Pork and beef sausages (cevapcici)

While debate exists over whether ćevapčići (skinless sausage) is strictly Croatian, there’s no doubt it’s a popular dish among families throughout the country. You will need to start this recipe a day ahead to ensure the mince absorbs all the flavours of garlic and sweet paprika. Serve with avjar (roasted capsicum and eggplant relish), sour cream, lemon and grilled flat bread.

• makes

  24

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

 

• 300 g minced pork
• 700 g minced beef
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 200 ml sparkling mineral water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ajvar, sour cream, lemon wedges and warmed flatbread, to serve

You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

Chilling time overnight

Instructions

Using your hands, knead pork and beef, onion, garlic, bicarbonate of soda, paprika and 1 tsp each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Gradually knead in mineral water and egg until mixture reaches a paste-like consistency.

Shape mixture into 10 cm-long by 2 cm-wide sausages, place on an oven tray lined with baking paper, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.

Heat a chargrill or large frying pan over medium heat. Coat cevapcici with oil. Cook, in batches of 8, turning for 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Serve with ajvar, sour cream, lemon wedges and bread.

As seen in Feast magazine, Feb 2012, Issue 6. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Photography by Janyon.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.