Peka

Ingredients

Meat

• 1.5 kglamb shoulder on the bone, in large chunks, or veal shank in thick slices
• 6garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 sprigsrosemary
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tbspcoarse sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper

Vegetables

• 1.2 kgwaxy potatoes, peeled and cut into large wedges
• 3onions, quartered
• 3carrots, in thick batons
• 2red peppers, in wide strips
• 4tomatoes, halved
• 1 headgarlic, halved crosswise

Liquid and fat

• 120 mlDalmatian extra virgin olive oil
• 200 mldry white wine
• 150 mlwater or light stock

Equipment

• A cast-iron or terracotta peka bell (sač) and a shallow round pan, or a heavy lidded casserole
• Hardwood embers, or an oven

Directions

1. Burn a hardwood fire down to a deep bed of glowing embers, at least an hour ahead, and heat the iron bell in the fire until it is too hot to approach. Live flame is no use here; peka is cooked by radiant heat from embers.
2. Season the meat generously and toss it with half the olive oil, the sliced garlic, rosemary and bay.
3. Arrange the meat in the centre of the shallow pan and pack the potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and halved garlic head around it in a single dense layer.
4. Pour over the rest of the oil, the wine and the water. The liquid should sit about 1 cm deep; the vegetables release more as they cook and the bell traps all of it.
5. Rake the embers aside, set the pan down, cover it with the hot bell and shovel embers over the top and around the rim so it is completely buried.
6. Cook undisturbed for 1 hour. The sealed bell recirculates steam and fat, which is why peka meat is simultaneously roasted and braised.
7. Lift the bell (with a hook and gloves; it is heavy and searing), turn the meat and potatoes over in the juices, add a splash more wine if it looks dry, then re-cover and rebury with fresh embers.
8. Cook a further 45–60 minutes until the lamb pulls from the bone, the potatoes have absorbed the fat and juices and their edges are browned and slightly crushed.
9. Uncover for the last 10 minutes, or rake most of the embers off, to let the top colour and the juices reduce to a glaze.
10. Serve straight from the pan at the table, with bread to mop up, and a bowl of the pan juices poured over the potatoes.

Technique

• Ispod peke means ‘under the bell’. The technique is the dish: konoba restaurants ask for it to be ordered several hours ahead because the fire has to be built first.
• Do not open the bell more than the one turn. Every lift releases the steam that is doing the cooking and dries the meat.
• The potatoes are not a side dish; they cook in lamb fat and wine and are, for many Dalmatians, the best part of the peka.
• Octopus peka is cooked the same way and needs no added water at all, since the octopus releases a great deal.

Substitutions

• No fire or bell? Use a heavy cast-iron casserole with a tight lid at 200°C (400°F) for 1 hour, then uncovered at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes. You lose the wood smoke but keep the sealed, self-basting effect.
• Veal, kid, chicken or octopus all work; adjust the timing, chicken needing about 1 hour 15 minutes total.

Variations

• Hobotnica ispod peke (octopus) is the coastal favourite, cooked with more potatoes, capers and white wine.
• In the Dalmatian hinterland, peka is often made with veal and no tomato, letting the wine and lamb fat dominate.
• Bread and pies are also baked under the peka, in the same bell over the same embers.

History

Meat and vegetables baked under an iron bell heaped with embers, a technique used along the Adriatic coast since antiquity.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peka?

Peka is a main from Croatia: octopus, lamb or veal slow-baked under an ember-covered bell. Meat and vegetables baked under an iron bell heaped with embers, a technique used along the Adriatic coast since antiquity.

How long does Peka take to make?

Peka takes 30 min of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Peka?

Yes, within limits. No fire or bell? Use a heavy cast-iron casserole with a tight lid at 200°C (400°F) for 1 hour, then uncovered at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes. You lose the wood smoke but keep the sealed, self-basting effect. Veal, kid, chicken or octopus all work; adjust the timing, chicken needing about 1 hour 15 minutes total.

What is the most important thing to get right in Peka?

Cook undisturbed for 1 hour. The sealed bell recirculates steam and fat, which is why peka meat is simultaneously roasted and braised.