Karađorđeva šnicla

The story

Karađorđeva šnicla is much younger than its name suggests. Milovan Mića Stojanović, then a cook at the Golf restaurant in Belgrade, said he created it in 1956 or 1957, when a Radio Belgrade announcer ordered chicken Kiev and the kitchen lacked the ingredients. He rolled a thin veal or pork schnitzel around kajmak instead, breaded and fried it, and she asked for the recipe. He later presented the dish at a catering exhibition and named it after Karađorđe, leader of the First Serbian Uprising and founder of the Karađorđević dynasty. In his own serving instructions, a ribbon of tartar sauce runs across the roll and a slice of lemon sits in the middle, meant to recall the Order of the Star of Karađorđe. In the spirit of bohemian humor it also earned a cheekier nickname, the maiden's dream. Stojanović went on to become head chef to Josip Broz Tito, and the schnitzel is now standard on Serbian restaurant menus and especially popular in Belgrade's Skadarlija quarter.

February 14 in Serbia is also the feast of Sveti Trifun, the Orthodox patron of vines, winemakers and vineyard growers. Stojanović recommended a light white wine with his schnitzel; serve it with fries or green beans and a glass of Serbian white.