Salata & Meze
Haydari
A meze ready in 15 minutes with strained yoghurt, garlic and mint. No hob involved, and the only real job is…
Hamur İşleri
Puff Pastry Meat Parcels (Talaş Böreği)
Diced lamb inside puff pastry. Keeping the pastry cold is what makes the layers open.
Tatlılar
Baklava
Forty layers of pastry, ground pistachio and boiling butter. The temperature of the syrup decides how crisp…
Tatlılar
Tulumba
The dough goes into cold oil and heats with it. That is why it comes out hollow and crisp.
Salata & Meze
Green Salad (Mevsim Salata)
The leaves must not stay wet. Undried lettuce will not hold the dressing and the salad goes watery.
Çorbalar
Potato Soup (Patates Çorbası)
The soup you make from whatever is in the fridge. Nothing but potato, onion and milk, but get the consistency…
Ana Yemekler
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Etli Lahana Sarması)
Blanching the leaves until soft is half the job. The knife stroke that thins the thick ribs is the other half.
Hamur İşleri
Rolled Pastry Tray (Kiremit Böreği)
Rolls of pastry laid side by side in the tray like roof tiles. Sauce is poured over and it is baked.
Tatlılar
Burma Kadayıf
Kadayıf is rolled around walnuts and gathered on a rolling pin into ruffles. The ruffles are what hold the…
Salata & Meze
Gavurdağı Salad
The southeastern version of a shepherd’s salad: walnuts, pomegranate molasses and a very fine dice.
Çorbalar
Cauliflower Soup (Karnabahar Çorbası)
The way to cut the smell cauliflower is known for is a piece of lemon and a short cooking time. Finished with…
Ana Yemekler
Leeks with Lamb (Etli Pırasa)
People dislike leeks mostly because of how they are cooked. Cooked slowly and long, leeks turn sweet.
Hamur İşleri
Tray Börek with Mince (Kıymalı Tepsi Böreği)
Built and in the oven in half an hour with ready-made pastry. The amount of sauce is what keeps it from…
Tatlılar
Künefe
The cheese must be unsalted so it melts and stretches. Cooked in a copper tray on the hob, browned on both…
Salata & Meze
Shepherd’s Salad (Çoban Salatası)
The size of the dice decides everything. Cut large, a shepherd’s salad does not go watery and the pieces stay…
Çorbalar
Spinach Soup (Ispanak Çorbası)
Spinach cooks quickly and darkens if cooked long. A light winter soup, bound with potato and served with…
Ana Yemekler
Courgette with Lamb (Etli Kabak Yemeği)
Courgette cooks very quickly, so it goes in last. It provides its own liquid and needs little added water.
Çorbalar
Ezogelin Soup (Ezogelin Çorbası)
The classic Anatolian soup of red lentils, bulgur and rice cooked together. Mint butter poured over the top…
Hamur İşleri
Potato Börek (Patatesli Börek)
The cheapest and best loved filling. Crushing the potato roughly rather than mashing it keeps the texture.
Tatlılar
Kalburabastı
The dough is pressed against a sieve to take its pattern. That pattern is where the syrup clings.
Salata & Meze
Kısır
Soaking the bulgur in warm rather than boiling water is what keeps the grains separate.
Çorbalar
Green Lentil Soup (Yeşil Mercimek Çorbası)
Unlike red lentils these do not collapse, they stay whole. A winter soup cooked with vegetables that fills…
Kahvaltılık
Çılbır
Poached eggs on garlic yoghurt. Vinegar in the water stops the egg spreading.
Ana Yemekler
Stuffed Courgettes (Kabak Dolması)
You need to leave some thickness when you hollow the courgette out. A thin wall splits as it cooks.