AT THE BOYAR’S INN IN NEGREȘTI

Every crossroads in life will always confront you with a choice, which often turns out to be the right one. If it’s a culinary choice, for example, at an inn where you don’t know what delicacies to indulge in, then the decision becomes even harder.

Today we stop at the Boyar’s Inn, an inn in the heart of Negrești – a place for storytelling, easy to spot with its openness and liveliness, as soon as you step through its threshold. Everywhere around you, there are enticing aromas, a cheerful atmosphere, and above all, that ancestral Romanian hospitality that has been passed down through generations. On the generously laid tables, you can spot traditional dishes sprinkled with wines from the Moldova region and beyond. A good sign that the food is delicious is the enthusiasm with which travelers enjoy every dish laid out on the laden tables.

The lady of the house, the innkeeper, welcomes us with a warm voice and invites us to the table immediately. Her recommendation makes our mouths water as we begin to chat. She will entice us with a Moldavian pork stew like no other, found only in these parts of the world. And, to fill our souls with even more joy, for dessert, the innkeeper will delight us with a walnut swirl pastry.

In a cauldron that leisurely endures over a hot fire, golden pieces of pork meat and homemade sausages sizzle with a special musicality. The “tochela” receives the flavors of spices from the innkeeper’s garden, diligently dried on the eaves of the summer kitchen, a sacred place where dishes are meticulously prepared. The polenta bubbles rebelliously over a quick fire, somewhat accepting its fate to be part of a delicious lunch. But what would tochitura be without two runny eggs and a large piece of cheese to seal the deal for any gourmet? On plates spread wide enough to contain all the hunger of the guests, pieces of meat, sausages, cheese, and the two runny eggs are arranged one by one on top of this culinary marvel.

While we savor this tochitura, the innkeeper already has plans for the walnut swirl pastry that’s famous throughout the Negrești valley and even beyond. Fine sheets, like noble handkerchiefs, are spread on the large table. They are then generously smeared with butter and sprinkled with sugar and lots of ground walnuts. Let’s repeat that: lots of ground walnuts! Not that we’re afraid you won’t get it, but we have to specify that the innkeeper never skimps on her swirl pastries or her other treats. As if in a minimal game, like steps in a big dance, like a rhythmic dance, the innkeeper’s hands move with purpose. We don’t know how she swirls the dough, how she shapes it, but one thing is certain: by the time we figure it out, the swirl pastry is already brushed with a mixture of water and honey and ready to go into the oven. It won’t stay there for long, thank goodness! Warm and golden, the swirl pastry finds its place on the already laden table, and we begin to marvel at how delicious it is.

Traveler, no matter how many paths you traverse, always stop at the Boyar’s Inn in Negrești and enjoy a feast fit for royalty!

Ingredients for Moldavian Pork Stew:

– 250g bacon

– 500g pork neck

– 500g pork leg

– 500g sausages (fresh or slightly smoked in lard for a better taste)

– Garlic

– Pepper

– Thyme

– 3 bay leaves

– 1 cup of good white wine

Moldavian Pork Stew Preparation:

1. Find the most serious cauldron you can and cut the bacon into small cubes. Place it in the hot cauldron, where it will render its fat and become crispy. Remove the bacon for later use.
2. Gradually add the pork, cut to your preference, to the hot fat, stirring carefully. After the meat is browned, add the wine and the spices, and season with salt to taste.
3. Let the wine reduce slightly and the sauce thicken. Then add the sausages along with the crispy bacon you set aside earlier. The dish is complete with well-cooked polenta, accompanied by some mashed cheese and at least one sunny-side-up egg. Pickles are a nice addition if desired.