This sumptuous beef stew is traditionally eaten in winter and is famously associated with Ohrid, a beautiful historic city in North Macedonia. Ohrid, one of the oldest settlements in Europe, is known as the Jerusalem of the Balkans because of its wealth of cultural and religious heritage and history.
Variations of this stew are made across Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece. More contemporary versions include root vegetables, but I adore the simplicity and understated beauty of the Ohrid version, which I imagine as being most reflective of the origins of the dish, a way of using a little meat paired with some of the relatively few vegetables that would have been available in midwinter.
Chomlek is the Turkish word for an earthenware pot. This stew is traditionally cooked in exactly that and sealed round the edge with dough, then slow-baked in a wood-fired oven. It is brutally simple to put together. All you need is patience to allow it to cook slowly. Do invest in good-quality beef as it will be worth it. It sounds like a ridiculous amount of garlic, but trust me. I would also highly recommend using whole bulbs of garlic to cook in the stew, as you can squeeze out the succulent garlic that has been cooked in the stewing juices and spread it on delicious bread to accompany the dish. Simple, delicious and perfectly comforting.
This recipe is by Irina Janakievska and is kindly reproduced with her permission from The Balkan Kitchen.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).
- Season the beef all over with half the salt and the pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish (Dutch oven) over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef for 2–3 minutes on each side, then add the water and braise the meat, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then add the paprika and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaves, sprigs of thyme, cumin, shallots, garlic (peeled cloves and whole bulbs), stock, vinegar, red wine, the remaining salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
- Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and slow cook for 3½–4 hours, checking periodically to make sure there is sufficient liquid. If it looks like it’s drying out, add a splash of water (around 100 ml). Don’t be tempted to stir too much, as you want the shallots and garlic cloves to stay whole.
- When the juices have thickened, the meat is falling apart and the shallots are meltingly soft, the chomlek is ready. Check and adjust the seasoning before serving.
