Peka is a tender lamb slowly cooked in an oven with vegetables in a delicious olive oil, garlic, and white wine sauce. Traditionally, peka is prepared around an open fire in a cast-iron pot. The pot is placed around a fire, and a big lid like a bell is used to envelop it while the lamp slowly cooks for two to three hours.
Taste Croatia: An Easy Guide to Cooking a Traditional Peka Dish at Home
Description
Peka is a tender lamb slowly cooked in an oven with vegetables in a delicious olive oil, garlic and white wine sauce. Traditionally, peka is prepared around an open fire in a cast-iron pot. The pot is placed around a fire, and a big lid like a bell is used to envelop it while the lamp slowly cooks for two to three hours.
Background and Origin
Croatian peka is a traditional method of cooking. The process is a delicate way a meal is cooked to perfection under a bell-like dome, or a special pot called ispod čripnje. It originated from the locals called Illyrians, now in Croatia.
Prehistoric peka had two basic shapes: bowl-shaped with two handles, or spherical with one handle on top. The latter is the most popular shape today in Croatia, spreading to central Italy and surrounding counties.
Let’s look at the process of cooking lamb the Croatian way!
Ingredients
Instructions
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How to prepare Traditional Croatian Peka
- Debone the lamb and chop it into chunks. The part mostly used is the leg or shoulder.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Cut each potato into two big chunks. Chop the vegetables into big chunks, preferably cutting them in two.
- Now you’ll need to prepare the marinade. In a bowl, pour ⅔ cup of olive oil, add minced garlic, the sun-dried tomato puree, salt to taste, and black pepper. Mix the mixture evenly. Set aside.
- In an iron cast pot, arrange the vegetables, starting with the potatoes at the bottom, carrot, green pepper, courgettes, onions, and aubergine. Then layer the lamp on top of the vegetables.
- Pour the white wine on top, then layer the marinade, especially on the lamb. Coat on top of the lamp the rosemary and thyme. Cover the pot with its lid tightly. Cook in the oven for one and a half hours.
- Take the pot out, stir the ingredients together, and return the pot to the oven to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve hot with fresh bread or boiled rice.
Video credit: Flawless Food-YouTube
Note
Tips for Preparing Peka
- Use rosemary if you don’t have thyme or both.
- You can use Charlotte potatoes, or Marie Piper or Jersey Royal potatoes, as they are ideal for slow cooking.
- Use normal tomato puree if you couldn’t get the sun-dried one.
- You can use other vegetables of your choice in addition to or in place of the ones listed in this recipe.
Must read: A Taste of Côte d’Ivoire: Traditional Attiéké Dish Recipe You’ll Love
Peka is a peculiar dish, derived from the method of cooking in ancient Croatia. If you’re using the traditional method, layer hot coals around the pot and let it cook slowly. Let me know how it turns out.
