Halal

Albania's national dish: tender lamb baked with rice under a thick, golden custard of yogurt and eggs. The yogurt topping puffs up in the oven and set...

Fatmir Hoxha

A light sponge soaked in three milks and crowned with a glossy layer of caramel. Trileçe reached the Balkans from Latin America via Turkey and is now...

Blerta Gashi

Layers of potatoes, aubergine and spiced beef in tomato, under a thick golden béchamel. The Balkan and Greek family bake for Sunday lunch.

Stefan Đorđević

A thick vegetable soup with beans and small pasta, made with whatever the season brings.

Luka Petrović

The Neapolitan original: a soft, blistered crust, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte and basil. Cold-fermented dough gives it flavour and lightness.

Luka Petrović

Forty sheets of filo, layers of walnuts and clarified butter, baked crisp and soaked in lemon syrup. The festive sweet of Bajram tables from Prizren t...

Amira Hodžić

The soft, pillowy Ramadan bread with its diamond pattern and nigella seeds. Bakeries in Sarajevo queue out the door for it before iftar.

Emina Softić

Chilled blended soup of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, bread and sherry vinegar. Summer in a glass.

Paul Wagner

Quick yogurt batter fritters, crisp outside and fluffy inside. Serve with cheese and kajmak or with honey and jam.

Milica Jovanović

Thin, lacy crêpes with brown butter. Fill them with lemon and sugar, chocolate or ham and cheese. In the Balkans they are palačinke.

Sara Kovačević

Small skinless sausages of minced beef, grilled over charcoal and served ten at a time in warm somun with raw onion and kajmak. The taste of Baščaršij...

Amira Hodžić

Chicken and Thai aubergines in coconut milk with green curry paste, lime leaves and Thai basil. Weeknight fast, restaurant good.

Gentiana Shala

A velvety chicken and okra soup thickened with egg yolks and sour cream. Once served only to the beys of Sarajevo, now the classic iftar starter.

Amira Hodžić

Hand-minced lamb with tail fat and red pepper, pressed onto wide skewers and grilled over charcoal. Served with lavash, grilled tomatoes and sumac oni...

Driton Berisha

Ripe avocados mashed with lime, onion, chilli and coriander. Chunky, bright and ready in ten minutes.

Driton Berisha

Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onion under a snowy layer of grated white cheese. The salad that goes with every grill in the Balkans.

Stefan Đorđević

Pillowy fried yeast buns that puff up in hot oil. Serve them warm with white cheese and jam for breakfast, or dusted with sugar for guests.

Elira Hoxha

The ceremonial round bread of the Serbian family patron saint day, decorated with a cross, the seal and plaited dough ornaments. It is blessed, turned...

Stefan Đorđević

Deep red beetroot soup with beef, cabbage and potatoes, finished with garlic, dill and sour cream.

Sara Kovačević

The name means "chaos": white cheese mashed with kajmak, hot paprika and garlic into a fiery spread for grilled meat and warm bread.

Marko Nikolić

Crisp romaine, garlic croutons, grilled chicken and a punchy dressing of anchovy, parmesan, lemon and egg yolk.

Gentiana Shala

The soup that opens the iftar table: red lentils, onion and carrot simmered and blended silky, finished with paprika oil and lemon.

Elira Hoxha

A clear, fragrant beef broth with charred onion, ginger, star anise and cinnamon, ladled over rice noodles and raw beef slices that cook in the bowl.

Gentiana Shala

Layers of beef, lamb and vegetables cooked for hours in a clay pot in their own juices. No browning, no stirring, just time.

Emina Softić