andrejthechef
BosniaSausageLunch

Sarajevski Ćevapi

Small grilled minced-meat sausages served inside soft somun bread with chopped raw onion.

prep
30 min
cook
10 min
total
40 min
serves
4
level
medium
Sarajevski Ćevapi, a dish from Sarajevo

Sarajevski ćevapi are small, hand-shaped grilled sausages, made from minced beef kneaded hard until it binds and springs back, then tucked into warm somun bread with nothing more than raw onion.

The lack of garlic or heavy spicing is deliberate in Sarajevo's version; the technique is in the meat itself, not an elaborate seasoning.

Part of our 20 best Bosnian recipes list.

method

  1. Mix the ground beef, and lamb if using, with the baking soda, salt and pepper, kneading by hand for several minutes until the mixture becomes smooth, slightly sticky and well bound; this kneading is what gives ćevapi their spring.

  2. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to firm up and let the flavors settle.

  3. With wet hands, shape the mixture into small, finger-sized sausages, about 7 to 8cm long and 2cm thick.

  4. Heat a grill or griddle to high heat, and grill the ćevapi for 6 to 8 minutes total, turning often, until charred in spots and cooked through.

  5. Warm the somun bread briefly on the grill, and split it open.

  6. Tuck several ćevapi inside each piece of somun, scatter generously with chopped raw onion, and serve immediately, with kajmak or ajvar on the side if you like.

chef's tips

  • The thorough hand-kneading is the real technique here; it develops the meat's structure so the ćevapi hold together and have a slight spring, closer to a sausage than a loose meatball.
  • Traditional Sarajevo ćevapi skip garlic and most spices beyond salt and pepper; the char from the grill and the raw onion do most of the flavor work.