We have this great Christmas Eve tradition for years now. Our good friend, chef Rudi of Pelegrini, invites us for a small, private party every Christmas Eve at the restaurant. Every year – except the last year due to COVID pandemic- , the weather has been very favorable and we usually enjoy sitting outside. The weather was decent enough for us to sit outside even after a rainy start to the day. Šibenik was quite lively with lots of people on the streets and live music in the park. Here is the program: https://www.putovnica.net/dogadanja/advent-bozicni-sajam-bozicne-carolije-sibenik

The menu

The menu is always exceptional! Small bites and fantastic wines is always the main idea. And lost of fun with great friends. We started with simple steamed Arca noae or the Noah’s Ark shell. Kunjke as they are called in this area, is one of the most popular seashell on our menus. It is quite common as it was one of the original seafood of people leaving by the Adriatic. Lately, it seems to be disappearing due to devastation and pollution. Arca noe are best grilled or steamed. Simple food is always the best!

Besides the seashells and fritule, we were enjoying both popular versions of bakalar prepared in Croatia. Dalmatian coast was under the rule of Venice for many centuries. It is no surprise there are many traditional Venetian dishes on the tables of our peninsula. The most famous one is bakalar na bijelo (white salted cod), a dried cod paté.

The other one is Bakalar na crveno or dried cod stew with tomato paste. This is also an iconic Dalmatian dish that originated in Italy. Mediterranean cuisines are so intertwined!

A special treat was lobster on barley. Barley is wrapped in Swiss chard leaf. This makes a fantastic combination with tender lobster meat.

All in all, we are soo looking forward to Pelegrini’s summer season and our next gathering on the Christmas Eve in Šibenik!

Merry Christmas to all!