Lamb Peka- A Croatian Lamb Dish

Most countries have a one pot dish that’s a family favourite, what distinguishes them from others is the sauce ingredients that the meat is cooked in.

A traditional Croatian Peka is cooked under the bell (ispod čripnje), It’s cooked under a terracotta or iron lid over burning embers. It can include octopus, lamb, veal or chicken and its always ful of potatoes and vegetables.

 The ingredients for this sauce has the hall mark of Croatia, with the tomato puree and the depth of the minced garlic as a backdrop for the soft potatoes and vegetables that have given up their juices to add to the sauce.

 Not a show stopper dish by any means, but I don’t think that food that is delicious shouldn’t be shouted about good and loudly.

Packed full of good stuff and I would say, a pretty healthy meal to have any day of the week.

I like to do my usual, shove it in the oven and go do something else until it’s time to give it a little bit of love.

 Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!

After the cooking, ready for a ten minute rest

 What You Need

•  Leg of lamb – Approx. 850g

• 600g Potatoes

• 250m White Wine

• 80ml Olive Oil

• 1 Large Courgette

• 1 Large Carrot

•  1 Green Pepper

• 1 Medium Aubergine

• 1 Large Onion

• 2 Large Cloves Garlic – Minced

• 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

• 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary

• 1 Tsp Dried Thyme

• 1 Tsp Dried Sage

• Salt & Pepper

Chopping the vegetables around the same size will help them to cook at around the same rate.

 How It’s Done

• Heat the oven to 200c

• Prepare the vegetables – Wash and dry the carrot, courgette and green pepper

Chop these vegetables and the onion into chunks around the same size as each other - See Tip Box

• Peel and chop the potatoes to around the same size as the rest of the veg

• Find a casserole dish that is: a) large enough to hold all the veg and the meat b) has a lid that fits

• Place all of the vegetables into the large casserole dish

• Season the lamb with salt and pepper, rubbing them all over the skin

• Sit the lamb on top of the vegetables

Sit the seasoned meat on top of the vegetables

• In a jug, leaving the olive oil until later, place all the rest of the ingredients and give it a good mix with a fork to break up the tomato puree and making sure that everything is liquid and not clumped.

A gift from my daughter, i love the way it minces the garlic

• Pour the liquid sauce around the lamb and seal the pot with the lid

• Place the pot into the hot oven and cook for 1 hour.

All of the sauce ingredients except the oil in to a jug and give it a great mix

• After the first hour of cooking, take the pot out and give the vegetables a gentle stir

• Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, place the lid back and put the pot back into the oven for 1 more hour, depending on the size of the lamb piece.

After the first hour of cooking it should look a little bit like this!

• After 1 hour more, give the vegetables a little stir and return to the hot oven for another 30 minutes to finish off the cooking – See Tip Box

• Once the lamb is tender and piping hot, let it rest on top pf the vegetables, with the lid on, for 10 more minutes before removing the meat and slicing to serve along with the vegetables.

Don’t waste any of those juices and the bottom of the pan, thats what this dish is all about . That Croatian taste

Tip Box

• Vegetables- Having the vegetables approx. the same size helps them all cook at a similar rate.

• Cooking – Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the lamb piece and, as all ovens vary, the oven itself. So adjust the cooking time accordingly.