Rhodopean Moussaka

My wife is half Greek, so we're very familiar with that country's moussaka. But, the Bulgarian recipe is quite different. No traditional béchamel, but a cheesy yogurt-based topping instead... Fresh, verdant herbs instead of smoky spices. No eggplant layered throughout. And yet, equally mouthwatering to read. So, did the taste live up to our expectations?! ABSOLUTELY! This dish is superb. Here's how I made it.

Topping:

4 eggs, beaten

1½ cups plain low-fat yogurt, preferably Greek style

¼ tsp nutmeg

3 Tbsp flour
6-8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Base:

2 Tbsp oil

1¼ lbs ground beef/pork "meatloaf" mix
Cracked black pepper, to taste

1 onion, finely diced

4-6 garlic cloves, finely diced
4 medium red-skinned potatoes, cubed

2 tsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

1 tsp salt

1 can (about 15 oz) diced tomatoes

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

2-3 scallions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, nutmeg and flour until well combined. Add the feta and stir gently. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet and brown the meat with the cracked pepper. Transfer to a baking dish to await the vegetables. In the same skillet, the onion, garlic, potatoes, tomato paste, oregano, savory and salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, till the potatoes soften slightly and begin to absorb the flavors.

Combine the potato mixture, tomatoes and parsley with the meat mixture in the baking dish. Pour the topping over this and sprinkle with the scallions.

Bake covered for one hour, then uncovered for another 30 minutes. Let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Even Elliot wants a bite of this one!

Chubritza

Have you ever heard of chubritza? No, not the folk band from California (pictured at left). The herb? Chubritza is the Bulgarian name for “summer savory” and it grows abundantly there. I gather it’s similar to oregano, but way better, they claim.

There’s also a “winter savory,” but chubritza is milder and more widely used in Bulgarian cooking. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the dinner table in a typical Bulgarian home won’t have salt and pepper shakers on it. Instead, you’ll find salt, paprika, and chubritza. When these three are mixed together, it’s called sharena sol (colorful salt).

I can easily find fresh savory in the local supermarket, but it’s not entirely clear whether it’s the same species of the herb. I've never used it before, but it's an ingredient in tomorrow night’s dish. Stay tuned!

Sarmi. Well, almost...

Stuffed cabbage is perhaps one of the most well-known and popular dishes from this region of Europe. Oddly, I've never had it! In a way, I was flying blind on this one, despite a plethora of recipes for every imaginable version of this dish. Why is that? Because I tried to find the most authentic, specifically-identified-as-Bulgarian recipe in cyberspace, and I got this one.

The measurements are vague, the ingredients aren't clearly described, there isn't even a temperature at which they should be baked! But I decided to give it a go, regardless. I've improvised enough throughout my years with the stove, that I was confident I'd figure it out.

Well, I won't even bother to share my method, because it absolutely did not work. The filling tastes decent, but the rice didn't cook and the cabbage is practically flavorless. But, no worries! That's how we learn, right?! And, thankfully, this dish wasn't nearly as expensive as the lamb one was.

But, let's not go back there... Looking forward, I'm not able to prepare my next dish till Saturday. But, THAT recipe is crystal clear and sounds fantastic! It's the Bulgarian version of another widely known dish. I have no doubt it'll be worth the wait.

Onward and upward!

What's in a name?

Did you know there's a very deliberate etymology to the naming conventions in Bulgaria and other Slavic countries? Typically, names use a "patronymic" that references the father's name, occupation, etc. And, a father's first name frequently becomes the middle name of his child.

Suffixes "ov" and "ev"for males and "ova" and "eva" for females are often added to Bulgarian surnames, so the daughter of someone named Petrov might have the surname Petrova. If you examine Bulgarian family trees, you'll usually find that the names morph over time as each generation is born.

Just something to think about as you head out to work with 27 Jennifers.

Vinen Kavarma/Kebap

I did a lot of hunting and gathering regarding this dish, which is touted as a very popular, classic Bulgarian meal. There are many versions of kavarma out there, and the same can be said of kebap. Truthfully, I'm not even sure what the difference is between them, as the names seem to be used interchangeably! The ingredients, however, are essentially the same.

In an effort to keep it healthy, I did change the way this dish is prepared. Pretty much every version I found of this recipe used about a half cup of oil. Rather than let the vegetables absorb seasoned oil, I essentially dry sautéed them, so they absorbed the actual seasonings instead. (Mom does this when she makes her rich, flavorful curry and it works every time!)

I made my kavarma/kebap as follows:

2-3 Tbsp oil
2 lbs cubed pork, dusted with flour, salt and cracked pepper
3 leeks, rinsed and sliced into halfmoons
1 onion, sliced into half-moons
1 cup baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 hot cherry pepper, seeded and minced
1-2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp paprika
1 cup wine
2 bay leaves
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, get the oil good and hot. Sear the pork (in batches, if necessary), remove from the pan and set aside. Sauté the leeks, carrots, onion and pepper in the remaining oil until slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and paprika, and allow the vegetables to absorb the seasonings for a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits that stuck to the bottom. Return the pork to the pan, add the bay leaves and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and reduces, about 10-15 minutes.

Cook's Notes: I had sweet paprika in the cupboard but I just love the taste of smoked, so I opted for that instead. Also, we had an open bottle of red wine, but I also frequently saw white wine being used. Occasionally, some recipes called for more liquid, usually another cup or so of wine or broth, to really make this a wetter stew. Lastly, most recipes I found said that kavarma/kebap should be served with fried potatoes or French fries, but rice or egg noodles would work just as well. Cheers!

Week #3: Bulgaria

Sofia skyline and Vistosha Mountain
(http://en.wikipedia.org)

This week, we're going to jet about 2,000 miles north to Bulgaria in the Balkan Peninsula!

The capital city, Sofia, is home to about 1.3 million people, making it the 15th largest city in the European Union.

Famous Bulgarians include young actress Nina Dobrev, opera singer Ghena Dimitrova, world-record high-jumper Stefka Kostadinova, and the renowned artist Christo.

I've found three recipes that I'll prepare throughout the week, and check back tomorrow for the first!

Mersi! (Thank you!)

Christo installation near World's Fair benches, Central Park, NYC