MOMO KAPOR’S BOSNIAN POT
Writer and painter in whose timeless works every man can find a part of his dream, he had the power to make a feast out of an ordinary lunch – in every sense of the word. The lucky ones he invited to his glory, Saint John, recounted for days what kind of deacons and incredible stories this wonderful artist had entertained them with. Knowing that the most delicious dish is prepared with love, Momo selflessly shared some of his recipes – prepared with this secret ingredient. One of them is the famous Bosnian pot, but in his own way.
Ingredients: 250 g of lamb, pork, beef, potatoes and onions, 4 heads of garlic, 1/2 head of cabbage, 4 babura peppers, 2 hot peppers, 5 carrots, 1 white root and 2 bunches of parsley, 3 tablespoons of allspice, 10 grains of pepper, 1 l of boiled tomato, 2 dl of white wine, salt
Preparation:
Take a larger grocery cart, preferably one that has wheels, and sigh all the way through your walk to the market. Before buying groceries, drink grapevine with the local gadabout, and then convince the butcher that you are not a miser, but that you need three types of meat for a Bosnian pot, exactly a quarter of a kilogram each. Since the Bosnian pot dates back to those ancient times when modern food additives didn’t exist, the only spice for it is the housewife’s love for her loved ones, a food supplement that cannot be bought anywhere. Cut the meat into larger pieces, clean all the greens and cut them into thin rings, then cut the onion into larger ribs. Peel the garlic, wash the cabbage and cut it into larger pieces, put it all in a larger pot, preferably earthen, and pour water to soak it. At the top, the pot must be at least six to seven centimeters empty, for cooking purposes. Add boiled tomatoes, a glass of white wine (drink the rest while cooking) and salt. Towards the opening of the pot, cut two sheets of parchment paper, cover the pot with it and tie it tightly with twine. Then put it on the fire to cook for about four hours. Never open the pot during cooking! In addition to deep plates, serve only spoons. The wine, of course, should be white, well chilled, with a sharp bouquet. Conversation during lunch includes jokes about Mujo, Haso and Fata, which must not turn vulgar. This is accompanied by a well-chilled watermelon as a dessert, preferably from the village of Sakule, in Banat.
After lunch, do offer guests a couch, a sofa or an ottoman in shady rooms to get some sleep, because “every dish darns the body, which does not lie down to digest.”
Photo: Igor Pavićević
