Top 10 typical foods

Dobruja bread

Dissolve yeast (7 g) and sugar (1 tbsp) in water (500 ml), add 2 tbsp flour, stir and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then add 1 kg flour, 1 tbsp salt and 3 tbsp oil and knead the dough. Put the dough in a deep greased bowl, cover with cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Take the dough out and knead it again and cover with a cloth for another 5 minutes. Then divide the dough in half, shape it into two loaves and place them, spaced apart, on a greased baking tray or on a rack on the oven covered with baking paper. Cover with cloth for another 30 minutes, then dust lightly with flour or brush with egg yolk and fresh milk. With a sharp knife, make slight diagonal cuts in the bread. Bake the Dobrudja bread in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for 20 minutes and another 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Trienitsa (Trahana)

Sift the flour (2 tsp) into the tray and form a small well. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and paprika, add 1 egg and 1 tsp water, mix and start rubbing the dough between your palms. Add water in splashes and rub until crumbs form. Sift with a sieve the leftover flour, which you can add to soups instead of semolina or noodles. Set aside a small portion of the trienitsa for frying, and pour the larger portion into boiling water, salted to taste. Melt the butter (100g) in a frying pan, add the separated trienitsa and fry until golden, add a pinch of paprika whem almost ready, stir and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the mixture into the boiling trienitsa and cook for another 5 minutes. When serving, sprinkle with crumbled cheese.

Plakia fish

Cut half a kg of fish into 3 cm thick slices. Stew the cleaned and chopped vegetables (2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 5 cloves of garlic, 3 canned tomatoes, 2 peppers, 100 g olives and 200 g mushrooms) for 5 minutes in hot oil (100 ml) and add the spices (black pepper, paprika, salt). Salt and roll the washed fish in the breadcrumbs. Spread half of the vegetables on a 40 cm diameter tray, arrange the fish pieces and pour the remaining vegetables on top. Bake the fish in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.

Tarama caviar

Clean 150 g of caviar from the skins and stir for 15-20 minutes with a wooden spoon in a glass or enamelled container pouring in the vegetable oil (500 ml). Add the juice squeezed from 2 lemons, the finely chopped onion (1-2 heads) and 1 slice of dry white bread soaked in ¼ tsp fresh milk. Mix well, form into a heap on a plate and garnish with olives and lemon slices.

Black Sea horse mackerel and roasted mussels on a tin

Clean the fish from the insides and rinse it well under running water. Leave the washed fish in a tray, slightly tilted to drain, and sprinkle with ground sea salt. Pour the flour into a dish, heat the oil in a pan. Coat the fish in flour, pat off any excess slightly and fry in heated oil on both sides until golden.

Rinse the mussels very well, clean the shells and carefully remove the whiskers sticking out of them. Heat the tin over an open fire, then lay out the fresh mussels and bake very briefly - just for a few minutes, until the shells open. Transfer the mussels to a suitable dish, pour over marinade of oil, vinegar, salt and finely chopped onion in a proportion to suit your taste.

Stuffed carp in pastry

Chop 2 onions finely and fry them. Add the chopped 250 g mushrooms, salt and pepper. Leave to fry and add 100g rice. After a few minutes, add a few spoonfuls of water. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, add the chopped 2-3 tomatoes and 2 tbsp raisins. Stir well and after 5-6 minutes, remove from the heat. Clean and wash the carp. Fill it with the stuffing. Sew the opening of the fish. Knead a dough of 2 tsp flour, salt, 1 tsp vinegar, 2 tbsp oil and 1 egg. Set aside a small portion for decoration and roll out the rest into a crust. Brush it with oil and wrap the carp in it. Use the remaining dough to make the fish scales and place on a baking tray greased with oil. Spread over the carp and bake at 200 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done. Remove the stuffed carp from the oven and spray with a little cold water. Cover with a towel and let it cool.

Fish soup with brine

Put 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 2 chopped potatoes and 1 sprig of lovage in a pot of water and leave to simmer until the potato is cooked. Put 3 tbsp oil and finely grated carrot in a casserole and gently steam. Remove the boiled potato and the lovage and mash. 

Put the fish (1 kg, at least 3 types) in the broth and boil, then remove and debone. Add the stewed carrot, a little more chopped lovage, ½ bunch celery, 20 g butter and pepper to the stock and potato and leave to boil for 5 minutes, add the cleaned fish and strain. The brine is prepared by mixing the following ingredients: 1 head of pressed garlic, 1 tbsp stock, 3 pcs hot peppers, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp vinegar. Add to the fish soup to taste.

Shumen gözleme (stuffed turnover)

With 600 g flour, 5 g salt and a cup of lukewarm water knead a dough and let it stand in a cool place for about half an hour. Then divide the dough into two equal parts, which are divided into six balls. Roll each one into a loaf 15 cm in diameter, arrange them one on top of the other and spread them individually with lard. Divide the 6 loaves in two places. Roll out into two crusts less than 1 cm thick. Sprinkle the crusts with cheese and a little fat, roll up lightly and cut into six equal pieces. Pinch each piece on both sides and press in the middle to make a loaf with the size of a sachet. The resulting patties are left to rest for about fifteen minutes in a cool place. Place the satchel on a cold hob and gradually heat very well. Brush with a piece of lard or fat and bake the patties on both sides. Serve with yoghurt, cream or jam.

Combus

Wash and chop 2 bunches of dock leaf and 3 onions. Boil 6 dry red peppers and separate the meat from the skins. In a frying pan, sauté the onion, add the chopped dock leaves and, once browned, the pepper meat. Salt and stir until the products are ready. Serve warm or already cooled.

Kamchia kebab

Chop 1 large onion, the carrot and 3 pickles into small cubes. Heat the oil (100-150 ml), fry the onion in it, then add the carrot and pickles. Add the 3 chopped garlic cloves, 4 tsp tomato puree, 600 g boneless pork neck (diced). Stir well, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer over a low heat. Thicken with 1 tsp flour and season with bay leaf, 1 pinch nutmeg, 1 pinch savory, and salt. Finally, pour in 150 ml white wormwood. Boil for 20-25 minutes, and it is ready to serve.