Ingredients
Žganci
- 400 gbuckwheat flour
- 1 litrewater
- 1½ tsp salt
- 60 glard or butter
To finish
- 120 gpork cracklings (ocvirki), or diced smoked bacon, rendered crisp
To serve
- sour milk, buttermilk or a bowl of clear soup
Directions
- Bring the salted water to a rolling boil in a wide pot. Tip in all the buckwheat flour at once, in the centre, without stirring — it will form a mound standing above the water.
- Push a wooden spoon handle down through the mound to the base of the pot to make a chimney, and boil uncovered for 12 minutes. The chimney lets steam escape so the middle cooks.
- Pour off most of the cooking water into a jug and keep it. Now beat the mass hard with a wooden spoon until it is uniform, adding back a little of the reserved water if it is too stiff.
- Cook 8 minutes more over low heat, stirring, until it pulls away from the sides and smells nutty rather than raw.
- Melt the lard in a pan. Break the žganci into rough lumps with two forks — never smooth, always crumbly — and toss them briefly in the fat so the edges catch.
- Scatter the hot cracklings over and serve at once, with a glass of sour milk or a bowl of soup alongside.
Technique
- The chimney in step 2 is the technique the dish is named for and cannot be skipped; without it the centre stays raw and pasty.
- Lumps are correct. Beating žganci to a smooth polenta is a mistake, not an improvement.
- Buckwheat catches easily once the water is gone. Keep the heat low from step 4.
Substitutions
- Half buckwheat and half maize flour makes a milder version common in the east of the country.
- Butter and fried breadcrumbs replace the cracklings in a meat-free version.
Variations
- Served sweet, with warm milk and honey poured over, as a breakfast.
- Koruzni žganci, made with maize flour, the everyday alternative.
History
Buckwheat spoonbread; buckwheat has been sown in Slovenia as a second summer crop since the Middle Ages and defines its peasant cooking.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ajdovi žganci?
Ajdovi žganci is a salad & side from Slovenia: buckwheat spoonbread topped with cracklings. Buckwheat spoonbread; buckwheat has been sown in Slovenia as a second summer crop since the Middle Ages and defines its peasant cooking.
How long does Ajdovi žganci take to make?
Ajdovi žganci takes 10 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Ajdovi žganci?
Yes, within limits. Half buckwheat and half maize flour makes a milder version common in the east of the country. Butter and fried breadcrumbs replace the cracklings in a meat-free version.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ajdovi žganci?
Cook 8 minutes more over low heat, stirring, until it pulls away from the sides and smells nutty rather than raw.
