Cevapcici with red pepper rice

These flavourful spiced beef meatballs with tomato sauce are great to throw on the grill or barbecue, paired with the fragrant rice

Ingredients

• 500 g beef mince
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red pepper, about 200g, diced
• 250 g long grain rice
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 0.5 tsp caster sugar
• 40 ml dry red wine
• 200 ml chopped tomatoes
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp ajvar (red pepper sauce)
• 100 g frozen peas, defrosted

Steps

1. To make the cevapcici, tip the mince into a bowl with half of the chopped onion and garlic. Season with salt, 1 tsp paprika and a pinch of freshly ground pepper. Using your hands, bring together the mixture until well combined. Shape into a ball and throw the mixture back into the bowl for a few minutes to tenderise. Mix in half of the parsley. Shape into 12 sausage shapes, around 3 x 10cm, and set aside in the fridge.
2. To make the rice, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the pepper and remaining onion and garlic for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Add the rice, paprika, tomato purée and sugar. Stir well and fry gently for a minute before pouring into the red wine to deglaze. Pour in the tomatoes and vegetable stock before bringing to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 mins on a low heat, until the rice is fluffy and cooked. Stir the ajvar, peas and remaining parsley through the cooked rice.
3. To cook the cevapcici, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan on medium. Add to the pan and fry for 5-10 mins, until browned all over and cooked through. Serve with the rice and some extra ajvar, if you like. Alternatively, they can be cooked for 5-10 mins on a grill. This recipe has been provided by Das Kochrezept and not been re-tested by us.