How to Make the Dalmatian Specialty Pašticada

If you are fortunate to find yourself on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast this summer no doubt you will have a chance to sample the local cuisine…

If you are looking for something distinctive to the region then it is mandatory that at least once you order Pašticada. Dalmatinska pašticada, or just pašticada, is a stewed beef dish cooked in a special sauce and served usually with gnocchi or homemade pasta which originates in Dalmatia. The long and meticulous preparation, and the range of fascinating ingredients such as roasted bacon, onions, parsley, nutmeg, prunes, and the sweet dessert wine prošek, helps the wonderful flavours come out.

“Pašticada is the holy grail of Dalmatian Croatian cooking, for me,” says expat Australian and ‘honorary’ Dalmatian SJ Begonja.

To learn step by step how to create pašticada in the comfort of your home, then head over to SJ’s blog Chasing the Doneky here where she shares award-winning Hvar chef Mario Mandarić’s (La Gitana restaurant) pašticada recipe.