
Dishes
Cauldron-cooked lamb at mayor Ghiorghe Stanciu’s
To be chosen by a community, not a small one, to represent it means, above all, the trust of the people who support you and stand by your side. To passionately offer them what you know and, with joy in your heart, invite them to your table, sharing the best you have, equals empathy for the community in which you are a solid example. Our hearty appetite led us to Prisacani, a commune steeped in history, where we discovered a recipe that seemed to come from ancient times: cârlan la ceaun (Cauldron-cooked lamb, a traditional dish). The mayor himself knows this recipe very well and prepared it skillfully for the celebration that was taking place the next day in the heart of the commune, at the Roadele din Prisacani festival, the nucleus of the community and a local celebration. In the evening, on the eve of the party, a robust lamb was chosen, sacrificed, and cut into suitable pieces to take pride of place on the festive table. The preparation consists of marinating the meat with vegetables, wine, and select spices to ensure the tenderness of the dish that would impress the guests. On the generous quantity of meat, finely chopped onions were added, local garlic was a must, fresh thyme, white dry wine, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and slightly pungent paprika. Skilled in traditional gastronomy, the mayor mixed, adjusted to taste, and exclaimed happily that if you put goodness into everything, goodness will come out. The majestic pre-cooking would rest overnight in a marinate with exquisite aromas, then make its way to the cauldron, where it would simmer slowly and peacefully, for about 3 hours. On the day of the festival, people from all corners of the commune gathered to participate in the collective excitement of the festival. Cooking up a feast, everyone takes pride in offering the best from their households. Somewhere, away from the festive noise and hustle, the dish that everyone is eagerly awaiting is being prepared. When there’s about an hour left and the dish is ready, the trusty assistant assisting the welcoming host adds vegetables from the heart of Prisacani’s soil: plump tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and celery. They are mixed, and you wait until the vegetables are tender to the touch of a spoon. Everyone gathers around the table and enjoys the feast and the good spirits that leave behind the routine of the week. Only time stands still, and the large ladle supporting the cauldron awaits to serve another hearty portion of the delightful dish.
Ingredients:
– Meat from a young lamb
– 2 kg finely chopped onions
– 2 kg chopped carrots
– 2 kg chopped bell peppers
– 2 kg potatoes, chopped
– 2 liters tomato juice
– 2 liters dry white wine
– Bay leaves, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme.
Preparation:
- Take a young lamb, cut it into pieces, and marinate it with onions, garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, chopped hot pepper, all drowned in a generous cup of white wine. Let it rest overnight.
- The next day, heat a large cauldron and fry the marinated lamb pieces until well browned. Remove the meat and let it rest.
- Add finely chopped onions to the cauldron and sauté until they become translucent. Then add carrot slices and gently sauté.
- The wine will calm down the sizzling, and as it evaporates, it leaves behind the essence of white grapes. Place the meat back in the cauldron.
- Cook at moderate heat in the cauldron for about an hour, occasionally stirring. Near the end, add the garlic slices.