09/10/2026
PolicemenU this week is sent in from Vinko IPA Slovenia
Example recipe for four (4) people:
500 g sauerkraut
200 g potatoes
300 g brown beans
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
5 black peppercorns
20 g flour
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 sausages/smoked bacon or pancetta
Oil for frying/lard
Stock/water
Preparing and cooking jota
Sort the beans, rinse them under running water, put them in a bowl and cover them with enough cold water to cover them by at least four fingers. Catch and discard any beans that do not sink. Soak the beans for at least 8 hours, it is best to soak them overnight.
The next day, wash the beans with water and cook them in fresh water with 2 bay leaves added for 30 to 45 minutes. The beans should remain a little harder, as they will be added to the jota later and should not be overcooked. Salt them only when they are cooked.
In another cooking pot, pour the sauerkraut/turnip, which can be rinsed with cold water first, if it is too sour (depending on taste), add the bay leaf, salt and a few grains of black pepper. Add water and cook on high heat for about 20 to 25 minutes until boiling, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the cooked cabbage, reserving some of the liquid.
Peel the potatoes, wash them and cut them into small pieces. Place them in a pot, cover with cold water, salt and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes.
Pour the cooked beans and water into a larger pot and add the drained potatoes and sauerkraut (and the reserved liquid). Add salt if necessary and cook for another ten minutes.
Boil the water for the sausage in a pot and cook for 15 minutes. If desired, pierce the sausage to drain the liquid. Cut the sausage into rings. If using bacon/pancetta, quickly fry it in a pan on both sides in oil or lard.
Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Fry the onion in a pan until nicely glazed, add the crushed garlic, fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, sprinkle with flour (you can replace it with mashed potatoes, which are mixed into the dish to thicken the soup) and stir until the flour is slightly browned. At the same time, you can add a small spoonful of sweet paprika powder (not necessary if you are not a fan of paprika, it gives the dish a characteristic taste and color), if desired, add tomato puree and fry everything together for up to two minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to boil. Add the soup base or water from the cooked beans and sauerkraut or turnips, add the sliced sausage pieces or sliced bacon or pancetta. Mix everything well and then add the cooked jota, potatoes and serve. Serve with homemade bread.
I suggest a white w**e of the Zelen variety with jota, which is an indigenous Vipava w**e from the Vipava area.
