During this very difficult time when coronavirus is severely impacting people’s lives all over the world and now that most countries have issued stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, there’s one thing we know for sure: cooking is one way we can bring a sense of pleasure into our lives.
That’s why we’ve decided to start sharing authentic Slovenian recipes with you at the end of each week. The first one we would like to share with you is Grenadirmars, a comforting and very simple potato-and-pasta dish that dates back to the First World War. It is also a very handy dish because the ingredients are almost always in the pantry.
Potato And Pasta or Grenadirmars
Author: Spela Vodovc
Grenadirmars is a simple, nearly forgotten dish fondly remembered by older generations. It is supposed to date back to the First World War, when soldiers in Kobarid fought on the Soca Front. An odd combination at first glance, but for soldiers with limited food options, it gave them strength to fight on.
It can be made with just about any pasta. My granny Nusa most often used tagliatelle, which works nicely with sautéed potatoes. It is a handy dish because the ingredients are almost always in the pantry. To keep the dish moist, add cracklings.
In the Primorska region, the recipe includes bleki with sliced and sautéed bacon, whereas in Zasavje it is associated with the food of miners.
This very filling calorie bomb is best served with a bowl of salad. But let’s forget about counting calories and just dig into this soul food.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) potato
– 170 g (6 oz) pasta (tagliatelle)
– 2 medium-sized onion
– 5 tbsp sunflower oil or 2 tbsp pork lard
– Salt and pepper
Wash the potatoes and cook, unpeeled, in salty water until soft. Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool a little.
In a large pan or pot, sauté the thinly-sliced onions in oil or lard until golden. In the meantime, cook the pasta al dente in salty water.
Add the potatoes, peeled and thinly-sliced, to the onions, stir for the flavors to bind and for the potatoes to soak up the fat. Add the cooked pasta and sauté over a moderate flame for 10 minutes. Allow the bottom to caramelize, mix and repeat the process so the whole dish turns golden. It’s best when it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Note: Get this recipe and many more in the Cook Eat Slovenia cookbook HERE!
Food photography: Mateja Jordovic Potocnik
Cooking and food styling: Branka Vodovc and Spela Vodovc
Design: Gregor Zakelj
| Contributed by Spela Vodovc! |
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