Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

We were back up in Motovun again this weekend as our builder, Gino, prepared for demolition in the house we are renovating.

From a gastronomic POV, Motovun is known for its truffles. In fact the world’s largest was found in 1999 in the nearby forests - it weighed 1.30 kgs. Given Black truffle sells for about 700€/kg and the white variety about 2 000€/kg - thats not bad reward for an afternoon stroll. They were first found in the area in 1929.

Four weeks ago David and Vanda’s dog, Bonnie, had 8 puppies. Bonnie is a failed truffle hunting dog that they saved. David and Vanda are responsible for Timeout Croatia magazines and guidebooks. Dogs are used to sniff out the underground fungi - but if the dog is found not to make the grade it is usually put to sleep.

The best place in town for a truffle-sprinkled dinner is the Barbacan Restaurant. Its owner, Ronald Geul, is Dutch. As the older generation in Motovun moves on, the town is becoming popular for interesting people from all over the world in which to live. The town’s new resident grumpy old man is Ranko Bon - architect, economist, painter and poet.

Risotto with Leek, Mushrooms and Truffle

Ingredients
Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
500g Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 7mm thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle
Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
For Leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For Mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For Risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Malvasia
Istria has two wines of note - a red, teran, and a white, malvasia. For malvasia we choose to drink that from the Kozlović Family.

Wine Maker – Kozlović Vina
Colour – Golden yellow colour with a slight green tinge.
Bouquet – Aroma of fruit and berries
Palate – Fresh, medium-bodied, and balanced, with an almond aftertaste.

Croatia is a nation of contradictions.

On Sunday we went to Skradin, a small town on the Krka River, just behind Šibenik, to visit Vina Bibich, run by Alen, a local wine producer and chef about whom we had heard great things. We wanted to try the local red wine, debit. Unfortunately everything is still closed this early in the year.

Skradin has a long history; originally it was a Roman trading town. Today it’s the best place to catch a boat to the Krka National Park, and the Krka Waterfalls, up river.

After a quick coffee in Skradin’s sunny square, we drove into the Park.

The Park’s authorities have, over recent years, renovated the old mill buildings surrounding the falls into an ethno-village. In the summer guests can see the flour being made, chat with the donkeys or have a trout lunch. The rivers around Split provide several places for very fresh trout. Other favorites of ours are in the town of Trilj and at another renovated mill; Radmanove Mlinice.

To walk amongst the falls wooden duck boards and bridges are provided, similar to Plitvice Lakes but on a smaller scale. Its possible to swim below the final waterfall.

The Croatian contradiction became evident when we came upon some further old buildings with a plaque. The text said before us was the ruins of the world’s second hydro-electric generator - the first opened in Buffalo, up-state New York a few days before; both were completed in 1895. Even more amazingly, the Croatian dam was the first in the world to provide electricity - it powered Šibenik’s streetlights about a year before those in Buffalo. Nikola Tesla was responsible for the design of the plant. Born an ethnic Serb in what is now the Lika Region of Croatia, he is claimed by both Croatia and Serbia.

At the at end of the 19th Century this remote part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was on the cutting edge of technology - beating Germany, France and England to hydro-electricity - yet my grandmother’s village nearby has never received electricity or had modern plumbing. And driving to the Park you see the still-ruined houses of the barbaric ethnic conflict from 15 years ago. Primitivism and Modernism side by side.

Its been a long wait but finally our leut is in the shed. Our previous attempts failed - but finally brute force prevailed. Only six guys, two fork lifts, twenty steel pipes and eight hours of continuous hard work were required to complete the task.

The knowledge of those involved made the whole task a lot easier - there must have been nearly 100 years of maritime industry experience working together.

The previous trailer was re-used sans the wheels. The fore and aft of the boat were raised and a section of the trailer were slid under each on top of pipes. Then, using a forklift at each end, the 5000kg boat was pushed, prodded, turned and dragged into the shed.

Many thanks to John, Nigel, Marcel, Tim, Morton, Jan, Lene and Jules.

Except for the odd day when the bura howls down from the mountains, the Adriatic Sea is relatively calm. This makes the Dalmatian Coast a perfect location for ship-borne activities which may not be possible elsewhere. One idea that we have been asked to help on is a restaurant/bar catamaran. This work is part of our plan to learn everything possible about boat construction and renovation.