experience the dishes that she mentions. The cuisine of this part of the world is beautiful because of its simplicity, although at the same time it is very luxurious. Three flavours dominate – salt, ol- ive oil and herbs. - There is a story that Dalma- tians are lazy, you know how they say “the gang sits under the olive tree and sings to it instead of pick- ing”. However, the traditional Dal- matian began the day very ear- ly, without a classic breakfast, so his first real meal was the famous brunch, between 9 and 10 o’clock. That was a collection of so- called small dishes that were pre- pared quickly. - Sardines on a skewer, patel- la limpets on bouzzara, spaghet- ti with urchin roe, baked Sea snail and mussels, sour lamb or goat liver, cooked lamb or young goat neck, cooked beef from the first boiling ... Recently, for the purposes of a project, Maja studied tradition- al menus from the times when Hvar was under Venetian rule. She spent many days reading the re- cords of that period. And thus she came across an interesting story about the arrival of cod. - It was in 1431 when Pietro Quirino, transporting barrels full of malvasia grapes to the north, found himself stranded on the Lo- foten Islands. Forced to spend the winter with the local population, with his boat having broken down, he was urged to learn to prepare cod. He was so thrilled to be back Pašticada se sprema s njokama od krompira, a interesantno je da svaka kuća ima svoj unikatni recept in the Serenissima with a full load, proud as though he was bringing the greatest treasure. After an in- itial aversion caused by the un- pleasant smell of cod, except for aboard ships, it very quickly found Pašticada is prepared with potato gnocchi, and interestingly every household has its own unique recipe
its way onto the tables of Venetian gourmets. Preparing it according to Quirino’s instructions, which he learned from the descendants of the Vikings, dry cod spread as a delicacy around the entire Medi- terranean basin and has remained to this day. Hvar for centuries was part of the Venetian Republic. As the main transit port, it was exposed to many goods about which the rest of Europe could only dream. Arriving there were valuable items like silk and spices – pepper, saf- fron, nutmeg... And thus it be- came a pioneer of the rich cuisine that we know today. - The most famous dish is Gre- gada broth: a fish speciality that was prepared only in the town of Hvar until thirty years ago, but which in the meantime has be- come a brand of Croatian gastron- omy. Apart from that, there is also brujet (brodetto fish stew). A very similar dish that is prepared from seafood, red wine and tomatoes, forming an irresistible stew that is prepared with lots of cloves of gar- lic, tomatoes and white wine. COLD FINGERS OF WIND WHIP CURED HAM In the context of traditional Dalmatia it is also impossible to omit Pašticada beef stew. - In Bodulian Dalmatia, exclu- sively with potato gnocchi, it is prepared at the largest private and community festivals, and it is in- teresting to note that not only does every Dalmatian city have its own version, but rather each household also has its own unique recipe. In addition to that, Dalmatian smoked ham is well-known far and wide. - Someone else might have a realistic, scientific explanation based on facts, but for me it is enough to close my eyes and im- agine the cool, Dalmatian barrels. Lives and memories that are car- ried by the wind whip the cured hams, which hang alone in some attic. Cold fingers of wind aggres- sively penetrate the pores and glide over the fibre of protein, stealing their water and life. The taste of such meat at the end of the process does not allow itself to be described in words.
Nadaleko čuvena dalmatinska pršuta Well-known Dalmatian smoked ham
rocks, free and carefree. She is the daughter of famous Croatian world master chef Ivan Buzolić. From her earliest days she ad- mired her father’s magic motion around the stove, and at the age of seven she already started working at the family restaurant “Golden Shell”: “They put my first apron on and allowed me to spill soup into guests’ laps”. And since then she has spent every summer on the is- land of Hvar in her father’s kitch- en. In fact, today she is the boss, and the restaurant is one of the best in Croatia. – I am an eternal child who loves to explore, play and be hap- py in what I do. I am delighted that I work in my place, a small family restaurant. Our menus are not pre- defined, but rather depend on the daily offer at the market, my inspi- ration and the desires of guests. SPAGHETTI WITH URCHIN ROE FOR BRUNCH She introduces us to Dalma- tian cuisine with an image. She urges us to close our eyes and to
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