There is a very special delicacy eaten in the Balkan part of Europe during this time of the year and Croatians love it. They are called pork crisps – originally ?varci (cvarci)-pronounced chvartzy. Traditional time for pork precessing in the Balkan area is autumn and cvarci are consumed throughout the winter. Pork processing is still very popular and common in rural areas and it’s kind of an event in which the whole family participates. Lately, cvarci have become very popular and pricey and are considered one of the most important parts of Croatian / Balkan food identity.
A week ago we met one fantastic Australian guy travelling throughout Europe and, of course, introduced him to cvarci. A friend of mine actually called them little fat nuggets. Paolo really liked the traditional combination of cvarci with bread and raw onion. This is Balkan type of comfort food, that keeps you from getting sick: strong and fat.
Cvarci are a kind of rustic countryside specialty and are usually home made. They’re made by melting lard, which is cut in blocks at about 1 inch in size and slowly fried in their own fat. During the process, you have to keep turning them so that they don’t stick to the bottom of a pan. If you want a nicely golden brown color, add milk. When they got their nice color, take them out and use the squeezer to squeeze out as much fat as you can. You will be left with crispy pork rind remains. Sometimes folks make them more fat and bright, sometimes they make them really thin, darker and crisp. I like the latter.
Cvarci are usually eaten on their own, with the addition of bread and raw onions, plus oftentimes traditional heated fruit brandy called rakija. However, they can be used as ingredients for other food, such as these snack scones. In my household, they can’t last long, we eat them in a couple of days. However, this year I managed to save some for this delicious scones. If you have someone from this part of Europe or a store that specializes in Balkan food and are able to obtain some cvarci, definitielly give this recipe a try.
Scones with pork crisps (cvarci)
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 scones 1x
Description
These Balkan scones, enriched with crispy pork cvarci, offer a savory twist on a classic comfort food, perfect for winter gatherings.
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) pork crisps (cvarci)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) all-purpose flour
- 17.6 oz (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 envelope dry yeast
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk, lukewarm
- 4.4 oz (125 g) softened butter
Instructions
- Finely grind the pork crisps (cvarci) and combine them with 100 g of all-purpose flour.
- In a small bowl, combine the lukewarm milk with the dry yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 500 g of all-purpose flour with the softened butter, egg yolks, salt, and pepper.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Fold in the ground pork crisps mixture into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/2 inch.
- Cut the dough into scones using a round cutter or a glass.
- Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Cvarci can be found at specialty stores or made at home by rendering pork fat. Serve these scones warm with a side of raw onions and bread for a traditional experience. They pair well with rakija, a traditional heated fruit brandy. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Balkan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 50
Evo me vec 45 min na stolici.nikad vise cvarci u moju laburnju,kukala mi majka
Fascinating! Would love to try this. It makes me think of a savoury version of Slovenian potica, best known in the American ethnic community as a sweet yeast bread made with a walnut filling. But in Europe there is a version made with bacon or cracklings. My Slovenian American mother recalls it from her childhood but never liked it, so it remained unknown to me till recently.