Bosnian Ćevapi Recipes

CEVAPI - EASY BALKAN BEEF SAUSAGES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, pop in the minced beef, garlic, parsley, sweet paprika, salt and pepper. Mix by hand until roughly combined.
• Next grab a small dish and mix the water and baking soda together until it dissolves a little bit (it won't mix entirely, this is fine).
• Add the baking soda mixture into the meat mix and massage together for a good 5 minutes until it's all combined.
• Get out a large plate - it's time to make the sausages! Get a small handful of the mixture and first roll it into a ball then into a small sausage shape. Pat each end to flatten and pop it on the plate. The length should be around the width of your hand.
• Set a large grill pan or frying pan on medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Once heated, cook the sausages in batches (don't overfill the pan). Let them cook a few minutes each side, until they're browned. Chop one in half to check if they're cooked in the middle. A slight pink is okay for beef sausages.
• Once cooked, we recommend serving with hot with fresh lapinja bread, chopped raw onion and ajvar spread.

BOSNIAN ĆEVAPI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine beef, lamb, and salt (plus other spices if you so desire)
• Knead the mixture with clean hands for 5 minutes
• Cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
• Uncover the meat and stir in minced garlic and black pepper
• Shape the mixture into small logs no longer or wider than an index finger - it is best to do this with wet hands, so the meat does not stick to you. Keep wetting your hands after each few that you roll
• Preheat your grill. Ideally, you should use a charcoal grill
• Brush the grill with some olive oil
• Grill the minced fingers on a medium heat until evenly grilled and browned on all sides
• Serve warm with Turkish flatbread and freshly chopped onion (and ajvar if you have it!)

CEVAPI (BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA)

Steps:

• Melt the lard or butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. During the last three minutes or so, add the garlic and keep stirring to prevent burning. Remove the onions and let cool.
• Mix the ground lamb with the ground beef. Add the onion/garlic mixture, egg white and paprika and mix well.
• Shape the meat into unappetizing looking little cylinders, which are the traditional shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Pan fry the cevapi in a little olive oil until nicely browned.
• To serve, cut the pita breads in half and make a pocket in each one. Stuff a few finely chopped onions inside the pita, then add the cevapi and top with a few more of the onions.