigiano. Serve at once — truffle's legendary aroma fades within minutes of contact with air.

🧅 Ingredients

• Dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight300 g
• Dried corn (bobići), soaked overnight200 g
• Smoked pork ribs or pancetta300 g
• Onion, diced1 large
• Garlic, crushed4 cloves
• Carrots, celery, diced2 each
• Canned crushed tomatoes200 g
• Istrian extra virgin olive oil50 ml
• Fresh parsley, bay leavesbunch + 3
• Water or light stock1.5 litres

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Drain soaked beans and corn. Place in a large pot with smoked pork ribs and water. Bring to a boil, skim foam carefully, reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 45 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, heat olive oil. Sauté onion, carrots and celery over medium heat for 12 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
3. Add tomatoes to the soffritto and cook 10 minutes until thickened. Transfer into the bean pot together with bay leaves.
4. Continue simmering everything together for 45–60 minutes until beans and corn are completely tender and the broth is rich and thick.
5. Remove pork ribs, shred all the meat from the bones and return it to the pot. Discard bones. Adjust seasoning generously.
6. Ladle into deep bowls. Drizzle generously with excellent Istrian olive oil. Scatter fresh parsley. Serve with crusty white bread.

🧅 Ingredients

• Fresh eggs4 large
• Fresh truffle or truffle paste10 g / 1 tbsp
• Butter30 g
• Heavy cream2 tbsp
• Salt and white pepperto taste
• Fresh chives (optional)small bunch

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Whisk eggs with cream, salt and a pinch of white pepper until just combined. Do not over-beat — the goal is a uniform yolk-cream mixture, not a foam.
2. Melt butter in a heavy non-stick pan over the absolute lowest possible heat. The butter should melt slowly without sizzling.
3. Add eggs. Stir very gently and slowly with a flexible spatula, pushing eggs from the edges to the centre in long, slow strokes. Remove from heat while still slightly underdone — they will finish cooking in the residual heat of the pan.
4. Immediately fold in truffle paste or shave fresh truffle directly over the eggs. Serve at once on warm toast, scattered with fresh chives.

🧅 Ingredients

• Mixed Adriatic fish (scorpionfish, monkfish, sea bass)1.5 kg
• Onions, finely sliced3 large
• Garlic, canned tomatoes5 cloves / 400 g
• Dry white wine200 ml
• Extra virgin olive oil80 ml
• Red wine vinegar2 tbsp
• Fresh parsley, bay leavesbunch + 3
• Salt and black pepperto taste
• Water150 ml

Serve with polenta or crusty white bread

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Clean and gut the fish. Cut larger fish into thick steaks; leave smaller fish whole. Season generously with salt on all sides and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. In a wide, heavy pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions very slowly for 20 minutes until deeply golden and almost caramelised — this base is the heart of brudet and cannot be rushed.
3. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, cook 10 minutes until thickened. Add wine, vinegar and bay leaves. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add the firmer, denser fish pieces first (monkfish, scorpionfish). Do not stir — brudet must never be stirred, only shaken gently. Add water, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
5. Add the more delicate fish on top. Cover and cook 15 more minutes on very low heat, shaking the pot occasionally. Scatter fresh parsley over the top. Serve immediately in deep bowls.

🧅 Ingredients

• Plain flour type 00500 g
• Warm water, olive oil, salt280 ml / 3 tbsp / 1 tsp
• Swiss chard, finely chopped — RAW1.2 kg
• Garlic, very finely minced6 cloves
• Fresh parsley, finely choppedlarge handful
• Spring onions, finely sliced4 stalks
• Olive oil (for filling)50 ml
• Salt and black pepperto taste
• Olive oil + garlic (for finishing)3 tbsp + 2 cloves

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make dough: combine flour and salt, add oil and warm water gradually. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly elastic. Divide into two equal balls, cover with a cloth, rest 20 minutes.
2. Prepare filling: mix the raw chopped chard with garlic, parsley, spring onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. The chard must be completely raw — do not blanch. Squeeze out any excess liquid firmly.
3. Roll one dough ball on a floured surface to a very thin circle or rectangle, approximately 40cm across. Transfer to a well-oiled baking sheet or peel.
4. Spread chard filling evenly over the entire surface, leaving a 2cm border. Roll the second dough ball to the same size and lay it carefully over the filling. Press and crimp the edges firmly to seal.
5. Bake at 220°C on a preheated pizza stone or heavy baking tray for 18–22 minutes until golden and slightly blistered on top. (Traditionally cooked directly on glowing embers for about 15 minutes, turned once.)
6. Immediately upon removing from the oven, brush generously all over with olive oil and rub vigorously with the cut side of a raw garlic clove. Cut into diamond shapes with a pizza cutter. Serve warm.

🧅 Ingredients

• Fresh mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded2 kg
• Garlic cloves, finely sliced6 cloves
• Dry white wine200 ml
• Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
• Fresh parsley, finely choppedlarge bunch
• Breadcrumbs2 tbsp
• Lemon, salt, black pepper1 lemon / to taste
• Fresh chilli (optional)½ small

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Discard any mussels that are open and do not close firmly when tapped sharply on the countertop. Scrub shells clean under cold running water and pull off any beards.
2. Heat olive oil in the widest, heaviest pot you own over high heat. Add garlic (and chilli if using) and cook for 1 minute until just golden and fragrant — do not burn it.
3. Add all the mussels at once and pour in the wine immediately. Cover tightly with a lid and cook over high heat for 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot vigorously every minute.
4. When all mussels have opened, scatter the breadcrumbs over the top and toss gently — the breadcrumbs thicken the sauce slightly and add texture. Add fresh parsley and lemon juice. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
5. Serve immediately in deep bowls. This is the most important instruction: provide generous crusty bread for dipping. The broth that collects in the shells and at the bottom of the bowl is liquid gold.

🧅 Ingredients

• Whole sea bream (orada), gutted, scaled4 × 400g
• Extra virgin olive oil (excellent)80 ml
• Coarse sea saltgenerous
• Fresh lemons2
• Fresh rosemary and sagefew sprigs each
• Garlic cloves, sliced3 cloves
• Swiss chard400 g
• Potatoes, boiled and halved4 medium
• Garlic + olive oil (for blitva)3 cloves + 40 ml

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Score the fish 3 times diagonally on each side with a sharp knife. Season very generously inside and out with coarse sea salt. Stuff the cavity with rosemary, sage and sliced garlic. Drizzle all over with olive oil.
2. Prepare a charcoal grill with a good bed of glowing embers. Oil the grill grate generously using a cloth dipped in oil held with tongs. The grate must be very hot before the fish goes on.
3. Place fish on the grill over medium-high heat. Grill without touching for 8–10 minutes until the skin releases naturally and is beautifully marked. Turn carefully once with two spatulas. Grill the other side 7–8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, blanch chard in well-salted boiling water for 3 minutes until wilted. Drain thoroughly. In a wide pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add sliced garlic and cook until just golden. Add boiled potatoes and chard. Toss everything together over heat, season generously with salt.
5. Transfer fish to a warm plate. Squeeze lemon over the fish. Drizzle with the finest raw olive oil you own. Serve immediately alongside the blitva. Eat at once — this dish waits for no one.

🧅 Ingredients

• Plain flour400 g
• Egg, oil, salt, warm water1 / 1 tbsp / ½ tsp / ~180 ml
• Fresh cow's cheese (svježi sir)500 g
• Sour cream (for filling)150 g
• Eggs (for filling)3 large
• Salt, melted butter1 tsp / 50 g
• Sour cream (for baking)400 ml
• Eggs (for baking)2 large
• Butter (for greasing)30 g

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make dough: mix flour, egg, oil and salt. Add warm water gradually, mixing until a smooth, slightly elastic dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover with a cloth and rest 30 minutes — the dough must relax fully before rolling.
2. Make filling: beat together fresh cheese, sour cream (150g), eggs and salt until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. On a well-floured cloth, roll the dough out very thin — almost transparent, like strudel pastry. Brush the entire surface generously with melted butter. Spread the cheese filling evenly over two-thirds of the dough.
4. Using the cloth to assist, roll the dough from the filling side into a tight, even log, like a strudel. Cut into portions approximately 8cm long with a sharp knife.
5. Cook in batches in abundantly salted boiling water for 10 minutes until they float and are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well.
6. For baked štrukli (pečeni): arrange boiled štrukli in a well-buttered baking dish. Beat 400ml sour cream together with 2 eggs and pour over the top. Bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until the top is deep golden and bubbling. Serve immediately — hot from the oven.

🧅 Ingredients

• Whole sauerkraut head (kiseli kupus)1 large head
• Mixed minced pork and beef800 g
• Short-grain rice, uncooked100 g
• Onion finely grated, garlic crushed1 large / 3 cloves
• Sweet paprika2 tbsp
• Smoked bacon or pork belly (for base)200 g
• Egg, salt, black pepper1 egg / to taste
• Sour cream (to serve)200 ml

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Carefully separate large outer leaves from the sauerkraut head, keeping them whole and unbroken. Rinse briefly under cold water if they are very sour — though some sourness is essential to the dish.
2. Mix minced meat with uncooked rice, grated onion, crushed garlic, egg, paprika, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be cohesive but not overly compressed.
3. Place 2 heaped tablespoons of filling near one edge of a sauerkraut leaf. Fold in the sides and roll up firmly into a tight cigar shape. Repeat until all filling is used.
4. Line the bottom of a heavy pot with sliced smoked bacon. Arrange sarma tightly in the pot in layers, packing any remaining shredded sauerkraut between and around the rolls. Cover completely with water. Place a heavy plate on top to hold the sarma in place during cooking.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce to the lowest possible simmer, cover and cook for a minimum of 2.5 hours. Serve with a generous spoonful of cold sour cream on each portion.

🧅 Ingredients

• Mixed mushrooms (forest, cremini, porcini)600 g
• Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 200ml hot water20 g
• Onion, finely diced1 large
• Garlic, minced3 cloves
• Butter60 g
• Chicken or vegetable stock800 ml
• Sour cream (kiselo vrhnje)200 ml
• Fresh thyme, bay leaf4 sprigs / 2
• White wine100 ml
• Fresh parsleyhandful
• Salt and white pepperto taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Soak dried porcini in 200ml hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid (strain through a fine cloth to remove any grit). Roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until foaming. Add fresh mushrooms in a single layer — do not stir for 3 minutes to allow them to develop a golden sear. Toss and cook 3 more minutes until deeply coloured. Season well.
3. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes until softened. Add rehydrated porcini and cook 2 minutes. Add white wine and let it bubble vigorously for 2 minutes.
4. Add stock, reserved porcini soaking liquid, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
5. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup — leaving the rest chunky for texture. Stir in sour cream and warm gently. Do not boil after adding the cream or it may split.
6. Adjust seasoning. Serve in deep bowls with fresh parsley and a swirl of additional sour cream. Serve with crusty bread or toasted sourdough.

🧅 Ingredients

• Potatoes, peeled and sliced 5mm1 kg
• Smoked pork ribs or bacon300 g
• Sour cream300 ml
• Onion, finely sliced2 medium
• Garlic cloves, crushed4 cloves
• Fresh thyme4 sprigs
• Coarse salt, black peppergenerous
• Sunflower oil2 tbsp

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Pre-boil sliced potatoes in well-salted water for 8 minutes until only partially cooked — they should still hold their shape and resist a fork. Drain very well and pat dry.
2. In a heavy ovenproof pot, heat oil over high heat. Brown smoked pork ribs on all sides until golden — 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. In the same fat, sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and golden — 10 minutes.
3. Layer the potatoes and smoked meat alternately back into the pot with the onions, distributing thyme sprigs throughout. Season each layer generously with salt and pepper.
4. Pour sour cream evenly over the entire surface. Cover the pot tightly with a lid and bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and the cream is bubbling around the edges.
5. Uncover and bake a further 10 minutes to develop a golden top. Serve directly from the pot at the table.

🧅 Ingredients

• Dried beans (borlotti or cranberry), soaked overnight400 g
• Smoked sausage (kobasica)400 g
• Smoked pork ribs300 g
• Onion, garlic2 large / 5 cloves
• Carrots, celery2 each
• Sweet paprika, bay leaves1 tbsp / 3
• Sunflower oil3 tbsp
• Salt and pepperto taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Drain soaked beans thoroughly. Place in a large pot with smoked pork ribs and cover generously with cold water. Bring to a boil, skim foam carefully, reduce heat and simmer steadily for 45 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots and celery for 12 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic and paprika, cook 2 more minutes stirring constantly.
3. Transfer the soffritto into the bean pot. Add bay leaves and season generously — but wait until the beans are nearly tender before adjusting salt, as salt hardens bean skins.
4. Add sliced sausage to the pot. Continue to simmer for 45–60 more minutes until beans are completely soft and the stew is thick, fragrant and deeply coloured.
5. Remove pork ribs, shred all meat from the bones and return to the pot. Discard bones. Adjust seasoning. Serve in deep bowls with rye bread or cornbread.

🧅 Ingredients

• Carp (krap), cut into thick steaks1.5 kg
• Catfish or pike500 g
• Onions, very finely diced4 large
• Sweet red paprika4 tbsp
• Hot paprika1–2 tsp
• Ripe tomatoes, green pepper, garlic300g / 1 / 4 cloves
• Sunflower oil60 ml
• White wine, fish stock, bay leaves200ml / 600ml / 3
• Saltto taste

Serve with homemade egg noodles (domaći rezanci)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Salt the fish pieces on all sides and set aside for 15 minutes. In Slavonia, this dish is traditionally cooked in a large copper cauldron (kotlić) suspended over an open wood fire — a method that gives it an incomparable smoky character.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot. Sauté onions over medium heat for a full 20 minutes until very deeply golden — this caramelised onion base is the soul of the dish and cannot be rushed.
3. CRITICAL STEP: Remove the pot briefly from the heat. Add both paprikas and stir rapidly for exactly 30 seconds. Return to medium heat immediately. Paprika that burns becomes bitter and ruins the entire stew.
4. Add tomatoes, green pepper and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add wine and let it bubble for 3 minutes. Add stock and bay leaves.
5. Add all fish carefully. Do not stir — only shake the pot. Simmer very gently for 20–25 minutes. Serve in deep bowls over egg noodles. Place extra hot paprika on the table.

🧅 Ingredients

• Large pointed peppers (kapija)8 peppers
• Mixed minced pork and beef600 g
• Short-grain rice, uncooked80 g
• Onion grated, garlic crushed1 large / 2 cloves
• Egg, sweet paprika1 large / 2 tsp
• Tomato passata600 ml
• Sour cream (to serve)150 ml
• Salt, pepper, bay leavesto taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Cut off the tops of the peppers and carefully remove seeds and white membranes without breaking the pepper. Keep the tops aside — they will be used as lids.
2. Combine minced meat with uncooked rice, grated onion, garlic, egg, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. The rice must be completely raw — it cooks inside the pepper absorbing the meat juices.
3. Fill each pepper firmly with the meat mixture, pressing it in well. Replace the tops as lids. Do not overfill — leave a small gap as the rice expands during cooking.
4. Stand the peppers upright, packed tightly together, in a pot just large enough to hold them. Pour passata around and over them. Add bay leaves and enough water to come halfway up the peppers.
5. Cover and cook over very low heat for 1.5 hours until the peppers are completely soft and yielding and the filling is cooked through. The sauce will reduce and thicken beautifully. Serve 2 peppers per person with generous ladles of tomato sauce and a spoonful of cold sour cream.

🧅 Ingredients

• Beef (chuck), diced 4cm500 g
• Pork shoulder, diced 4cm400 g
• Lamb shoulder, diced 4cm300 g
• Onions, finely diced4 large
• Sweet paprika4 tbsp
• Hot paprika2 tsp (or more)
• Garlic, crushed5 cloves
• Tomatoes, diced300 g
• Green pepper, diced2 large
• Dry white wine200 ml
• Sunflower oil60 ml
• Bay leaves, salt3 / to taste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Traditionally cooked in a copper cauldron (kotlić) over an open wood fire — like fiš paprikaš, čobanac gains enormous depth of flavour from wood smoke and the direct heat of an open fire.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot. Sauté onions over medium-high heat for 20 minutes until very deeply caramelised — this is non-negotiable. The dark, sweet onion base carries the entire dish.
3. Remove from heat momentarily. Add all the paprika and stir rapidly for 30 seconds. Return to heat.
4. Add all three meats at once and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat has released its juices and they have evaporated, leaving the meat seared and fragrant.
5. Add garlic, tomatoes, green peppers, wine and bay leaves. Add water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for 1.5–2 hours until all three meats are completely tender.
6. Adjust paprika and salt — čobanac should be bold, deeply spiced and hot. Serve in deep bowls with homemade bread for mopping up the sauce.

🧅 Ingredients

• Smoked pork shank or ribs800 g
• Smoked pork sausages (kobasice)300 g
• Kale or collard greens, roughly chopped600 g
• Turnip or kohlrabi, diced300 g
• Potatoes, peeled and diced400 g
• Carrots, diced3 medium
• Onion, finely diced1 large
• Garlic, crushed4 cloves
• Olive oil3 tbsp
• Bay leaves, black pepper3 / generous
• Saltto taste (pork is salty)
• Water2 litres

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Place the smoked pork shank in a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil, drain this first water (it removes excess salt and impurities), then refill with 2 litres of fresh cold water. Add bay leaves and bring back to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook the pork for 45 minutes, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. The pork should be partially cooked before adding the vegetables.
3. In a separate small pan, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes until softened. Add to the pork pot.
4. Add diced turnip, carrots and potatoes to the pot. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes until the root vegetables are beginning to soften.
5. Add the chopped kale and sliced sausages. Continue to cook for 30–40 more minutes over low heat until the kale is completely tender and has surrendered its bitterness, the vegetables are soft, and the broth is rich and deeply flavoured from the smoked meat.
6. Remove the pork shank, shred all the meat from the bone and return it to the soup. Discard the bone. Taste and adjust seasoning — the smoked meat is already salty so add additional salt carefully. Serve in deep bowls with thick slices of rustic bread.

🧅 Ingredients

• Dried salt cod (bakalar), soaked 48hrs — change water twice daily800 g
• Potatoes, boiled and peeled800 g
• Garlic cloves8 cloves
• Extra virgin olive oil150 ml
• Warm milk100 ml
• Fresh parsleylarge bunch
• Black pepper, lemon juicegenerous / 1 lemon

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. After 48 hours of soaking (change water every 12 hours), drain the bakalar. Taste a small piece — it should be mildly salty, not aggressively so. If still very salty, soak 12 more hours.
2. Place the bakalar in a pot of cold water. Bring slowly to a boil then immediately reduce to a bare simmer. Poach for 20 minutes until the flesh is tender and flakes easily. Drain and allow to cool. Carefully remove all skin, bones and cartilage. Flake the white flesh into large pieces.
3. In a large bowl or mortar, pound the garlic to a completely smooth paste with a pinch of coarse salt.
4. Mash the boiled potatoes roughly — leave some texture, not a smooth purée. Add the garlic paste, then begin adding olive oil in a very slow, thin stream while beating vigorously with a wooden spoon — exactly as if making aioli. Alternate with splashes of warm milk. The mixture should be creamy and cohesive.
5. Fold in the flaked bakalar gently, fresh parsley, black pepper and lemon juice. Taste very carefully — the bakalar is already salted and may need no additional salt at all.
6. Serve warm, with a final generous drizzle of raw olive oil poured over the top. Accompany with crusty bread or polenta. Also excellent cold the next day.

🧅 Ingredients

• Ready-made puff pastry sheets2 sheets (500g)
• Whole milk1 litre
• Egg yolks8 large
• Caster sugar180 g
• Cornflour (cornstarch)80 g
• Vanilla bean (or 2 tsp extract)1
• Butter50 g
• Heavy whipping cream (36%+)500 ml
• Powdered sugar, vanilla sugar40 g / 1 sachet
• Icing sugar for dustinggenerous

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Bake puff pastry sheets individually on a lined tray at 200°C for 15–18 minutes until deeply golden and fully puffed. While still hot, press flat gently using a second tray if unevenly puffed. Allow to cool completely. Cut each sheet to exactly fit a 30×20cm pan.
2. Warm milk with the split vanilla bean until just below boiling. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour until very pale and smooth — at least 3 minutes of vigorous whisking. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
3. Return the mixture to the pan over medium heat. Stir continuously and energetically with a wooden spoon, reaching every corner of the pan, until the custard thickens dramatically — this takes 8–10 minutes. Remove vanilla pod. Stir in butter until completely melted and glossy.
4. Pour the hot custard onto one pastry sheet placed in the pan. Smooth the top. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours until the custard is set firm enough to hold its shape when cut.
5. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla sugar to stiff, stable peaks. Spread carefully over the set custard layer — it should be approximately the same depth as the custard layer below it.
6. Place the second pastry sheet on top, pressing very gently. Refrigerate for at least 2 more hours, ideally overnight. Dust very generously with icing sugar immediately before serving. Cut into generous squares with a sharp, wet knife — dip the knife in hot water between each cut.

🧅 Ingredients

• Plain flour400 g
• Fresh yeast (or 7g dried)20 g
• Warm whole milk200 ml
• Eggs3 large
• Sugar, vanilla sugar60 g / 2 sachets
• Lemon zest, orange zest1 of each
• Rakija (grappa or brandy)3 tbsp
• Raisins, soaked in rum overnight100 g
• Salt, oil for fryingpinch / 1 litre
• Icing sugar for dustingvery generous

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. Activate yeast in warm milk with 1 tsp of the sugar for 10 minutes until the surface is foamy. This confirms the yeast is alive.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, lemon zest and orange zest. Add eggs and rakija and mix. Add the yeast mixture and stir until a thick, sticky batter forms — not a dough. Fold in the rum-soaked raisins with their liquid. Cover with a cloth and rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
3. Heat sunflower oil in a deep, heavy pot to exactly 175°C. Test by dropping a tiny bit of batter — it should rise to the surface and sizzle gently, not smoke or burn.
4. Using two wet spoons, drop walnut-sized portions of batter into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pot — work in batches of 8–10. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper. While still hot, dust very generously — almost aggressively — with icing sugar. Serve in a big, snow-white pile. They are best eaten within 1 hour of frying.

🧅 Ingredients

• Plain flour500 g
• Dark fragrant honey180 g
• Sugar, butter, eggs100 g / 100 g / 2
• Cinnamon, ground cloves2 tsp / ½ tsp
• Ground ginger, nutmeg1 tsp / ¼ tsp
• Baking soda, lemon zest1 tsp / 1 lemon
• Icing sugar (royal icing)200 g
• Egg white, lemon juice (icing)1 large / 1 tsp
• Food colouring (red, for traditional hearts)optional

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, gently warm honey, sugar and butter together over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Do not allow to boil. Pour into a large bowl and cool to room temperature — warm dough will not hold its shape when cut.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add lemon zest and all the spices and mix well. Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix until a firm, smooth dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator. On a well-floured surface, roll to approximately 5mm thickness — thin enough to bake through, thick enough to hold shape. Cut into traditional shapes: hearts, stars, birds or rounds. Place on lined baking trays, spacing well apart.
4. Bake at 175°C for 10–12 minutes until the tops are set and just barely beginning to turn golden at the edges. They will feel slightly soft when removed — they firm up completely as they cool. Allow to cool fully on wire racks before decorating.
5. Make royal icing: beat icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice with an electric mixer for 3–4 minutes until thick, bright white and completely smooth. Transfer to piping bags. Pipe decorative patterns — flowers, lattices, dots and borders — onto cooled medenjaci. Allow icing to set hard (2 hours) before storing in tins lined with paper.