Beyti Kebab

Beyti kebab is a Turkish dish consisting of ground beef or lamb, grilled on a skewer and served wrapped in lavash and topped with tomato sauce and yogurt.

Ingredients;

700 g ground lamb

2tsp ground coriander

2tsp ground cumin

2tsp ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste

Olive oil

1 onion

1 tomato

400ml tomato passata

Parsley to serve

Yogurt to serve

Very thin pita bread (lavash bread)

Method;

Mix ground lamb with the coriander, cumin, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Leave to sit in the fridge for about one hour.

Form meat into patties 3 cm x 15 cm. Preheat barbeque or grill, coat with some olive oil. Cook meat on a medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes. The meat is ready when it is springy. Turn the meat often.

For the tomato sauce;

Cook the onion in olive oil. Add a sliced tomato, a can of tomato sauce and some pepper to taste.

Wrap the meat patties two times round in thin pita bread. Cut the wraps into bite size pieces and arrange in a circle on a plate. Lightly drizzle the wrapped meat with the tomato sauce.

Add yogurt, parsley, and a side dish (rice, couscous, bulgur) in the center of the circle.

This kebab is quite tasty and filling. One of the highlights of this kebab is the set up of the plate, which provides an excellent balance of meat, side dish, garnish, and yogurt.

Lamb Kofte with flatbread

Roll the flatbread as thinly as possible to get light, airy bread. This is a delightful accompaniment to barbecued meat.

Ingredients;

1kg minced lamb
100g fine fresh white breadcrumbs
2tblsp finely chopped mint
1tblsp finely grated lemon rind
2tsp fennel seeds, dry-roasted, finely ground
1tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted, finely ground
extra-virgin olive oil and lemon wedges
200g Kasseri or feta cheese
1½ cups each flat-leaf parsley and mint
Flatbread
10g dried yeast
265g bread flour

Method;

For flatbread; Combine yeast, 80ml warm water and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl, stir until yeast dissolves. Add 60ml warm water and stir to combine, then add flour and stir until a soft dough forms (adding a little more water if necessary). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover with plastic wrap and leave in a draught-free place until doubled in size (1½ -2 hours). Knock down dough and gently knead, then divide into six equal portions. Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm round. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add bread, one at a time and cook, turning once until golden and puffed (1-2 minutes) and set aside.

Combine lamb, breadcrumbs, mint, lemon rind and spices in a large bowl. Season to taste, mix until well combined. Roll into 18 golf-ball-sized pieces. Skewer three balls on each of six long metal skewers.

Meanwhile, heat a char-grill pan or barbecue to medium-high heat. Add skewers and grill, turning occasionally, until just cooked (5-6 minutes).

Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze lemon wedges over the top, and serve with flatbread, feta and herbs.

Mixed Mezze Turkish style

A fantastic mixed started plate of Turkish delight's!!!!

Fried mussels with tarator sauce, Stuffed grapeleaves and crispy fried, stuffed aubergine.

Fried Mussels with tarator sauce
Midye Tavasi

Tarator is a general name given to nut sauces thickened with breadcrumbs, usually flavoured with garlic and thinned with lemon juice or vinegar. These style of sauces are popular in Syria and Lebanon as well as Turkey, and while walnut sauces are the most common, almonds, hazelnuts, pinenuts or pistachios can also be used. In general , walnut and hazelnut sauces are thinned with vinegar, while almond and pinenut sauces are thinned with lemon juice.

Teradot is a tarator made with tahini used instead of the breadcrumbs. Tarator is best made a few hours ahead of serving to allow the flavours to blend and develope, it thickens upon sitting.

Tarator is also delicious served on cooked vegetables and fried fish.

Ingredients;

For the Tarator sauce;

125g walnuts, toasted and finely ground

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

60g fresh breadcrumbs

125ml olive oil

60ml red wine vinegar

salt to taste

For the mussels;

40 mussels, srcubbed and debeareded

150ml white wine

300g plain flour

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs, beaten

375ml water

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method;

For the Tarator;

Combine all of the ingredients together into the bowl of a blender fitted with a metal blade, process until smooth. The sauce should be the consistancy of thick mayonnaise, if to thick thin with a little water. Season to taste with salt. Cover and set aside to allow flavours to develope.

For the Mussels;

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30mins, then drain.

Discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped, as they are dead.

Place a pan over high heat. When hot add the mussels and the wine, cover with a thight fitting lid and cook for 2-3mins, or until all mussels have steamed open. Remove all of the mussels from their shells and thread about 3-4 mussels on each skewer.

Spread the flour on a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper, place the beaten eggs into another dish and mix with the water.

In a deep pan add the oil and heat to 190c. When the oil is ready, dip each skewer into the seasoned flour and then into the egg mix and then back again into the flour. Working carefully in batches, slip the skewers into the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3mins. Remove from the oil and serve with Tarator sauce on the side.

Stuffed Grapeleaves
Dolmas

The Turkish word for dolma means "to stuff," and dolmas or stuffed grapeleaves, come with two types of fillings; rice or meat and rice. The meatless dolmas are called yalanci of "liar" dolmas because they look like meat filled grapeleaves. Rice filled grapeleaves are served cold as a first course or as part of a mezze assortment. They can be accompanied with lemon wedges or yogurt. Than same mixture can be used to stuff almost vegetable or even mussels.

Ingredients;

220g long grain rice

3tblsp olive oil

2 onions finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1/2tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp allspice

125g peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes

75g pinenuts toasted

90g dried currants

2tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley

2tblsp chopped mint

salt and freshly ground pepper

36 bottled grapeleaves, rinsed of brine, well drained and steamed

250ml olive oil

2-3tblsp lemon juice

Method;

In a bowl combine the rice and water to cover. Let stand for 30mins. Drain.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and saute, stirring occcasionally, until tender and transucent, about 10mins. Add the garlic, cinnamon and allspice and cook for a further 3min, transfer to a bowl.
Add the drained rice, tomatoes, pinenuts, currants, parsley, mint, salt to taste and a good amount of pepper. Mix well.

To assemble;

Place the grapeleaves on a work surface, smooth side down. Place a teaspoon of the filling near the stem at the end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling and roll up the leaf into a cylinder. Do not roll to tightly as the rice will expand when it cooks.
Arrange the dolmas, stem side down in a wide saute pan. Pour the olive oil and the lemon juice over the dolmas and add enough hot water to cover. Weight down with a plate making sure all of the dolmas are submerged in the liquid. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook for 45-50mins or until the filling is cooked through.
Uncover the pan immediately so the dolmas cool very quickly and transfer to a plate as soon as possible. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving.
Bring to room temperature before serving.

Deep fried, stuffed aubergine
Patlican Boregi

I love the different sizes and shape of aubergine that you will find all over the Mediterranean. They are such a versitle vegetable. They can be found in saucea, relishes, as a starter oe on a kebab.
In this recipe you will find these little filled sanwiches either served as an appetizer, as part of a mezze plate or they can also be offered as a vegetable accompaniment to a main course.

Ingredients;

3 small aubergines, about 250g in total weight, peeld and sliced into12mm thick
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
270g Kasseri or Feta cheese, crumbled
3 eggs
2tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1tblsp chopped dill
150g plain flour
200g fine dried breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method;

Preheat the oven to 200c.
Place the aubergine slices on an oiled baking sheet and brush with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15mins or until almost cooked through.

In a bowl combine the cheese, 1 egg, parsley and dill. Place a heaped spoonful of filling on half of the cooked aubergine slices. Top with a second slice around the same size, then press together. Place the flour and the breadcrumbs into seperate trays. Break the remaining two eggs into another bowl and beat lightly. Dip each of the aubergine sandwiches first into the flour then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, coat evenly. These can now be stored in the fridge ready to deep fry. Bring the aubergine to room temperature before fying.

Heat the oil to 190c. When the oil is ready slip the aubergines sandwiches carefully into the oil a few at a time. Cook for 2mins on one side only. Using a slotted spoon remove them from the oil and allow to stand for 1 min to melt the cheese, then return then to the oil top side down to fry until golden on the other side, 2mins longer. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve all 3 of these dishes with the Tarartor sauce for an authentic Turkish mezze plate.

Baklava

The most famous of Middle Eastern pastries. The word Baklava is Turkish for 'lozenge.' The dessert, however is found in Greek, Turkish and Arab sweet shops and the variations on the theme are countless. Not only can it be filled with fruit and nuts, but also with a semolina thickened cream, fruit or even chocolate! The most common Baklava is made from walnuts and almonds. Some syrups are made with clove and cinnamon, others include lemon juice or my personal favourite, flower waters.

The traditional Baklava is said that it must have 40 layers of pastry, to represent the 40 days of lent. But who's counting?

Ingredients;

For the syrup;

300g caster sugar

100ml water

1tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 strip of lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

1tblsp orange flower water

For the Baklava;

100g walnuts, coarsely ground

100g almonds, coarsely ground

50g pistachio nuts, coarsely ground

3tblsp caster sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

250g unsalted butter, melted and clarified

32 sheets of filo pastry

Method;

Pre heat the oven to 180c

For the syrup;

In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon strip, cinnamon and cloves. bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 10mins. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the orange flower water and set aside to cool and allow the flavours to mellow.

For the Baklava;

In a bowl mix together the ground nuts, sugar and ground cinnamon. Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 30 x 38 x 7.5cm dish. One by one start brushing each sheet of filo with the melted butter. Lay 8 sheets of filo into the bottom of the prepaired dish. Top with a third of the nut mixture. Layer 8 more filo sheets on top, buttering each sheet as you go, then half of the remaining nut mixture followed by 8 more buttered sheets, the last of the nut mix and end with 8 buttered filo sheets on top. Butter the top layer very generously. Cover the dish and refrigerate for about 30mins. This allows the butter to set and makes it easier to cut the pastry before baking.

When ready to bake remove the Baklava from the fridge and using a sharp knife, cut the Baklava into 25 diamond shapes.

Bake for 30mins in the preheated oven, then reduce the heat to 150c and bake until the top is golden, 15-20mins.

Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot Baklava. Let cool completely.

To serve recut the pastry with a sharp knife and serve with tea or coffee.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Borek

Borek are baked or fried filled pastries made of thin flaky dough. It can be filled with cheese, often feta, or kasar; minced meat, or vegetables. Most probably invented in what is now Modern Turkey, in the Anatolian Provence of the Ottoman Empire, in its early era, to become a popular element of Ottoman cuisine

A borek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. The top of the borek is often sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Borek is also very popular in the cuisine of the former Ottoman Empire, especially in North Africa and throughout the Balkans.

Ingredients;

7 sheets Filo Pastry
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
120ml milk
2 eggs
1 pinch salt  
For this recipe, choose one of the following fillings:
Spinach Filling:-

500g fresh chopped spinach

100g crumbled feta
1 onion, chopped
1tblsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Beef Filling:-

Salt
Black pepper
1tsp ground cumin

Pinch chilli powder

250g minced beef
1 onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small chilli pepper finely chopped

For Spinach Filling:-

Place a large pan over high heat; add a splash of olive oil and cook the spinach for 1-2mins or until completely wilted. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Squeeze the cooked spinach with your hands to get rid of excess water.
Put the salt, pepper, olive oil and onion in a pan. Cook on medium heat for two minutes. Add the spinach and continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes. Put aside and add the feta cheese, mix well.

For Beef Filling:-

Put the salt, black pepper, ground cumin, chilli powder, minced beef and onion in a pan. Cook on medium heat until the beef is done. Add the tomatoes and the chilli. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Put aside.

To Complete the Borek:-

In a bowl, mix the eggs, olive oil and milk with a whisk. This liquid mix will go between every two layers of the pastry, and will complement your choice of filling. The spinach or beef filling will go in the middle only.

Grease the casserole dish. Place two sheets of the pastry in the bottom and over the sides of the dish. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the liquid mix on top. Take another two sheets of pastry, fold in half, and stack in the dish. Then, spread all of your main filling onto the stack. Resume layering the pastry and the liquid mix until the pastry is finished. Then, fold the sides of the bottom layer over. Make sure you pour the remaining mix on top to prevent burning in the oven.

Leave the casserole dish in the fridge for 2-3 hours, this way it will be more crispy and tasty. Pre-heat the oven to 175c. Bake until golden brown.