Hometown Alchemy

Inside the Secret Feast Only Međimurje Chefs Know About

 Vedran Peteh/Cropix
A legendary culinary crew reunites in Čakovec to reinvent local classics with a modern, nostalgic twist

Today, there is no collective on our scene as tightly connected as this Međimurje group. Marko Palfi, Matija Bogdan, Maša Salopek, Ines Jurišić, and Raul Lajtman - all of them consider the region they come from extremely important, even if they don‘t cook at home anymore.

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Marko Palfi, Matija Bogdan, Maša Salopek, Ines Jurišić i Raul Lajtman

Vedran Peteh/Cropix

For a feature in the issue of Dobra hrana magazine, we gathered them in Čakovec for a special, nostalgic, yet modern and exciting menu! For this occasion, the Palfi family opened the doors of their family home and kitchen, so it‘s only right that we start this beautiful and tasty course with the recipe of our host Marko Palfi.

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Vedran Peteh/Cropix

Language barrier

COOKING TONGUE:

  • 4 pieces of pork tongue
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 leek
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • a bunch of parsley
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt, pepper
  • 3 l water

Put all the ingredients in water and cook for three hours on low heat. Peel the tongue from the membrane and separate the thick front part from the thin back part.

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Vedran Peteh/Cropix

Međimurje soup

  • 150 g smoked meat
  • 2 young leeks
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 4 potatoes
  • 60 g buckwheat
  • 150 ml sweet cream
  • 150 ml sour cream
  • 20 g flour

Sauté the smoked meat, leek, carrot, and garlic on low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, diced. Sauté for another 15 minutes or so until the potatoes are nicely roasted. Add the tongue broth, bring to a boil, add sweet cream, buckwheat, and flour, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Finish with sour cream. When serving, add dill and pumpkin seed oil.

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Vedran Peteh/Cropix

Tongue rolls

  • cooked tongue
  • 100 g fresh cheese
  • 50 g sour cream
  • 20 g green part of spring onion
  • 5 g smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper

Thinly slice the thick part of the tongue. Form into a rectangle so the slices overlap. Fill with a cheese and cream mixture seasoned with smoked paprika and spring onion, salt, and pepper. Roll up.

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Vedran Peteh/Cropix

Beetroot cream

  • 100 g pickled beetroot
  • 10 g honey
  • 2 g pink pepper

Blend all ingredients into a smooth cream.

Horseradish cream

  • 50 g fresh grated horseradish
  • 100 g sour cream

Blend all ingredients into a smooth cream.

Dandelion sauce

  • 2 potatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g dandelion leaves

Cook the potatoes in salted water until they fall apart. Add the dandelion leaves and eggs, then cook for another 7 minutes. Strain and cool under very cold water. Peel the eggs. Put everything together in a blender and blend into a smooth cream.

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Marko Palfi

Vedran Peteh/Cropix

Tongue tartare

  • 50 g black bread
  • 10 g rendered pork fat
  • 100 g cooked tongue
  • 15 g pickles
  • 15 g capers
  • 15 g spring onion
  • 5 g rustic, grainy mustard
  • 25 g rendered pork fat
  • 10 g parsley leaves

Spread the bread with rendered pork fat and toast it in a pan. Finely chop all the other ingredients and combine them into a tartare. Season additionally to taste and need. Serve the tartare with the toasted bread.

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Dobra hrana, LJETO 2025.

Dizajn naslovnice: Vesna Veselić; Fotografija na naslovnici: Tomislav Krišto/Cropix

Don‘t miss out! The new collector‘s edition of Dobra hrana magazine, with 204 pages, is already on sale. Inside you‘ll find even more tips, recommendations, recipes, and great stories!

GIFT FOR ALL READERS! Only with the new issue of Dobra hrana magazine, a gift for readers - Kikkoman soy sauce and chopsticks!

21. kolovoz 2025 10:43