Meal 79. Croatian Škampi na Buzaru (King Prawn Buzara)

 

Jasmina mixing the ingredients for the sauce with the blender (Shock horror, not by hand!)

 As I arrive in Jasmina’s cozy kitchen/dining room, it is immediately clear she takes cooking seriously. She is a master of the ‘mise en place’, preparing everything in advance, so that when the actual cooking starts, all elements are ready to go. This apparently comes in handy at her job for an international IT company, as well as in the kitchen! For the Škampi na Buzaru, or king prawns with buzara sauce, Jasmina has prepped little dishes with the peeled carrots, celery, garlic and onion, and proudly resides over the kitchen area in her Croatian red and white checked apron. As I chat with her and her wife Jelena about the euro having been newly introduced in their country of origin, she confides that more traditional cooks might frown upon her not chopping everything by hand, and would be especially shocked by her use of some secret ingredients (two unusual spices I have sworn not to share with anyone). She also mentions she is suffering from mild ‘stage fright’, as the final guest is a friend, Domagoj, from the coastal region where this dish originates. Croatia has an extensive coastline and lots of little islands, which has been a large part of the reason the tourism industry has been able to flourish in the last twenty years. 

 

Showing off the marinated prawns

 

Jasmina mentions that the country, the people, and the cuisine have been heavily influenced by the different groups who have been in charge in past centuries, from the Ottomans, the Venetians, the Austro-Hungarian empire to the Yugoslavian government. An interesting side note is that the German occupation during the second world war crept its way into schoolground game, and Jasmina mentions “always choosing to be a Partisan when playing Germans and Partisans!” I assume this would be the local version of “Cowboys and Indians” a kind of group tag which kids might or might not still play on American playgrounds. Had never heard of this variation! During Yugoslavian times, which Jasmina still witnessed, it was a socialist country, but with "blue jeans, Coca-Cola and the ability to travel in the West"...as well, it was very normal for mothers to work full-time, with school and daycare options available with long opening hours. Jasmina gives credit to this custom for the fact that Croatian women still have the reputation for being quite independent.

 

Adding cognac to the prawns

 Due to the complex national history, the majority of Croatians have mixed roots, and it is common to find a diversity of dishes like schnitzels and strudel, goulash, risotto and pickled cabbage (a kind of fermented sauerkraut). When I ask Jasmina if she has ever pickled cabbage herself, she replies “Of course!” as if this is self-explanatory. On the other hand, she has lived in Berlin for six years and has not made it here yet, although she is considering the basement as a suitable location. She still goes back home frequently, and when not flying, tries to bring back lots of ingredients like homemade sausages, bacon and lard, produced by her relatives. However, many typical products are available in Berlin too at specialized shops, as there is a significant diaspora here.

 

The classic ingredients for the ‘red buzara’ we are having are onion, celery, garlic, carrot, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, red white, cognac, salt, pepper and paprika. For the ‘white buzara’ alternative, the tomatoes are left out and white wine is used instead of red. The two kinds of prawns have been marinated ahead of time and once the sauce is basically ready, Jasmina fries up the prawns separately before adding them to the buzara sauce. A bit of fresh parsley is sprinkled on top, and voilà, the dish is ready to serve with bread.

 

The prawn buzara, sprinkled with parsley and ready to be served!

A generous supply of napkins are provided, as you mainly eat it with your hands. During my first attempt at peeling a huge prawn, bits of red sauce splatter all over the place, including the cream table mats. Jasmina assures me this is fine, and helpfully mentions that it is customary to suck the sauce off of the prawn first before peeling it. This actually ends up being my very favourite part of the whole dish, as it turns out you really get an intense umami hit from the shellfish as you suck off the sauce.

 

The sauce, about to be mopped up with bread or sucked off the prawns!

Only after finishing my first and second serving of the buzara, I realise I have not touched the delicious Croatian wine. Probably because I was so focused on the food! Once my hands are clean, I make up for this error, and because there is still a tiny bit of room left, Jasmina serves up batons of smoked goat’s cheese. It is moist, with a mildly goaty, smoky, acid taste. I have only had smoked cow’s cheese before, and I love this new variation. To round off the meal, we have coffee with rakia, the Croatian version of distilled spirit (similar to grappa, palinka or schnapps). It can be made with plums, peaches, grapes, apples (or any fruit, basically) and honey. I pick the honey one, and the sweetness and mild flavour are delightful.

 

The homemade lard prepared by Jasmina's relatives

 

At the end of the meal, I am ushered into the pantry to choose one of a dozen homemade jars of jam with handwritten labels. I feel spoiled for choice, as well as literally spoiled, and after careful deliberation, opt for sour cherry. As if this is not enough, I am handed a generous portion of the smoked goat’s cheese to take home as well. I protest that I cannot take so much of her precious  stash, but Jasmina reassures me that I need not worry. She will be heading back to Croatia in two weeks, so will be able to restock very soon!

 

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For other meals from the same region, please see the Bosnian, Kosovar, Serbian, Slovenian and Albanian entries, or click on the 'Balkan Meals' label in the sidebar.