Essential Turkish Cuisine

Essential Turkish Cuisine

Essential Turkish Cuisine

Essential Turkish Cuisine

eBook

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Overview

This “long overdue tribute to the richly sensuous food of Turkey” is “handsome, intriguing, and beautifully illustrated” (Mimi Sheraton, former New York Times food critic).
 
Engin Akin shares her culinary mastery and describes the evolution of Turkey’s diverse culture of food in Essential Turkish Cuisine. Complete with two hundred recipes found across the country, including traditional dolmas, kebabs, halva, and more, this definitive book offers rare insight into the myriad influences on modern Turkish cooking.
 
Featuring a wide range of large and small plates—from Stuffed Peppers and Eggplant to Lamb with Quince, Fresh Sour Cherry Hosaf to Crêpes with Tahini and Pekmez—Akin includes expert instruction for each dish. Through these recipes and the gorgeous photographs of Turkey—its bustling markets, its food, and its traditions—Akin shares the country’s rich heritage and brings the spirit of Turkey into your kitchen.
 
“Here is a lifetime of culinary wisdom shared with English-speaking cooks looking for a key to unlock one of the world’s most seductive cuisines.” —Maricel E. Presilla, culinary historian
 
“A reference. A treasure. A culinary tour de force.” —Steven Raichlen, author of the Barbecue Bible cookbook series

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781613128718
Publisher: ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date: 10/01/2018
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 276
File size: 19 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Engin Akin is a world-renowned authority on Turkish gastronomy and author of three cookbooks published in Turkey. A former food columnist, radio personality, and celebrated cooking instructor, she has been featured in the New York Times, Saveur, and Bon Appétit, among other publications. Engin divides her time between Istanbul and Ula, where she runs a cooking school.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

PART ONE

SMALL PLATES (MEZE)

APPETIZERS

Melon and White Cheese Turkish Caviar Spicy Peanut Spread (Acikax with Peanuts and Tahini)
Hot Paprika and Walnut Spread (Muhammara/Acika)
Fava Bean Puree Chickpea Balls with Tahini (Topik)
Roe Spread (Tarama)
Fried Mussels Sardine Balls Red Lentil Balls with Cornichons Fried Calamari Rings with Pistachio Sauce Sardine Birds Crispy Zucchini Slices Fried Zucchini Blossoms Zucchini Pancakes (Mücver)
Crispy Eggplant with Tulum Cheese and Pekmez Albian-Style Fried Liver Blanched Chicory with Oil and Lemon Circassian Chicken, the Easy Way Fried Balls of Greens and Figs Smoked Mackerel Roasted Baby Bonito Cornmeal Pancakes with Anchovies Salmon Tartar Made in the Style of Uncooked Kofta (Çig Somon Köftesi)
Black-Eyed Peas with Samphire Wild Radishes
Yufka Squares with Botargo Avocado with Botargo Egg and Botarga Rolls

The meze table brings together a tempting array of little dishes to be enjoyed communally. These small plates can include everything from stuffed grape leaves or vegetables to shish kebabs and fried calamari, typically paired with pickles, yogurt sauce, dips, and little salads. A table spread with small plates is not only appetizing, but also extends the time spent around the table with family and friends. Accompanied by drinks, usually glasses of raki, the gathering becomes festive and joyful, and what is more, meze creates an atmosphere where people can talk more freely and communicate more intimately. That is why the tables at the meyhanes, or taverns where meze were served, were called çilingir sofrasiçilingir meaning "the locksmith table," which implies that the table will unwind tongues, and people will talk more freely and casually. In truth, Turks value this type of conversation more than what is served, but certainly a tasty tidbit and a drink helps people relax.

The ritual of spreading the table with many different meze is more recent. In the old Ottoman days, tavern habits were more like the happy hour of the West today, where customers might enjoy a drink along with a handful of peanuts. However, after the Turkish republic was established, and men and women began socializing together as a way of life, the offerings on the meze tables became more elaborate at restaurants and homes alike. Eventually labor-intensive dishes like sigara börek (cigar-shaped fried pastries) and Zucchini Pancakes (Mücver, this page) would appear regularly — along with just about any type of meze the chef or hostess was capable of making. Even homey Turkish recipes, especially vegetable dishes like leeks, celery roots, and artichokes in olive oil, were added to the table around the mid-twentieth century.

One way or another, the variety keeps growing, as restaurants with an atmosphere conducive to drinking must continue to add new items to their meze platters.

It is interesting to note that meze and tapas, both of which are rooted in Arabic or Persian traditions, are becoming a popular way of eating, not only in their countries of origin but around the world. Perhaps everyone is yearning for a space in which they can truly relax and enjoy good company, with a drink and a few tasty tidbits to help set the stage.

All of the small dishes and even the fried pastry dishes in this book would be welcome additions on a meze table. You can serve just one or two meze while you enjoy a drink and conversation with a friend. Or, for a larger group, you can present a mix of hot and cold dishes, meat- and vegetable-based dishes, little salads and condiments — so many tasty tidbits that you will not even have to serve a main dish.

Melon and White Cheese

THIS PAIRING is a must for the raki table in Turkey. Besides the appeal of the rich variety of melons available in Turkey, the balance of sweet and salty makes this combination all that's needed for many raki drinkers. In addition, the protein-rich cheese and potassium-rich melon contain vitamins and minerals that balance the alcohol: Nature knows what she is doing. Although the expression "less is more" is true for appetizers, I offer several suggestions for cheeses to pair with the melon at the end of this recipe.

Serves 6 as meze

6 thin slices melon 3 slices (2 square inches/5 square cm) white Ezine or tulum cheese (see Note)

Serve the melon and cheese together on a single plate, or separately (the cheese can be cut into triangles instead of squares, if you prefer).

Note: Ezine peyniri (from the town of Ezine on the Aegean peninsula of Gallipoli) is a white cheese made from goat's, sheep's, and cow's milk; it is pickled and then ripened in tin containers. Tulum peyniri is a crumbly powerful cheese that is very special. It is made in the area surrounding Erzincan (a city in eastern Turkey) and is traditionally matured in sheepskins. Today commercial versions come in synthetic casings, and unfortunately the taste is not anything near the traditionally cured one. Look for both of these cheeses at Middle Eastern groceries or online.

Turkish Caviar

IF MELON AND CHEESE is the number one meze, this is the second. Its creamy texture and flavor justifies the name caviar (a term that was passed on to Western languages from its Turkish name, hayvar).

Serves 6 as meze

3 to 4 round, Italian-style eggplants (2½ pounds/1 kg, enough to make 3 cups mashed eggplant)
1 clove garlic, pounded with a mortar and pestle Salt Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
½ cup (120 ml) corn oil
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, or 2 to 3 tablespoons light cream

Grill the eggplants over a direct fire or a gas flame (this gives them a wonderful smoky taste) and peel while still warm (they will peel more easily this way). Wash the eggplants under running water to remove any remaining charred skin. Put in a colander for about 30 minutes to drain the bitter juices eggplants give off when grilled. Cut the eggplants into pieces and place in a food processor or chopper, or use a bowl and handmixer. Combine the garlic and a large pinch of salt, stir in the lemon juice, then whisk in the oil until emulsified. Add the dressing and then the milk and process until you have a creamy consistency. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve the day it is made; otherwise the garlic may become rancid.

Spicy Peanut Spread (Acika with Peanuts and Tahini)

THIS RECIPE is from eastern Turkey, where they love spicy food; in fact, its regional name, acika, means "heat." It can be served with toasted bread slices or toasted yufka slices as a part of a meze platter. Its dominant spice, coriander, was used extensively in the Ottoman times, while purple basil is the common choice for this recipe. For an older version of acika , made with peppers, see this page.

Serves 6 to 8 as meze; double the recipe if this is the only meze

1 cup (120 g) shelled and peeled peanuts, first toasted in their shells
2 cloves garlic, crushed or pounded
2½ teaspoons dried coriander and hot pepper spice mix (see Note)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried purple basil (optional)
2½ teaspoons sumac
2 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a food processor, combine the peanuts, garlic, spice mix, cumin, basil (if using), and sumac. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the tahini with a splash of the oil and some water, up to ¾ cup (180 ml), to smooth out the texture. Add the remaining oil and the tahini, mixing in with a spoon. Serve at room temperature. It is best eaten the day it is made.

Note: To make the spice mix, grind 3 tablespoons coriander seeds with 3 or 4 dried hot peppers about 2 inches (5 cm) in length. If the peppers are not completely dry, toast them over a flame on the stovetop before grinding them. This makes enough spice mix for two batches of the spread.

Hot Paprika and Walnut Spread (Muhammara/Acika)

MUHAMMARA IS A CLASSIC that is an indispensable meze or all-purpose spread in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey. It is a delicious tribute to homemade tomato and pepper pastes, which are ever present in the homes of these regions. Although its name sounds like it would be Arabic in origin, this is actually a very popular appetizer of the Circassian people, who refer to it as acika. (These people are known for using a lot of walnuts in their cuisine, as in the Circassian chicken on this page.) There is a similar recipe, on this page, also called acika, but it is made with tahini and peanuts instead of walnuts. However, peppers are a key ingredient, and it is certain that this dish evolved to include peppers, as in this walnut spread.

Serves 6 to 8 as meze; double the recipe if this is the only meze

4 slices stale white bread, moistened with cold water to soften, then squeezed dry
1½ cups (150 g) walnut halves
6 paprika peppers or mild red chiles, grilled and peeled
3 cloves garlic and a pinch of salt, pounded with a mortar and pestle
1 tablespoon hot pepper paste (this page)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (this page)
1½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
1/3 cup (75 g) virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (see this page)
Salt to taste Bread for serving

Put the stale bread and walnuts in a food processor and process until well mixed, but not pulverized. Remove and set aside. Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and process until blended. Combine the walnut mixture with the pepper mixture by pounding them together in a mortar and pestle, if you are a passionate cook, or simply mixing them together with a spoon. Serve with toasted slices of good crusty bread.

Fava Bean Puree

THIS SPREAD, made from dried fava beans, is an alltime favorite, especially for the meze table. It keeps well and is easy to make, provided you use dried fava beans from the current year's harvest. If the beans are old, they will not cook evenly and you will have trouble making a smooth puree. As fresh fava beans have a very short season and grow in abundance, especially in the Aegean region, folks dry them and use them to make this puree. It can be eaten hot (it will be soupy) or cold (it will become firmer as it cools). Squares of cold fava puree on a serving platter make a pretty presentation when garnished with dill and red onions.

Serves 8 to 10 as meze

1 pound (500 g) dried fava (broad) beans (see Note)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon salt
1/3 cup (75 ml) sunflower oil


FOR SERVING Fresh dill, minced
4 to 5 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into rings

Pour the beans into a colander and rinse in plenty of water. Put the beans in a pot with 8¾ cups (1.8 L) cold water. Let the beans soak for 3 to 4 hours, then add the chopped onions and cook over medium heat for 50 to 60 minutes, until the beans are broken down almost into a puree. Remove from the heat, add the sugar, salt, and sunflower oil, and mix well. Press the puree through a colander into a bowl, mashing any intact beans with the back of a spoon to get rid of any chunky pieces. When cooled, garnish with dill, drizzle with the olive oil (this enriches the taste and also helps create a creamy texture), and serve with the raw onion rings.

Note: When purchasing dried beans, it is important to choose beans from the current year's harvest, if possible, so that they will puree easily. To help ensure even cooking, you may add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the cooking water, but good-quality fava beans break down on their own.

Chickpea Balls with Tahini (Topik)

TURKISH AND ARMENIAN cooking are very similar, so much so that it is difficult to say what recipe belongs to which culture. However, topik is a uniquely Armenian dish that was recently introduced to Turkish restaurants by Armenian Christians living in Istanbul, where it's become quite popular. Although this dish, made of chickpeas and tahini with an onion filling, is not classified as an appetizer (I believe, considering the ingredients, it was made during the time of fasting), I've included it in the meze section because that's how it is served today.

I first prepared this recipe with the American author Anya von Bremzen, and it was a great success. We were on a boat, so we used whatever ingredients were available. Topik is traditionally prepared by wrapping it in cheesecloth, but we used foil. According to the original recipe, which was given to us on the boat via a telephone call to a girlfriend who's married to an Armenian, the onions should be boiled, not caramelized, but we liked the rich flavor that caramelized onions added, and I've included them in this recipe as well.

Serves 6 to 8 as meze

¾ cup (110 g) dried currants
4 cups (480 g) coarsely chopped white onions
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (60 g) pistachios or pine nuts, toasted in the oven
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups (400 g) chickpeas, soaked in water overnight, cooked until tender the next day and preferably skinned, cooking liquid reserved
2 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled (in just enough water to cover them, so that they will have substance), and mashed
3 tablespoons tahini Salt Sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
Pekmez, for serving (optional)

Put the currants in a bowl, add water to cover the currants by ½ inch (12 mm), soak for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them on a paper towel. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil until translucent, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes more. Add the toasted nuts, cinnamon, allspice, and currants to the onions, toss to combine, and remove from the heat.

In a blender, puree the chickpeas with some of their cooking liquid in two batches, adding small amounts of cooking liquid as necessary. (The mixture should be very thick; add just enough liquid to keep the processor going.) Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl, stir in the potatoes and tahini, and season with salt. (You should have a malleable but not too soft mixture; it will harden more in the refrigerator.)

Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with plastic wrap and pat half of the chickpea and potato mixture in the bottom. Arrange the onion mixture in a uniform layer over the chickpea and potato mixture. Place the remaining chickpea and potato mixture on top, and smooth with a spatula. (A small-cupped muffin tin would work here as well). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

Preheat the over to 350°F (175°C). Heat the topik until just warm. Cut into squares or rounds, sprinkle with sesame seeds, drizzle with pekmez, and serve.

(Continues…)


Excerpted from "Essential Turkish Cuisine"
by .
Copyright © 2015 Engin Akin.
Excerpted by permission of Abrams Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Foreword,
Introduction to Turkish Cuisine,
Spices and Ingredients,
PART ONE SMALL PLATES (MEZE),
Appetizers,
Dolma and Sarma,
Shish Kebabs and Kofta,
Salads and Condiments,
PART TWO MAIN DISHES & ACCOMPANIMENTS,
Soups,
Vegetable Dishes,
Rice and Bulgur Pilafs,
Meat and Poultry,
Fish and Seafood,
Egg Dishes,
PART THREE BREAD, PASTRIES & PASTA,
Bread and Savory Pastries,
Pasta and Dumplings,
PART FOUR SWEETS & BEVERAGES,
Desserts, Turkish Tea & Coffee,
Acknowledgments,
Sources,
Index of Searchable Terms,

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