Romanian Shepherd’s Platter

 Mici, salată de vinete, tocana de legume, sweet Romanian mustard & polenta with Telemea

This traditional countryside feast brings together everything that makes Romanian cooking special: smoky minced-meat rolls, creamy roasted aubergine salad, slow-cooked vegetables, tangy mustard and a soft golden bed of polenta crowned with salty Telemea cheese. Rustic, generous and perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

For the Mici (Mititei)

500 g minced beef (or beef/pork mix)

2–3 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

80–100 ml sparkling water

Optional: a splash of beef stock or broth

For the Polenta

1 litre water

250 g cornmeal

1 tsp salt

50 g butter (optional)

Telemea cheese, crumbled

Sour cream / smântână

Salată de Vinete (Aubergine Spread)

2 large aubergines

1 small onion, very finely chopped

3–4 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt & lemon juice to taste

Vegetable Tocană

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 courgette or aubergine, diced

2 tomatoes or passata

2 tbsp oil

Salt & pepper

To serve

Romanian sweet mustard

Fresh bread (optional)

Method

1. Prepare the Mici

Mix the minced meat with garlic, spices, salt and bicarbonate.

Gradually add sparkling water (and broth if using), working the mixture until sticky.

Chill at least 2–3 hours or overnight.

Shape into short sausages.

Grill or pan-sear until browned outside and juicy inside.

2. Salată de Vinete

Roast the aubergines over flame or in the oven until soft and smoky.

Scoop out the flesh and drain well.

Finely chop, then mix with oil, onion, lemon juice and salt.

Serve chilled.

3. Tocană de Legume

Sauté onion and carrot in oil.

Add pepper and courgette/aubergine.

Stir in tomatoes and simmer gently until the vegetables are meltingly soft.

Season to taste.

4. Polenta & Telemea

Bring salted water to a boil.

Slowly whisk in cornmeal.

Cook gently 10–15 minutes until thick and smooth.

Stir in butter if desired.

Serve topped with sour cream and crumbled Telemea.

To Serve

Add everything to the plate:

grilled mici

spoonful of aubergine salad

warm vegetable tocană

mustard

creamy polenta crowned with Telemea

A rustic Romanian feast — simple food, big flavour, and a taste of the countryside.

Here is this Romanian sausage's Turkish ancestor:

Turkish Cevapi