Ingredients
Onions
- 8large onions, evenly sized
Filling
- 500 gminced beef, or beef and lamb mixed
- 100 grice, rinsed
- 1egg
- 2 tbspchopped parsley
- 1 tsppaprika
- 1 tspblack pepper
- salt
- the chopped onion centres
Pot
- 150 gsmoked ribs or dried beef, suho meso
- 2 tbspoil
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tsppaprika
- 500 mlstock or water
- 1bay leaf
To finish
- 2 tbspflour and 2 tbsp butter, for a light roux, optional
- sour cream
- chopped parsley
To serve
- bread
- with a spoon
Directions
- Peel the onions and cut a shallow slit down one side of each, from top to bottom, going about halfway into the onion. Now boil the onions whole in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Boil them only until the outer layers are pliable and translucent, not until they collapse. Lift them out and let them cool enough to handle. They should come away easily and whole.
- Keep the small tight centres and chop them for the filling. Discard nothing, since the centres go into the meat. Mix the mince with the rinsed rice, egg, chopped onion centres, parsley, paprika, pepper and salt.
- Use only a small amount of rice. It swells to several times its volume and too much bursts the onion layers open. Work the mixture with your hands until it is well combined. Now take an onion layer, put a spoonful of filling at the wider end, and roll it up.
- Roll them loosely rather than tightly, leaving room for the rice to swell. Pack the stuffed onions in tightly, seam side down, in layers. Pack them close so they hold each other shut and do not unroll during cooking.
- Mix the tomato paste and paprika into the stock and pour it over. The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up rather than covering them. Add the bay leaf and put a small plate on top to weigh them down. A plate on top stops them floating and unrolling, which is a standard Balkan trick for any stuffed dish.
- Cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour 15 minutes. Keep it at the barest simmer. Do not stir at any point; shake the pot gently if you need to. Serve them in shallow bowls with plenty of the sauce, sour cream and parsley. Serve bread to mop, and eat them with a spoon.
Technique
- The boiling and separating of the layers is the essential technique.
- Suho meso, Bosnian dried beef, is what is traditionally used and smoked ribs are the substitute.
- It reheats well and improves overnight.
Substitutions
- Smoked bacon or smoked ribs in place of dried beef.
- Beef alone rather than a beef and lamb mix.
Variations
- Finished with sour cream in the sauce.
- Made with a plain tomato sauce.
- With more smoked meat, which is the Herzegovinian tendency.
History
Onions hollowed and stuffed with minced meat; the name is Turkish for stuffed onion and the dish is a Sarajevo speciality.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sogan-dolma?
Sogan-dolma is a main from Bosnia and Herzegovina: onions stuffed with minced meat, Mostar specialty. Onions hollowed and stuffed with minced meat; the name is Turkish for stuffed onion and the dish is a Sarajevo speciality.
How long does Sogan-dolma take to make?
Sogan-dolma takes 50 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Sogan-dolma?
Yes, within limits. Smoked bacon or smoked ribs in place of dried beef. Beef alone rather than a beef and lamb mix.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sogan-dolma?
Roll them loosely rather than tightly, leaving room for the rice to swell. Pack the stuffed onions in tightly, seam side down, in layers. Pack them close so they hold each other shut and do not unroll during cooking.
