Shared by: Lidija
Recipe origin: Bosnia

No trip to the Balkan’s is complete without a serving of chevapi, and my honeymoon was no exception. While travelling through Croatia and Macedonia we consumed our fair share. I fondly remember our last night in the Balkans, neither of us felt like a fancy dinner so we walked through the market area and stumbled across a ‘chevap van’, we ordered two chevap burgers, freshly cooked chevapi, served in a bread roll with raw onion and fresh tomato ketchup. We found a seat overlooking the beautiful Adriatic and had a romantic (while slightly messy) dinner, one we both enjoyed immensely and will always cherish.This chevapi recipe comes courtesy of a close Bosnian friend. Like all good traditional recipes the ingredients are basic, the method is easy, and the taste is unquestionably sensational! The recipe calls for equal amounts of minced beef and pork/lamb. If you prefer, you can use just minced beef or, as my family prefers, use a 1:3 ratio of beef to pork. You can also add a teaspoon of mild paprika if you fancy.

There are dozens of ways to enjoy chevapi, traditionally served with raw onion and bread, other accompaniments include ajvar (chilli spread), cabbage salad, or my favorite which is to dip into hot paprika (Bukovsko Biber).

Roll small handfuls of the mix into finger length sausages

Enjoy with hot paprika

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Recipe

Makes 18, serves 4-6

Ingredients
250g beef, minced
250g pork or lamb, minced (or replace with beef if you prefer)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)
1/8 teaspoon bicarb soda (or 40ml sparkling mineral water)
1 teaspoon sea salt or Vegeta (dried vegetable stock)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Hot paprika for dipping (optional)

Method
1) Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl, scrunch with your hands and knead until everything is well combined (7-10 minutes). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

2) Run your hands under cold water and roll small handfuls of the mix into finger length sausages. Set aside on a tray, cover and refrigerate until required or pop into the freezer if freezing.

3) Heat a nonstick pan or bbq flatplate (medium heat), add a small amount of olive oil. Cook for 6-10 minutes, turning frequently until browned and cooked through.

4) Serve while warm with bread, cabbage salad, diced raw onion and hot paprika (Bukovsko Biber).

Tips:
– Double this recipe and make a big batch, shape the chevapi and freeze raw on a tray. When frozen (after 6 hours) pop them in a freezer bag and unfreeze as needed.
– Most other recipes call for a 1:3 ratio beef to pork/lamb so feel free to mix 350g beef with 150g pork/lamb.
– If using lean beef add 1-2 tablespoon olive oil to keep the meat moist.
– Clean the pan/bbq with a paper towel between batches to avoid burning.