The healthy Mediterranean food based on vegetable dishes with addition of olive oil, fish and shells, wine, goat and sheep cheeses, and from fruits on citrus fruits, grapes, figs and almonds, grow out into the traditional food of Montenegrin Riviera.
A specific feature of our cuisine is the method by which the dishes are prepared, and doctors assess it as a particular healthy one. Namely, the vegetable is cooked with little water and is spiced cooked by olive oil and is sprinkled by spicy Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, basil and parsley).
In the coastal cuisine the basic methods of fish preparation are grilling, boiling, stewing and frying. Grilled fish is prepared on a barbecue. In the process, it is coated with aromatic herbs, mainly with rosemary. It is served with a dressing made of garlic, parsley and olive oil, with vegetables and lettuce.
Boiled fish is prepared in water to which oil, wine, vinegar, onion, bay leaf and other spices are added. It is served with boiled potatoes or Swiss chard on the side and it makes an ideal choice for dinner.
Fish stew is made of several types of fish (dusky grouper, scorpion fish, gray mullet, or cuttlefish). Usually, the side dish served with the stew is a polenta – cornmeal porridge.
The seafood and shellfish are always prepared with addition of white wine and maritime herbs.
As starters are offered various cheeses, smoked, unripened or from oil, and are served with ham and olives.
Welcome: Fritters, dried figs, honey, walnuts and home-made grape brandy
Cold starters: Home-made ham, unripened cheese, cheese from oil, goat cheese, smoked, dried cheese, salted sardines, octopus salad, seafood salad and olives.
Hot starters: Seafood risotto, black risotto, calamari risotto, gambori risotto.
Soup: Fish soup (from fresh fish)
Main dishes: Polenta brodet, cooked fish, grilled fish with Dalmatian garnishing, octopus goulash, pasticada with makarule and gnocchi, muslje on buzar, gambori and scampi on red and white buzar, grilled calamari, filled calamari (by legs and gambori ).
Desserts: fresh Mediterranean fruits, dried fruits, rustule.
Drinks: Home made red and white wines from wooden barrels.
SALTY SARDINES
The sardines are salted in wooden barrels. Each layer is covered with big chunks of salt, and each third layer is well pressed. Finally, a wooden cover is laid on the top layer, with a heavy stone above, in order to squeeze out the liquid from the fish. Several days later, when the sardines have shrunk in size, another layer is added, with more salt. This type of food preservation used to provide food for the whole family all through the year.
CHEESE IN OIL
Combined with Grbalj tomatoes and home baked bread, it makes a favourite meal. Dried and sliced cheese is covered with a mixture of olive and sunflower oils and left in a glass dish or a jar in a cold place (a refrigerator is OK) to mature, for at least 45 days.
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is the trademark of the coastal diet, and the healthiest version is the one extracted through the process of cold pressing. Extra virgin oil is the finest, made from the first pressing of healthy olives. Its acidity does not exceed 1%.
