October 1, 2021 - Chef Matija Kruhonja of Michelin-star restaurant Boškinac visited Split for a JRE masterclass on Pag lamb, accompanied by Korta Katarina wines. 

On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the culinary team from the famous Boškinac restaurant, which confirmed its Michelin star earlier this month, visited the Miele experience center in Split for a masterclass with restaurant chefs who are part of the prestigious JRE association.

The exclusive group of visitors had the chance to learn the secrets of preparing Pag lamb firsthand from experts for whom lamb is one of the most important foods in the award-winning restaurant. The chef of the restaurant, Matija Kruhonja, and his team revealed secrets and prepared one of Boškinac's most famous dishes.

"Our topic was Pag lamb, the legendary terroir ingredient from the island of Pag. The masterclass went deep into the topic by showing various restaurant cuts. Why did we pick this subject? First of all, we wanted to educate the guests about the proper way of cutting the meat, then show them positions and explain which parts are good for certain dishes and last but not the least, prepare a dish - a current signature dish created by Boškinac chef Matija Kruhonja," Irina Ban of JRE. 

Chef Matija Kruhonja also showed the knives he used and explained the animal's anatomy, which has to be respected if one wants to make precise and correct cuts.

"We also discussed that Pag lamb is much smaller than other European varieties due to the lack of food and hostile terrain, but its meat has a stronger flavor due to that same reason - animals are on pasture which is mostly consisted of aromatic herbs, covered with sea salt. Such conditions make an animal more muscular, less fat, and smaller," added Ban. 

The lamb was paired with wines from Pelješac winery Korta Katarina: sparkling Sabion, Plavac Mali - Winemakers Selection 2011, before ending the evening with Boškinac red Cuvee as a gift of the house. All wines were presented by Boškinac sommelier Mladen Livaja, one of the best sommeliers in Croatia. 

Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) Croatia is a prestigious association of the most creative gastronomes, and the Croatian branch has 16 restaurants. Founded in 1974, it has about 350 of the best young top chefs and restaurant owners in Europe. JRE chefs combine outstanding talent, a deep passion for cuisine, a love of local produce, and a strong sense of tradition. Their cooking expertise, paired with the outstanding atmosphere of their restaurants, offers a truly fantastic experience. JRE organizes masterclasses with chefs from the best Croatian restaurants who are also members of this prestigious association several times a year. Until now, they were completely closed to the public.

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