Drob de Miel — Romanian Paschal Lamb Loaf

The Paschal lamb dish of Romania — a loaf made from lamb offal, pork, fresh herbs, garlic, and eggs,
wrapped in caul fat and baked. Slices with a beautiful speckled pattern of greens and whites through
the meat. Served cold as the first course of Easter lunch after the midnight Liturgy.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (lamb offal, pork, eggs)

SERVINGS: 10 (one loaf)
TIME: 2 hours (plus overnight chilling)

INGREDIENTS:
- 800 g lamb offal (liver, heart, lungs — mixed) from the Paschal lamb
- 400 g ground pork (with some fat)
- 200 g caul fat (pig's or lamb's), for wrapping
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, plus 2 raw eggs
- 1 large bunch fresh dill, chopped
- 1 large bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 100 ml milk
- 2 stale bread rolls, crusts removed (soak in milk 5 minutes)
- Salt and black pepper (generous)

For serving:
- Cold, cut into slices
- Horseradish sauce or mustard
- Fresh bread
- Red wine

METHOD:
1. Rinse offal thoroughly. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and rinse. Chop very finely (or pulse briefly in a food processor — do not make a paste).
2. In a skillet, melt butter. Sauté onion and green onions 7 minutes. Add chopped offal and cook 10 minutes, stirring, until no longer raw. Add garlic and dried thyme. Cook 1 minute.
3. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
4. Squeeze out the milk-soaked bread.
5. Add pork, squeezed bread, raw eggs, all fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to the offal mixture. Mix thoroughly.
6. Line a 25 cm loaf pan with caul fat, draping the excess over the sides.
7. Press half the meat mixture into the bottom. Arrange peeled hard-boiled eggs in a line down the centre. Top with remaining meat mixture, pressing firmly around the eggs.
8. Fold the overhanging caul fat over the top, tucking in to enclose the loaf completely.
9. Cover the pan loosely with foil.
10. Bake at 180C (350F) for 60 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15-20 more minutes until the top is beautifully golden.
11. Rest 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. Drob is ALWAYS served cold.
12. To serve: turn out from the pan, slice into 2 cm slices with a very sharp knife. Each slice shows a cross-section: green and gold speckled meat, with white egg rounds in the middle.

NOTES:
- Caul fat is the lacy fat web around animal organs. Available at traditional butchers, especially at Paschal time. If truly unavailable, line the pan with bacon strips.
- The hard-boiled eggs in the centre are both decorative and traditional — symbols of the Resurrection.
- Drob is specifically a Paschal dish. Romanians make it only once a year, the week of Pascha.
- Serve cold, sliced thin, as the first course of Paschal lunch. The traditional accompaniment is horseradish sauce and glasses of red wine.

NUTRITION (per slice, approximate):
Calories: 340 | Protein: 28 g | Carbohydrates: 6 g | Fat: 22 g | Fibre: 0 g