I have my very last bag of baba’s home grown chillies, so with limited time I decide to make a no-fuss chilli and tomato spread for lunch. It’s similar to lutenka but a fraction of the effort (only 15 minutes), and it’s eaten fresh rather than stored.

The best way to enjoy this village style dish is straight out of the pan, place it in the middle of the table and share with lot’s of fresh bread to mop up all the yummy juices.
……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
8-10 red and green banana chillies (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillies, if unavailable replace with 2-3 red and green capsicums)
250ml (1 cup) Italian style tomato passata
100g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Method
1) Wash and dry chillies, discard stems and seeds, roughly chop.

2) Heat a medium pan (medium-high heat), coat base with olive oil, add chillies and sprinkle with salt, stir frequently to avoid from burning or browning too quickly, fry until fragrant (5-7 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, add tomato and extra salt to taste, stir and fry until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

3) Remove from heat, add feta cheese and stir through. Serve in the middle of the table with fresh bread.

Tip: The easiest way to de-seed chillies is by cutting the top off and discarding the stem, then cut in half lengthways to remove the seeds and membrane, you’ll find a helpful image within the Rustic Fried Chillies with Eggs and Cheese recipe.

I’ve mentioned lutenka as an accompaniment in many recipes (chevapi, kjofte, maznik, pitulici) so I thought it was fitting to share my baba’s (grandmother) recipe.

There are oodles of mass produced options available in select delis, as lutenka, or lutenica as it is also referred to is popular across the Balkans, but nothing beats this homemade version.

Traditionally made with only red banana chillies, I had a heap of green ones lying around that I decided to put to good use and it tasted just as good. If you don’t have banana chillies, you can always use capsicums.

Before blanching cut an ‘X’ into the base of each tomato

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Recipe

Makes 1.5 litres

Ingredients
2kg red/green banana chillies (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillies)
1-2 hot chillies (optional)
1.5kg ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storing
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/8 cup (30ml) red wine vinegar
1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
Sea salt to taste
Handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method
1) Wash, dry and grill chillies. Allow to stand covered for 20-30 minutes. When cool enough to handle peel, remove stems and seeds and thinly slice flesh, set aside. For detailed instructions see Grilled Chillies (Pecheni Piperki) recipe.

2) To blanch tomatoes bring a large pot of water to the boil. Wash tomatoes and cut an ‘X’ into the base no bigger than 2cm and no deeper than 3mm. Gently drop half the tomatoes using a slotted spoon into the boiling water. Cover with lid for 1-2 minutes. Carefully remove remove from boiling water and place on a tray to cool. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. When cool enough to handle remove skin and stems and place peeled tomatoes into large bowl. Using a potato masher squash the tomato pulp and then pass through a coarse sieve until only the seeds remain (this will take you 5-10 minutes).
Note: Passing through a sieve is optional, removing the seeds will give you a smoother and richer taste.

3) In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and gently fry until lightly golden and fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add tomatoes and increase heat to high then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, stiring every so often. Add chillies, vinegar, sugar and salt to taste and increase heat to high. Stir and reduce heat to medium, simmer 25-30 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce and add more salt and/or sugar if required. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

4) Meanwhile steralise 6 jars (250ml capacity). Wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water, then put them in a pan of simmering water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars (not lids) and place them upside-down in an oven preheated to 140°C and allow to dry for 10 minutes.

5) Add chopped parsley to lutenka and stir through. Spoon into clean, dry and warm jars, cover the surface with 1cm of olive oil (this will help to seal and preserve the lutenka). Clean around the rim of the jar, remove lids from water and dry with a towel then use to seal. Store lutenka for up to 6 months in a cool, dark spot.

Tip: Enjoy with chevapi, kjoftinja, maznik, pitulici and on fresh bread with crumbled feta/goats cheese.

Okay, so this isn’t a family recipe and it’s not Macedonian either, but I’m a sucker for homemade mayo and wanted to help dispel the myth that making it is hard – it’s easy!
It’s also been around for years so it can definitely qualify as a ‘village’ recipe ;)

I have never really eaten the supermarket mayo (it’s way too sugary and artificial), so when I discovered that homemade mayo takes less than 10 minutes to make I felt compelled to tell the world (sorry if you’re one of the converted).

I love how a good mayonnaise can elevate the humblest ingredients (e.g. potatoes, cabbage), and how everyone thinks you’re an expert if you know how to make it, afterall, it is the beginning of ‘molecular gastronomy’.

This recipe is based on Gordon Ramsay’s version from his book ‘3 Star Chef’ however I prefer to use a Dijon mustard over hot English and an electric hand-held mixer over a food processor (which is what he uses).

Once you have a basic mayonnaise you can quickly turn it into aoili (add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a crushed garlic clove), or finely chopped gherkins, capers, lemon and parsley to turn it into tartare sauce.

Step 1 – Combine egg yolks, vinegar, mustard

Step 2 – Gradually add oil

Step 3 – Thick creamy mayonnaise

……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
200-250ml rice bran oil (or other flavourless oils like canola, sunflower or light olive oil)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) Put the egg yolks, vinegar and mustard into a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer on the lowest setting whisk until all the ingredients are well combined (1 minute).

2) While you’re whisking add a drop of oil, once that’s combined add another drop and continue to do this until you have blended 1/3 of the oil. Now you can add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream until you have a thick creamy mixture. Blend in the water, salt and pepper and transfer to an airtight jar/container and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Note: The key to a successful mayonnaise is making sure each drop of oil is thoroughly whisked in before adding the next drop.

Tip: Use really fresh eggs and have the oil in a jug/bottle to make it easy to pour.