As soon as I saw that this wine - a star of HB&B's October Natural Wine Killers subscription selection - hails from the Balkans and goes best with grilled foods and barbecue, I knew what I had to do. I had to make cevapi.
I last had cevapi in 2018 in Croatia, and they made such an impression that I’ve kept them tucked away in my brain’s to-cook file ever since. Often described as skinless sausages (essentially the Balkans’ answer to kofte kebabs), they’re made from a blend of meats – I went for beef and pork this time, though you can also add lamb to the mix. Spices, including paprika and cumin, add depth and dimension, while the distinctive additions of bicarbonate of soda and sparkling water lend the cevapi an almost bouncy texture.
In other words, they’re extraordinarily delicious, especially when kissed with just the right amount of char (whether you brave it outdoors or opt for the oven’s grill). And they’re even better with ajvar, a Balkan condiment made from roasted, peeled and blended red bell peppers and aubergines. Served atop a flatbread of choice, dolloped to finish with yoghurt or sour cream and garnished with parsley and lightly pickled onions, they’re an ideal early-autumn dish: hearty and well-seasoned, warming and complex, perfect for cool nights.
They’re also ideal alongside this wine. Crazy Lud Red is a beguiling wine, beginning with its clay seal, a technique invented by fourth-generation winemaker Oszkar Maurer (use a corkscrew to pull the cork halfway out and blow away any clay dust before releasing the cork). The wine within is no less compelling or unusual, with an electric thread of cherry juice running through it but also deeper fathoms of forest-floor and wood.
I regretted the moment the bottle was empty; I wasn’t done thinking through it. It might just be the right excuse to pick up another – and to make these cevapi again.
Balkan Cevapi with Ajvar and Flatbread
Adapted from Serious Eats and Jamie Oliver
Serves 8
For the cevapi:
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sparkling water
Olive oil
For the ajvar:
6 red bell peppers
2 medium aubergines
1 head garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ large bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
To serve:
1 sweet onion
Juice of 2 lemons
Fine sea salt, to taste
8 flatbreads of your choice
Sour cream or yoghurt
Pickled peppers (optional)
½ large bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1. At least four hours before you plan to cook, and up to the night before, prepare your cevapi. Add the onion and garlic to a food processor, and blend until minced. Drain excess water and transfer to a large, nonreactive bowl.
2. To the bowl, add the beef, pork, bicarbonate of soda, spices, salt and pepper. Using both hands, mix well, almost kneading, until the mixture is uniform and slightly sticky. Next, add the sparkling water and knead through. The meat mixture should take on an almost bouncy texture.
3. Lightly oil a large baking tray and begin to shape your cevapi. Divide the meat mixture into two halves and work with one at a time. Divide the first half into even quarters; each quarter will yield two cevapi. To shape the cevapi, roll between your palms until you have a roughly 4-inch-long, cigar-shaped meatball. Transfer to the oiled baking tray, rolling to lightly coat in the oil so they don't stick.
4. Repeat with the remaining half of the meat mixture. When finished, cover the tray with cling-film and transfer to the fridge. Set aside for at least four hours; the cevapi will tenderise over time.
5. Next, make the ajvar. Preheat the oven to 230°C and line a large baking tray with foil. Add the bell peppers, aubergines and the head of garlic in a single layer. Roast for roughly 30–40 minutes, pausing to flip the peppers and aubergines halfway through, or until the skins are evenly charred.
6. Remove from the oven and, using tongs, transfer the peppers and aubergines to a large bowl. Cover with cling-film and leave to steam for 20 minutes; this will make it easier to remove their skins later.
7. Once the vegetables have steamed, remove from the bowl. Taking care not to burn yourself, carefully discard the stems and seeds, and pull off and discard the skins. Drain any liquid that has accumulated.
8. Transfer the peppers and aubergines to a food processor. Next, squeeze the softened garlic cloves into the mixture. Add the lemon juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Blend for around 30 seconds until the mixture is largely uniform; taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
9. Transfer the ajvar to a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until it has darkened in colour and its flavour has concentrated. Set aside and leave to cool.
10. Half an hour before you plan to cook, remove the cevapi from the fridge and allow to warm up slightly. Meanwhile, prepare the onion garnish: Slice the onion very thinly and place in a small bowl. Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle with salt to taste; leave to lightly pickle while you cook the cevapi.
11. Heat your oven’s grill to high. Line a second baking tray with foil, and then arrange the cevapi in a single layer (lightly roll them between your palms if they’ve flattened on one side). Grill for 15–20 minutes, pausing to turn them every 5 minutes, or until evenly browned and cooked through.
12. Meanwhile, while the cevapi cook, toast your flatbreads.
13. To serve, divide the flatbreads between plates. Top each with two cevapi. Ladle over the ajvar and add dollops of sour cream or yoghurt. Serve with the pickled onions and peppers (if using) on the side, and sprinkle parsley over everything.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our Natural Wine Killers wine subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings plus expert tasting notes for three amazing wines like this one every month.
