If, like me, you know little about the food of the former Yugoslavia, this fabulous new cookbook from Irina Janakievska is perfect.

An incredible culinary and cultural journey ,The Balkan Kitchen is filled with stunning recipes that speak of the vast and varied cuisine of a region overshadowed by conflict in recent years. The book includes simple, but flavour-packed, dishes from North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Vojvodina, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Kosovo. 

From Aubergine in Walnut Sauce and Stuffed and Baked Peppers, to classic recipes including Sarajevo-style Burek, Cevapi and Chicken Paprikash, and of course sweet treats such as Bled Cream Cake, Chocolate Baklava and Slatko, the food is as vibrant and joyful as the stunning location photography and evocative essays. With cultural anecdotes, history and personal stories, The Balkan Kitchen is a book that will inspire you and delight those you cook for.

It’s a love letter to Balkan cuisine – one of the most under-explored gastronomic crossroads in the world.

It’s published by Hardie Grant at £27 for a beautifully photographed hardback.

About Irina Janakievska

Irina Janakievska is a food writer and recipe developer with a Balkan heart, a Middle Eastern palate and British curiosity. She was born in what is now North Macedonia, grew up in Kuwait, and now lives and works in London. Irina left a successful career in corporate and finance law to follow her passion for sharing her love of Balkan cuisine, the Balkans and its people.

She completed the Essential Cooking Certificate at Leiths before working as a recipe developer in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen and has also contributed to a range of media. The Balkan Kitchen was shortlisted for the Jane Grigson Trust Award in 2023.

Here are some recipes to introduce you to Balkan cuisine and tempt you to buy a copy of the book.

Ražnjiči

“In Serbian and Croatian, ražanj means a barbecue spit or skewer, so ražnjiči are meat skewers or kebabs, and are our equivalent to the better-known Greek souvlaki or Turkish şaşlık. There are many variants and different meats can be used to make them, but typically they are made from veal or pork or a mix of both, and are nothing more complicated than very good quality meat, grilled over live fire, salted and served with sliced onions. My version takes inspiration from the Balkan autumn (fall), always abundant with fruits: quinces, pears, medlars, apples and, the most highly prized of all, prune plums. Plums are used plentifully in the Balkan kitchen, both fresh and dried (or otherwise preserved), especially with meat dishes. I like to imagine a warm autumn sun setting, rows of ražnjići on a rostilj set up in the middle of the orchard, plumes of smoke caressing the now-naked apple or plum trees stripped of their fruit, the scent of the meat taunting everyone while they sit and rest a little from the harvest, eagerly awaiting some much-needed sustenance, and relaxing with a fortifying glass of šljivovica (plum brandy).”

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS

800 g–1k g (1 lb 12 oz–2 lb 4 oz) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick medallions

1 eating (dessert) apple, cored and cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) cubes

4–6 prune plums, halved and stoned

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced, then soaked in ice-cold water for 30 seconds and drained

20g (1 oz) fresh parsley (or other soft herbs such as oregano, mint or coriander), leaves and tender stems picked

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

FOR THE MARINADE

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

30 g (1 oz) pitted prunes

3–4 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder

METHOD

First, make the marinade. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine paste.

Put the pork into a large container (for which you have a lid), add the marinade and toss to coat, then cover and either marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Thread the marinated pork onto metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes), interspersing them with the pieces of apple and plum.

Toss the onions with the herbs and the oil and cider vinegar and set aside.

Grill the ražnjiči on a hot barbecue (or under the grill/broiler in your oven on the highest setting) for 3–4 minutes on each side, until the pork is cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes before serving with the onions.

Tarator

“What we call tarator in the Balkans is not what is known as tarator in Turkey. That does not mean we do not have dishes that resemble Turkish-style tarator (see page 102), but for us, tarator is any variation on the theme of cucumbers, garlic and yoghurt. Our tarator is closer to Turkish cacik or Greek tzatziki. In the hellishly hot summers, especially in the southern Balkans, we add ice cubes to our tarator in an almost futile attempt to cool down, which makes it soupy. In Bulgaria and North Macedonia, it is intentionally often served as a raw, cooling yoghurt soup. The use of vinegar is controversial – blasphemous even – but I stand by it, as for me it enhances the sweetness of the cucumbers. For a full Balkan experience, have this with fresh warm crusty bread, while sipping from a čokanj (special shot glass) of rakija (brandy) and other mezes.“

SERVES 4–6

Ingredients:

250–300 g (9–101/2 oz) cucumbers

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes, plus extra as needed

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar (optional)

1 teaspoon dried mint, plus extra to serve

10 g (1/2 oz) fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra to serve

10 g (1/2 oz) fresh dill, fronds picked and finely chopped, plus extra to serve

300 g (101/2 oz/11/4 cups) plain set yoghurt, or more to taste

20 g (3/4 oz) walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING (OPTIONAL

1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

10 g (1/2 oz) fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

1/2 teaspoon hot or mild Bukovo pepper (or Aleppo pepper)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Coarsely grate the cucumbers, then take a handful of the grated cucumber and squeeze out as much of the water as you can over a small bowl (reserve it, it makes for a refreshing drink). Place the squeezed cucumber in a separate bowl and repeat until you have squeezed all the grated cucumber.

Place the garlic, salt and vinegar in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Add the grated cucumber and the rest of the ingredients together with a good grind of black pepper and mix well. Check and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

To make the topping (if using), place the garlic, fresh and dried mint, Bukovo pepper, 1/2 tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper into a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oil into a small saucepan over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the topping ingredients – they should sizzle. Set aside to cool.

To serve, place the tarator in a lipped serving bowl. Drizzle over some of the topping (if using) and serve the rest alongside. Sprinkle some fresh mint leaves (or dried mint) and dill fronds over the top.

Note

The tarator can be as thick or as liquid as you like. If you prefer yours thicker, simply use thicker Greek- style yoghurt. Equally, feel free to add more garlic, but before you adjust the amount of garlic, allow the mixture to sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator as the garlic flavour strengthens and comes through the longer it sits. The topping is completely non- traditional but this is how I love serving it for guests; feel free to simply top your tarator with a little dried or fresh mint and a drizzle of good oil.

Grandma’s Savoury Cake

“This is the last recipe my grandma wrote down for me. In April 2011, as I was leaving for the airport to fly back to London, she pressed the piece of paper in my hand. Shortly after, she passed away suddenly. On the back of the recipe she had written: ‘Grandma loves you. Don’t be scared, I’m sure you will succeed.’ I have always felt, and will always feel, that she was writing me more than just a recipe for savoury cake, but rather her last piece of advice to me – her recipe for the rest of my life.

This recipe is really a variant of the Balkan cornbread known variously as proja or projanica (in Serbia, Croatia and North Macedonia) or proha or uljevak in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of variants of it across the Balkans, especially from areas across the region famous for growing local varieties of corn, such as the Sulova corn from Albania’s south- eastern regions (which is used to make pispili, a corn and spinach bread) or Kosovo white corn (which is used to make leqenik, which is similar to pispili). Many recipes are simply cornbread flavoured with local cheeses, but they can be more elaborate and enriched with various alliums and greens (especially courgettes/zucchini, spinach, nettles or leeks). Cornbread can be a meal on its own, accompanied by a variety of fresh salads, meze, preserves, pickles or serving boards of suvomesnati (dried, smoked or cured meats) and cheeses. Or, it is simply eaten in lieu of bread.“

SERVES 8–10

INGREDIENTS

125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

1–2 boiled or steamed carrots (about 75 g/21/2 oz), finely chopped

1 sweet long green or red pepper (about 75 g/21/2 oz), finely chopped (or 1–2 celery stalks)

100 g (31/2 oz) smoked ham, finely chopped

100 g (31/2 oz) white cheese (or feta), crumbled

20 g (3/4 oz) fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

275 g (93/4 oz/scant 21/4 cups) self-raising (self-rising) flour, plus extra for dusting

3 medium eggs

150 ml (5 fl oz/scant 2/3 cup) kefir

100 g (31/2 oz/2/3 cup) finely ground

cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (400°F). Grease a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin (pan) with a little oil, then coat in flour and tip out any excess or line with baking parchment.

Place the chopped carrots, pepper, ham, cheese and parsley in a medium bowl and mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of the self-raising flour to the savoury mixture and mix well to coat everything in flour.

Crack the eggs in a separate large bowl. Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs for 2–3 minutes on high speed until they are well aerated, have doubled in size and are pale and frothy.

Add the kefir and oil and mix for 15–30 seconds to combine. Sift the rest of the flour, the cornmeal, salt and a good grind of black pepper into the wet mixture and fold it in with a spatula.

Next, fold in the vegetable mixture, ensuring that it is well distributed but do not overwork it.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and distribute it evenly, making sure there are no air pockets, then bake in the oven for 60–75 minutes, turning around halfway through, until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Note

This mixture also works well as savoury muffins. Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases and bake at 180°C fan (400°F) for 30–35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. This keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; after a day, warm it in the microwave for 10–15 seconds to freshen it up.