Ajdovi žganci z ocvirki
Buckwheat žganci, the rustic Slovenian staple: coarse crumbles cooked in a mound of flour and water, finished with sizzling lard and crisp pork cracklings (ocvirki).
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total
- 40 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Žganci is peasant food in its purest form: buckwheat flour poured into boiling salted water, left to cook in a mound, and broken up with a fork into soft, nutty crumbles. Ajdovi žganci, the buckwheat version, is the one most associated with the alpine regions.
The topping is the point. Ocvirki, pork cracklings, are rendered from fatty pork until crisp, and the hot fat is poured over the žganci. It is traditionally served with sour milk, sauerkraut, or on its own.
Ajdovi žganci z ocvirki is one of the twenty most famous Slovenian foods.
method
Bring the salted water to a boil in a heavy pot.
Pour in the buckwheat flour in the center in one go, forming a mound, and do not stir. The flour should poke up above the water. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke a hole down to the bottom of the pot.
Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, until the flour on top has cooked through and cracks.
Pour the excess cooking water into a cup. Stir the flour gently with a fork, breaking it into crumbs. Add a splash of the reserved water if it is too dry, and keep stirring over very low heat for a few minutes until crumbly and fluffy.
For the ocvirki, cook the pork cubes in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring, until the fat renders out and the pieces turn deep golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
Heap the žganci on a plate and spoon the cracklings and all of their hot fat over the top. Serve immediately.
chef's tips
- Do not stir the flour in; leaving it in a mound is what produces the crumbly texture.
- Serve with a glass of sour milk or buttermilk and a spoonful of sauerkraut, the traditional sides.
- Buckwheat flour from a European shop is darker and nuttier; any whole buckwheat flour works.