I went to the Bulgarian store in North Wembley, London, a few days ago to stock up on some essentials and took some photos in the process. I am going to go through some of my favourite ingredients to buy, what to look out for them and how to use them when cooking.
As you walk in through the front door and you get to these shelves, you can see jars of a red paste called Lutenitsa. This is usually made of a combination of peppers, aubergines and tomatoes with various herbs added. Lutenitsa comes either finely ground or chunky and can also be a little spicy. It is every child's favourite snack spread on a slice of bread with feta cheese sprinkled on top or slices of salami or frankfurter style sausages. Lutenitsa can also be served with grilled meats such as sausages, koftas and pork steaks to dip in. Beneath the Lutenitsa, in the vacuum seal bags, you can see whole pickled cabbages (sauerkraut). My mum used to make sauerkraut years ago to preserve fresh cabbages for winter and use it in salads or to cook with. Traditionally, sauerkraut is cooked with pork, and is especially good with fattier pieces of meat as it helps to tenderise and break them down. It always appears on Christmas tables in one for or another when a pig would be slaughtered, with some cooked immediately and other cuts preserved by drying or making into dried sausages.
Moving further along the same shelves, you'd come across the dried beans and lentils. The white cannellini beans are the ones commonly used in Bulgarian cooking in stews and salads and require pre soaking before they can be used. Check out my recipe for bean stew here for one way they can be used https://stelladrez.wixsite.com/for-the-love-of-food/post/bulgarian-white-bean-stew.
To make a simple salad, pre soak the beans overnight and boil in plenty of water until cooked through. Drain and wait for them to cook completely before using. Then put them in a serving bowl with thinly sliced white onion and parsley, seasoning with salt, olive oil and vinegar to taste. Serve as part of a meze or as a side with meats.
Bulgarian stores usually sell the traditional ceramic pots in two different sizes: large family sized ones and smaller individual sized ones. The big ones are very good for making stews, including the white bean stew (https://stelladrez.wixsite.com/for-the-love-of-food/post/bulgarian-white-bean-stew) and roasted meats. They are not suitable for using on the stove and require to be hand washed, so you do need to be careful when cooking with them.
The spice isle, when you get to it, can appear scary, as it has some unfamiliar stuff in it. Don't worry too much about it, as there is a lot of familiar things in it, with most being labelled in English too, like mint, bay leaves, dried parsley etc. There are two particular ones I wanted to point out.
These packets contain something that translates as Multicoloured Salt or Colourful Salt, it is a spice blend usually containing a mix of herbs and spices like paprika, savoury, thyme, cumin and basil. It is used to flavour sandwiches, cheese, bread, potatoes etc. A favourite snack when I was little and that I still enjoy if I can find good quality freshly baked bread is something referred to as tsiganska banitsa (or gypsy banitsa) in the area of Bulgaria I come from.
To make this, get yourself a slice of bread, and sprinkle sharena sol over it to taste, followed by a drizzle of olive oil. My mouth waters just thinking of it even as I write this on a full stomach!
If you are looking to make my bean stew (https://stelladrez.wixsite.com/for-the-love-of-food/post/bulgarian-white-bean-stew) you will need to buy some чубрица, or savoury. The packets on the right are the ones you need to look out for in the Bulgarian store. Unfortunately I have never seen savoury sold in UK shops, so you may need to make a special trip to a Bulgarian shop near you (find a list of shops in the UK here https://stelladrez.wixsite.com/for-the-love-of-food/post/bulgarian-clay-cooking-pots-and-where-to-buy-them-from). If you are planning on making Bulgarian food often it may be work seeking out and stocking up.
You are also likely to find a sizable section containing dried meats and sausages. These can be make from buffalo, beef, pork, chicken or, in the case of sausages, a combination of different meats, flavoured with different herbs for seasoning before being hung to dry. The difference between dried meat and dried sausages of course, being that the sausages are stuffed in intestine casings, before being hung to dry. Neither require further cooking and are perfectly safe to eat thinly sliced as part of a meze spread.
When I talk about meze, that is how a meal in a Bulgarian home normally starts, even if no guests are expected. A meze spread will usually include a combination of salads, dried meats or sausages, olives, feta cheese etc and accompanied by alcohol (if age appropriate and the adults to drink). The size and number of dishes served at this point depend on the occasion and how many people will be present. Once everyone has had enough, the main meal will be served. This kind of meal is meant to be enjoyed slowly and not rushed. It is usually served at dinner, when the whole family is at home and can relax and catch up.
Another thing to watch out for in the freezer section is the packets of minced meat, especially the green coloured ones that say за принцеси. This means it has been prepared to make a Princess sandwich. To make this, ensure your packet of meat is fully defrosted before use.
Get a slice of bread and spread some of the meat in a think layer over it. I like to put some grated or sliced cheddar cheese over the meat, but you can skip this step. Grill the sandwich until the cheese has melted, with some brown spots over it or the meat has turned golden. Serve with some Sharena Sol (multicoloured salt) sprinkled on top.
Bulgarian sausages that do require cooking are most commonly in the shape above. They can either come in a size this large or smaller, suitable for single servings. They can be grilled on the barbeque, fried or cooked in the oven and served with fries and salads (see photos at the bottom of the page). When I first read the first Harry Potter book in Bulgarian, I always imagined Hagrid serving this type of sausage to Harry while in the hut.
Nose to tail eating has remained common and a popular way to eat utilising every part of an animal and using cheap cuts of meat. The picture above has frozen chicken hearts and kidneys found in the frozen section. These ingredients can also be found in other ethnic stores in the UK, including some halal ones. An easy way to prepare these cheap and nutritious ingredients is as follows:
Fully defrost the hearts and kidneys. Remove any fatty and grisly bits from each one, before placing the cleaned parts in a pot with loads of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until they become tender. The time this takes varies from batch to batch so make sure you taste continually after they have been cooking for at least an hour. Once cooked, drain from the liquid and set aside. You can keep the liquid and use as a stock in other dishes. This step can be done a day or two in advance if required. Slice 1 or 2 onions and fry until soft in some butter. Add the hearts and kidneys and fry until fully hot all the way through.
My mother, as well as me, also make chicken liver at the some time, every time we made hearts and kidneys. If you do want to use liver too, fry your onions as above, then add the sliced liver (this does not need to be precooked as it is tender without this step). Cook until the liver turns opaque all over. Add the cooked hearts and kidneys and cook until the liver is cooked all the way through and everything is pipping hot.
Then above photos make up a popular Bulgarian breakfast, especially with children. The top picture is ready made cheese pastry that just requires baking in the oven before eating. It is very similar to the round cheese pastry I have already posted on my website (https://stelladrez.wixsite.com/for-the-love-of-food/post/cheese-pastry) but is commonly sold in street food stands as it easy to hold and eat by hand while standing. This particular one is popular with school children on their food breaks in school. The drink beneath is called Boza or боза and is made out of fermented wheat or barley and has 0.5% alcohol content. It is a thick, sweet and slightly sour drink served with cheese pastry for breakfast, even with children. It can be an acquired taste though so if you did wish to try it, go for a small bottle.
Snack time! There is large range of wafers layered with chocolate, with some containing nuts in Bulgarian shops. These are popular mid-afternoon snacks with children, as they can be eaten wile on the go playing outside. Everyone has fond memories eating them when they were little.
I used to have this cream when I was little as its super easy and cheap to make. You buy the sachet from a range of flavours (this is strawberry, but I also got banana and raspberry from the store).
The sachet contains flavoured powder that you mix with 100ml water or milk. Meanwhile bring 600ml sweetened milk or water to the boil and add the slurry to this, while constantly stirring. The mix should thicken immediately so turn off the heat and ensure it is forms a smooth mix. Divide between small bowls and leave to cook before eating.
And finally photos of the cooked round sausage from earlier in the post with chips and Shopska salad.
To make the salad, chop some ripe tomatoes and cucumber, mixing them together with slices onions, olives and parsley. Season with salt, olive oil and vinegar to taste. Top with feta cheese.
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