Istrian Jota is a traditional Croatian recipe for a classic hearty stew of smoked meat with beans, carrots and sauerkraut. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Croatian version of: Istrian Jota.
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This 'stick-to-your-ribs' dish is the ultimate Croatian comfort food. It's the yummiest beans and sauerkraut soup that will feed your body and soul.
Ingredients:
400g dry barlotti beans
1-2 tbsp lard/vegetable oil for frying
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, scraped and chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
500g sauerkraut, drained and shredded
300g smoked meat (sausages, ribs or knuckle)
salt, ground black pepper and ground sweet paprika to taste
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato purée
Method:
Soak the beans in about 2.5l of water over-night.
The following day, rinse the beans, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Strain immediately. Add another round of fresh water, season with a bit of salt (not too much because sauerkraut is salty) and cook for about 1.5 hours or until the beans are tender. Then, reserve 250ml of cooked beans with some stock and drain the remainder.
While the beans are cooking, fry the onion until golden, then add the carrots and garlic. Before adding the sauerkraut, perform a taste check. If it's too salty and sour, soak it in water for 5 minutes and rinse. If not, use it as is. Add it to the other vegetables and fry for 5-10 minutes.
Put the meat in the pot too. Cover everything with water. Season with pepper, sweet paprika and bay leaves. Cook for 45-60 minutes on medium-low heat with the lid on. The exact time will depend on how tender you want the sauerkraut to be. Finally, add the drained beans and stir.
Blend the reserved beans and water into a smooth paste and add the tomato purée.
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