Peka — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Lamb or octopus slow-roasted under a dome-shaped bell lid covered with hot coals. Croatia's most special-occasion cooking method.

Ingredients

1kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
800g mixed vegetables: potatoes quartered, zucchini in thick rounds, bell peppers in wedges, cherry tomatoes
1 large onion, cut into thick wedges
6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
120ml dry white wine
80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

1 Season the lamb chunks generously with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika. Let the meat rest at room temperature for thirty minutes while you prepare the vegetables. This allows the seasoning to penetrate and the meat to cook more evenly.
2 Preheat your oven to 230 degrees Celsius. If using a traditional peka bell, heat it over hot coals for at least thirty minutes until extremely hot. For a home oven, use a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid as a substitute.
3 Arrange the quartered potatoes, zucchini rounds, bell pepper wedges, onion wedges, and crushed garlic cloves in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Drizzle with half the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.
4 Place the seasoned lamb chunks on top of the vegetable bed. Tuck the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves among the meat pieces. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over everything and pour the white wine around the edges of the pot.
5 Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid, sealing in all the moisture. Place in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 160 degrees Celsius. Cook for two and a half hours without opening the lid, allowing the steam to slowly braise everything.
6 After two and a half hours, remove the lid and increase the oven temperature to 200 degrees Celsius. Roast uncovered for twenty minutes to brown the top of the lamb and caramelize the edges of the vegetables. The lamb should be fork-tender and falling apart.
7 Remove from the oven and let rest for ten minutes. Discard the bay leaves and woody herb stems. Serve directly from the pot, spooning the rich cooking juices over each portion. Garnish with fresh parsley and accompany with crusty bread to soak up the aromatic juices.