Originating from Türkiye’s Aegean region, çöp şis is a kebab variety which, in modern Turkish, could be translated as trash shish or garbage shish. Despite the indecent connotations, this delicious dish is made with roasted lamb scraps and fat, the leftovers from trimming the meat for the classic shish kebab. The meat is traditionally flavored …
Category: Recipes
Lokma
This internationally known, decadent, and sugar-packed dessert is usually made with a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, which is deep-fried and then bathed in syrup or honey. The origin of lokma fritters is ancient but often debated. It is presumed that they first appeared in Greece or Turkey, though some suggest Arabic origin. …
Çiğ köfte
Çiğ köfte is the Turkish version of steak tartare, traditionally made with high-quality ground raw beef (or lamb) that is combined with tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, and a selection of Turkish spices. The dish is consumed as a meze, and it is typically served almost cold. Nowadays, due to food safety regulations and health concerns, …
Sigara böreği
The cylindrical sigara böreği is a famous Turkish deep-fried pastry. These small, crispy rolls of thin dough are stuffed with a creamy mixture of cheese and parsley. They are traditionally made with sheets of thin yufka dough, a common ingredient in many boregi varieties, or with a thicker phyllo dough. Mixed with fresh parsley and …
Pea & bacon pasties
Ingredients 200g pack smoked bacon lardon cut into small pieces 225g frozen pea 140g mascarpone 25g parmesan grated, plus a little extra for the tops 2 medium eggs small handful mint leaves chopped 375g pack puff pastry plain flour for rolling Method step 1 Put the lardons in a large frying pan, cook until crisp, …
Seared tuna & anchovy runner beans
Ingredients 3 tbsp snipped chives 12 basil leaves 2 tbsp chopped mint plus a few small leaves, for serving zest and juice 1 small lemon 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp small capers 6 anchovies (smoked or unsmoked), chopped 300g runner beans sliced diagonally 2 tuna steaks small handful …
Chicken & avocado salad with blueberry balsamic dressing
Ingredients 1 garlic clove 85g blueberries 1 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 125g fresh or frozen baby broad beans 1 large cooked beetroot finely chopped 1 avocado stoned, peeled and sliced 85g bag mixed baby leaf salad 175g cooked chicken Method step 1 Finely chop the garlic. Mash half the blueberries …
Continue reading “Chicken & avocado salad with blueberry balsamic dressing”
Salmorejo – Rustic tomato soup with olive oil & bread
Ingredients 1 tsp cumin seeds 200g sourdough bread crusts removed, torn into chunks 1kg very ripe tomatoes 2 fat garlic cloves 2 flame-roasted red peppers peeled and deseeded (from a jar is fine) 1 tbsp sherry vinegar To serve 2 hard-boiled eggs peeled 4 slices serrano ham small handful parsley drizzle of extra virgin olive …
Continue reading “Salmorejo – Rustic tomato soup with olive oil & bread”
Homemade ginger beer
Ingredients 200g ginger thickly sliced 2 large lemons peeled and juiced 75g golden caster sugar 100g light brown muscovado sugar ice 1 litre soda or sparkling water mint sprigs, to serve Method step 1 Put the ginger in a saucepan set over a low heat with the lemon peel, sugars and 500ml water and stir …
Sangria cake
Ingredients 100g pears peeled and chopped 100g peaches or nectarines, stoned and chopped 100g strawberries hulled and chopped 100g cherries stoned and chopped 280g golden caster sugar 225g butter softened 1 orange zest only 150ml red wine 225g self-raising flour 100g pack ground almonds 1 tsp baking powder 3 medium eggs 50ml orange liqueur (we …
Peach iced tea
Ingredients 200g granulated sugar 5 ripe peaches 4 stoned and chopped, 1 sliced to serve 4 teabags Method step 1 Tip the sugar into a pan with 250ml water. Bring to the boil slowly, ensuring the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the chopped peaches and cook until very soft. Remove from the heat, mash the …
Watermelon vodka jelly shots
Ingredients 2kg watermelon halved lengthways 50g caster sugar 20 gelatine sheets, soaked in cold water 300ml vodka Method step 1 First, use a serrated knife to cut around the flesh of your watermelon halves. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to remove all the flesh, including the pips, into a large bowl. Transfer …
Stewed plums
Ingredients 500g plums washed 200g golden caster sugar cinnamon stick vanilla pod split and seeds scraped from middle Method step 1 To prepare the plums: wash and cut them into quarters, then remove the stones. step 2 Tip the sugar into a pan with 225ml water, the cinnamon and vanilla. Gently heat until the sugar …
Barbecued surf & turf
Ingredients 1 T-bone steak (about 750g) 2 tsp olive oil 1 lobster cut lengthways, large claws twisted off and cracked For the seaweed butter 100g unsalted butter 20g fresh seaweed (or 2 tsp kombu flakes or blitzed nori) 5g flaky sea salt Method step 1 Heat your barbecue to high. Rub the steak with the …
Dairy ice cream
Ingredients 4 free-range eggs separated 100g caster sugar 300ml double cream chocolate fruit, vanilla or coffee extract (optional) cones nuts, flakes, sauces, to serve Method step 1 Using an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. With the beaters still running, slowly whisk in the sugar. Continue whisking until …
Fruity white wine punch
Ingredients 400ml lemonade handful blueberries ice cubes bottle white wine such as Chardonnay sprigs of mint Method step 1 Pour the lemonade into a thermos along with a handful blueberries and plenty of ice cubes. step 2 At the picnic, stir together in a jug with a bottle of fruity white wine, such as chardonnay, …
Karnıyarık
Karnıyarık is a classic Turkish dish consisting of eggplants that are stuffed with a combination of ground meat (usually beef), tomatoes, and onions. The filling is typically seasoned only with salt and pepper, but garlic and parsley can also be added for extra flavor. The stuffed eggplants are then baked in the oven, and the …
Tombik Döner
Tombik döner or gobit kebab is a variety of döner kebab where the shredded meat is stuffed in a bun-shaped flatbread known as pide ekmek. The bread has a crispy exterior and a soft interior. This dish is typically served with additional ingredients, depending on the customer’s choice, such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, or other assorted vegetables and sauces.
Şekerpare
One of Türkiye’s most popular sweets after baklava, these semolina cookies are baked until golden-brown, then doused in a thick, lemon-infused syrup, which makes them particularly moist and tender. Şekerpare (lit. piece of sugar) is a classic dessert made in every Turkish household, sold in every bakery and pastry shop, and appearing on nearly every …
Yuvarlama çorbası
Arguably the most laborious Turkish soup and one of Gaziantep’s favorites, yuvarlama çorbası is made with spiced meatballs, chickpeas, yogurt broth, olive oil, and other optional ingredients. The soup is traditionally prepared for the three-day celebration of the fast-breaking Ramazan Bayramı, and it is served in virtually every Anatolian home. The preparation of this …
Fırın sütlaç
This Turkish oven-baked rice pudding is made with water, milk, sugar, rice, and rice flour. It is a simple, light dessert that is said to have origins in the Ottoman cuisine. Although it has been traditionally flavored with rose water, the modern versions often incorporate vanilla as a flavoring. After cooking, fırın sütlaç is browned …
Pita bread
Pita bread is a type of flatbread believed to have originated in the Middle East around 2500 BCE, making it one of the oldest types of bread in the world. Archaeologists have found evidence of flatbreads made by ancient civilizations across the Middle East and Mediterranean, including the Egyptians and Sumerians. The term “pita” …
Shish kebab
Shish is the most famous kebab variety consisting of pieces of meat on a skewer that is grilled over a fire. The dish originated with the nomadic tribes who used to marinate the meat in order to tenderize it and to get rid of the gamey flavors. The marinades include any combination of lemon …
Lemon ice & minty strawberries
Ingredients 2 unwaxed lemons each chopped into eight 140g golden caster sugar 400g strawberries small handful of mint leaves Method step 1 To make the lemon ice, tip the lemons into a blender with the sugar and 500ml/18fl oz of water. Blitz everything for a minute or two until the lemon is chopped to a …
Smoked mackerel & fennel salad bowls
Ingredients 6 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and flaked 4 tbsp goat’s curd or cream cheese small handful hazelnuts toasted For the salad 2 heads fennel finely sliced 2 banana shallots peeled and sliced 2 medium-sized golden beetroot peeled and coarsely grated 1 radicchio shredded 6 breakfast radishes finely sliced 1 lemon juiced 2 tsp chopped …