This traditional melt-in-your-mouth dish from the Dibra region relies on very simple ingredients and is quick and easy to make.

Jufka with chicken is a simple, healthy and delicious meal. This traditional dish of the northeastern region of Albania is one which families have enjoyed eating and serving guests for quite some time. People from the Dibra region are immensely proud of this particular dish, one of many delicious contributions this region has given Albanian gastronomy. With the lightness of angel hair pasta and consistency of tagliatele, jufka is sure to be loved by everyone on the table. Usually served with meat, the recipe here joins jufka with farm-fresh chicken to make a simple dish that is ready in less than an hour.

Photo source: pinterest.com/flutragrecagmai/

Ingredients

1 farm-fresh chicken

450g jufka

100g fresh butter

1 onion

Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

Begin by boiling the chicken, whole or cut into smaller pieces, in a large pot. Leave it for about 25 more minutes after the first bubbles appear on the water surface. Place a different pan in the oven to preheat. In a separate frying pan, melt the butter and add the diced onions. Leave on very low heat for 3-4 minutes, checking that the onion becomes softer but not brown. Add pepper and salt to taste. Here, you can also add non-spicy red pepper to give the dish a pleasant taste and added color. Add the jufka to the pan and stir them together, taking care so that they do not stick to each other. The jufka will absorb the strong taste of the butter and onions for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, take out the preheated pan from the oven, spread the jufka along the entire surface, pour the remaining butter and onions, and add the chicken and its broth on top. Make sure to cover the jufka with the chicken broth. Place the pan in the oven at 200-220 degrees and let the entire surface achieve a slightly reddish color before you take them out. This should take approximately 20-25 minutes.

Hidden Secret

Enjoy the dish with Dibra’s very special plum raki or try ouzo, if the raki is unavailable. For children, you can serve berry or plum juice with no added sugars. Green leaf lettuce salad with pomegranate seeds, goat cheese and pickled tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil is a wonderful side dish to serve with this dish. Enjoy!