Chestnut and Tangerine Bulgur Pilaf
Aegean Juicy Tomato Pilaf with Shrimp
Bulgur Pilaf with Wild Fennel and Sardines
Bulgur with Black-eyed Peas and Purple Basil
The pilaf, made from rice, butter, and stock, is a simple dish that’s seductively light and velvety. For Turks, it is a dish that can be appreciated on its own, without embellishment, provided it is accompanied by a glass of ayran (a cold yogurt beverage), cacik (a cold yogurt and cucumber “soup”), hoşaf (a fruit compote), or any kind of salad on the side. In Ottoman times, a huge dish of rice would be served at the end of a banquet, most likely to make sure everyone left the banquet with a full stomach. Mrs. Ramsey, an English lady who traveled to Anatolia with her archeologist husband, wrote that when the pilaf came at the end of the banquet, she had already counted some twenty dishes that had been served, one after the other. But the most celebrated dish was the white pilaf, or pilaf with chickpeas (this page) and meat cooked tandir style. Nowadays, pilafs are also served with a meat and vegetable dish (or yahnis; see this page) or alongside grilled meat like chops or shish kebabs (see this page).
Traditionally, pilafs are made with baldo, a polished, starchy, medium-grain rice, but Arborio rice may be substituted. Likewise bulgur has been used to make tasty and nutritious pilafs since ancient times (see sidebar, this page). Cooking in chicken or beef broth makes pilafs more flavorful, and authentic Turkish pilafs are always topped with hot butter. To make perfect pilaf, choose from one of two methods:
The soaking method: Let the uncooked rice (medium-grain baldo or Arborio) soak in hot salty water until the water is cool. (Do not cover during soaking.) Soaking removes the starch so that the grains won’t stick together. Drain and rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add the rice to premeasured stock boiling in a pan (this action is known as salma). Generally speaking, the ratio is 1 measure of rice to about 1¼ measures of water, but Turkish mothers tell their daughters that the water should cover the rice by a finger-width, and this always proves right. If using Arborio rice, you may need to add a little extra water because the grains are fatter than baldo grains. If you do not use meat or chicken broth, rice generally takes a little longer to cook; add another ⅓ cup (75 ml) water.
Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes, until you see “eyes” on the surface of the rice and all of the liquid is absorbed. Then, lower the heat to the lowest possible level and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the grains are soft and the water is completely absorbed. If you discover along the way that the ratio of water to rice is inaccurate, adjusting the heat during cooking will correct the problem: Turn the heat up a little if you have too much water, or turn it down for too little. Then dress the pilaf with browned butter (some Turks add a portion of the butter during cooking and add the rest of the butter at the end of cooking, which should last 15 to 20 minutes). Once all the butter is added, fluff the rice gently with a spoon.
Letting the pilaf sit awhile with the lid on before serving makes the grains separate from each other; rice that is a little moist, on the other hand, is also delicious and a couple of Ottoman recipes recommend cooking it this way. This does not mean overcooking, just that the rice has more moisture. Overcooked pilaf is mushy and can be improved by letting the steaming rice sit covered with a clean absorbent cloth. The taste, however, will never be the same as rice cooked with the proper ratio of water. Sometimes Turks deliberately produce a mushy pilaf called lapa, believing it to aid digestion.
Pilaf made using this method is light and has a heavenly aroma, and the grains do not stick together. Adding browned butter to the cooked rice makes it even more delicious. I like to use fragrant butter, preferably made from sheep’s milk, for this step.
The sautéing method: Restaurants and newer cooks generally skip soaking the rice in hot water. Instead, to prevent a mushy pilaf, they sauté washed rice in butter, an action known as kavurma, then add hot water or broth for cooking. This method is popular today, but presoaking the rice results in a far lighter pilaf.
Chestnut and Tangerine Bulgur Pilaf
WHEN THE New York Times food writer Melissa Clark arrived at my home in Istanbul, the bulgur pilaf I’d invited her to taste was still not cooked. I did that on purpose, as I wanted her to see the cooking firsthand. Melissa’s introduction to bulgur pilaf was important to me; I believe we have to promote bulgur, which is relatively unknown outside of Anatolia, so that it can take its place in world cuisines. She asked how I knew when the bulgur was done, and I told her to look for the eyes that appear on the surface. “It’s ready when it stares back at you,” I said.
When she tasted the dish, which paired bulgur with pumpkin, she forgot almost entirely about everything else I had prepared. She loved the recipe but wanted to add her own creativity to the dish, so we went into the kitchen. I mentioned a recipe for chestnut bulgur pilaf that dates from the Ottoman period. The recipe below is what we came up with that day: a very unique bulgur pilaf that shows just how amenable this food is to different approaches.
15 to 20 fresh chestnuts, or whole canned chestnuts
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
3½ cups (840 ml) chicken stock
½ cup (85 g) seedless raisins (Smyrna, if available)
3 teaspoons grated tangerine or orange zest
1 teaspoon mild red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced purple basil (if fresh is not available use dried leaves, crushed between the palms of your hands)
Pinch of ground cinnamon or cassia (see this page)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
If using fresh chestnuts, score the skins, soak the chestnuts in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then peel off the shells and papery skins while they’re still quite hot. (Roasting them makes them easy to peel.)
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pot, then add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the bulgur, season with salt to taste, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the stock, chestnuts, and raisins. Cook until the bulgur absorbs all the liquid and its surface has small indentations (or “eyes”), 15 to 20 minutes. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a pan until aromatic, then add the tangerine or orange zest and red pepper flakes; sauté for about 30 seconds. Pour the seasoned butter mixture over the bulgur, sprinkle with the allspice, and stir well with a spoon so the bulgur fluffs up. Spoon into a serving dish, garnish with the basil and the cinnamon or cassia, and serve immediately.
IN THE WINTER, Turks vary plain pilaf by adding spices, raisins, almonds, pine nuts, and the like, while summer is the time for tomato pilaf. The sour taste of lemon reminds me of spring, so that’s why I came up with this lemony rice dish. When I heard that the cooks of Crete add lemon juice to their rice, I decided to dress mine with lemon juice along with the rind. This pilaf tastes best when served immediately.
2 cups (400 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
About 2 cups (480 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 55 g) unsalted butter, cut into pea-size pieces
1 tablespoon whole black or green peppercorns, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle
Drain and rinse the rice. Combine the rice, salt to taste, and broth in a pot, making sure the stock covers the rice by no more than one finger-width. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. When enough broth has been absorbed so that small holes appear in the rice’s surface, add the butter and lemon zest. Let the butter melt, then add the lemon juice, stir, and serve with a sprinkle of peppercorns.
THIS IS a much-adored pilaf because of the extra dimension added by the orzo. It is served in most esnaf lokantası (modest eateries serving home-style lunches to tradesmen and other working people). Toasting the orzo before adding it to the rice gives the dish a more exciting appearance and a fuller flavor. It is a nice accompaniment to any grilled or stewed meat or poultry dish.
2 cups (400 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
About 2 cups (480 ml) beef or chicken stock
3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 55 g) unsalted butter, cut into pea-size pieces
Lightly toast the orzo in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden. Drain and rinse the rice. Put the rice, salt to taste, and broth in a pot, making sure the stock covers the rice by no more than one finger-width. Add the orzo, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. When the rice is cooked, add the butter and let it melt into the rice. Let the pilaf sit for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a serving dish.
THIS IS yet another classic Turkish pilaf. No wedding banquet since Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror—no banquet, for that matter—was complete without this pilaf. Times are changing this custom, but street vendors still display this pilaf in big glass cases, and the chickpeas and flaky rice grains are an irresistible sight for the hungry. A delicious buttery aroma wafts from the pilaf, which is bursting with the flavor of homemade chicken stock. This dish is traditionally a meal in itself, especially if accompanied by a glass of lemonade, a salad, or a bowl of yogurt, or if followed by a bowl of compote. A sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper draws out the flavor. You can replace the chickpeas with black-eyed peas if you wish, and serve the pilaf with an egg for each guest; pilaf served with eggs on top is traditional.
2 cups (400 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
1 cup (200 g) cooked chickpeas
About 2⅓ cups (555 g) hot chicken or beef broth
4 to 5 tablespoons (55 to 70 g) unsalted butter
Drain and rinse the rice. Put the rice and chickpeas in a saucepan, season with salt to taste, and add the broth, making sure that the broth covers the rice by no more than one finger-width. Cook for 5 minutes over high heat, then 5 minutes over medium heat. When tiny indentations appear on the rice’s surface, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
While the rice cooks, heat the butter until melted and aromatic (see Note). Pour it gently over the cooked rice. Stir the rice well with a spoon to fluff.
Meanwhile, poach the eggs in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes (see Notes). The yolks should be soft; they act as a sauce for the pilaf.
Spoon the chickpea pilaf onto a serving platter. Make eight indentations in the pilaf’s surface with the back of a serving spoon and spoon an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle with pepper and cinnamon, if you like, and serve.
Note: Traditionally, butter is always heated until aromatic (but not browned) and then poured over the pilaf. If you wish, however, you can simply add dabs of butter to the rice and let them melt in, then stir and spread the butter evenly throughout the pilaf during fluffing.
THE UZBEKS are the largest Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia today. Ethnically, they are descendants of the Oğuz Turks, but have roots in the region that extend back to the ninth century. Uz- is a reference to Oğuz, and bek is the Turkish word for “beg,” which eventually became bey, a courtesy word we use today at the end of a person’s first name as people in the United States might use “Mister.” Nowadays, this pilaf is cooked in many homes throughout Turkey. Because it is a wholesome, tasty dish and looks so festive, we cook it as a special dish for guests.
4 medium onions, sliced into thin rings
2 pounds (910 g) beef or lamb, cut into cubes, with or without bone
4½ cups (1 L) hot water, or more as needed
3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 cups (600 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
In a large pot, sauté the onions in the oil and butter until translucent. Add the meat and sauté until nicely browned, then add 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot water and cook until the meat is tender. Add the carrots and sauté briefly, then drain the rice and add it to the pot; gently add the remaining 3½ cups (840 ml) hot water, pouring slowly down the edge of the pot so as not to disturb the rice mixture. (The water should cover the rice by one finger-width; if necessary, add more hot water.) Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is almost tender, but not done. Uncover, bury the garlic in the rice, sprinkle with the cumin, re-cover, and steep for another 15 minutes over the lowest possible heat.
Remove the garlic and carefully invert the pilaf onto a serving platter. Place the garlic on a corner of the platter and serve.
THIS DISH is a synthesis of Ottoman pilaf recipes that I found in historical cookbook manuscripts. One of my food-themed performances in cooperation with an art gallery, for an exhibition called “Neighbors,” featured nearly thirty kinds of pilaf from around the world. This one scored the best.
2 pounds (910 g) bone-in lamb, washed and cut into walnut-size pieces
1 (4- to 5-inch/10- to 12-cm) cassia stick (see this page; optional)
1 cup (240 ml) hot water to cook meat, if necessary
3 cups (600 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
3¾ cups (900 ml) stock (preferably chicken)
5 to 6 tablespoons (70 to 85 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (150 g) blanched almonds
½ cup (60 g) shelled unsalted pistachios
1 green lentil–size piece mastic (see this page) and 2 teaspoons sugar, crushed with a mortar and pestle
¼ to ½ teaspoon whole black pepper-corns, crushed with a mortar and pestle (or ground in a mill)
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cassia (see this page)
In a tightly covered pot over high heat, cook the meat, onions, and cassia stick, if using, in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, until steam forms inside the pot. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer until the meat is cooked by the steam, about 35 minutes. (If necessary, add the hot water and cook some more.) Drain and rinse the rice and add to the pot along with the allspice, currants, raisins, stock, and salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes over high heat, then 5 minutes over medium, then 5 minutes over low. Remove and discard the cassia stick, if using.
To finish the dish, melt the butter in a skillet, lightly sauté the almonds and pistachios, and pour over the cooked rice. Sprinkle the rice with the mastic mixture and peppercorns, gently fluff it, and carefully invert the pilaf onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or cassia and serve.
“LIONS SLEEP WRAPPED IN CLOTHES” is a Turkish proverb meaning “judge a person by his essence, not by his clothes.” Although it may have different names in other parts of Turkey, this pilaf from the province of Siirt in southeastern Turkey is served to couples on their wedding night, when they traditionally eat alone. Curtain (Perde) Pilaf has a special draping or covering, symbolizing that the private things shared by the couple should remain concealed from others. The ingredients also have symbolic meaning: rice symbolizes fertility, almonds a boy, pistachios a girl, raisins a sweet life, and black pepper the tragedies the couple must share. No other spices are added, and in days of old it was made with meat from a partridge, the symbol of peace and happiness. I have included a recipe for the dough covering for those who prefer to make this dish traditionally, but pre-made yufka or phyllo dough can also be used.
1 cup (150 g) blanched almonds or shelled pistachios
1 cup (2 sticks/225 g) unsalted butter
3 cups (600 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
⅓ cup (50 g) dried currants or seedless raisins
1 small chicken, cooked, deboned, and cut into bite-size pieces
FOR A TRADITIONAL DOUGH COVERING
⅓ cup (75 ml) plain Greek yogurt
1½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
FOR A LESS-TRADITIONAL COVERING
2 sheets yufka (or 4 sheets phyllo)
Sauté the onions, pine nuts, and almonds in the butter in a pot over medium heat. When the onions are translucent, add the salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute, then add the stock. When the stock begins to boil, add the rice. Cover tightly and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, then 5 minutes over medium heat, then 5 minutes over low heat. Remove from the heat, add the currants or raisins, and let cool for 1 to 2 hours.
To make a traditional dough covering, knead together the egg, oil, yogurt, and flour until smooth and uniform, cover, and let sit for 25 to 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into a large, thin circle. (The circle must fit a well-greased pan with enough extra that the ends of the dough can be folded up to completely cover the pilaf that will fill the pan. The traditional pan resembles a Turkish fez, but use whatever you have available!)
If you choose to use yufka or phyllo for the covering instead, completely line a well-greased pan with the pastry, allowing enough extra to cover the top of the pilaf once it’s added to the pan. Phyllo is very thin, so use a double layer of sheets.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix the chicken with the cooled rice mixture and then pack the chicken and rice pilaf into the dough-lined pan. Fold the sides of the dough over the pilaf, ensuring that the pilaf is completely covered by the dough; thin out the ends where the dough meets so it doesn’t get too thick (or, if using yufka, wet the ends with water to seal). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Serve hot.
It is also nice to make a dough or yufka casing for each individual serving. If using yufka, bring the ends of a square piece of yufka together and tie it with a string cut from yufka. If using dough, place a square of dough inside a ramekin that’s larger than a muffin cup, sealing the dough at the bottom. It does not matter if the seal is pretty, because this is the side that will be on the serving plate.
Aegean Juicy Tomato Pilaf with Shrimp
IN SUMMER, this pilaf (without the shrimp) is very popular in the Aegean region, where gardens are literally invaded by tomatoes. It is a dish that makes the best use of red, juicy tomatoes, which grow to ultimate tastiness in the heat of the Aegean sun and in its fertile soil, and the olive oil that is a staple in the pantry there, in contrast to the eastern parts of Turkey where olives are a luxury. Serving this pilaf dressed with shrimp is my innovation.
This is a rustic regional pilaf with a consistency rather like that of risotto, soupy and a little creamy. This is achieved by retaining the starch from the rice, which is typically removed when making Turkish pilaf by soaking the rice in hot water before cooking (see this page).
¾ cup (180 ml) plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup (240 g) medium-grain rice, washed
8 peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
Heat ¾ cup (180 ml) of the oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to cook the rice. Add the onions and sauté until they are transparent and just about to turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are almost half done but still juicy. Add the rice and salt to taste and stir for few seconds, then add 2½ cups (600 ml) cold water. Cover and cook over medium heat, checking occasionally to make sure the rice has not become dry. Add up to another ½ cup (120 ml) water in small amounts, as if cooking risotto. When the rice grains are al dente (the rice should still be moist), after 12 to 15 minutes, remove from the heat and uncover the pot to stop the cooking process.
In a pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the shrimp, and fry over high heat, stirring, until they are cooked through but still juicy. Add the garlic and fry a minute more. Dish the pilaf out onto a serving platter, top with the shrimp, sprinkle with the mint and white pepper, and serve warm.
SEA BASS boasts a light flavor that has made it a favorite at important banquets, where it is either served cold, dressed with mayonnaise, or grilled, or in a soup at elegant dinners. And, in the palace, saffron rice was always an important dish. Therefore, it seemed only fitting to combine these traditions for a really impressive dish.
3 cups (600 g) rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
2 pounds (910 g) sea bass fillets
Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in ¼ cup warm water
½ cup (75 g) blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely ground if desired
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cassia (see this page)
Pour 3 cups (720 ml) water in a large pot, add some salt and the butter, and bring to a boil. Add the rice and currants, cover, and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, then 5 minutes over medium heat. Place the fish fillets on the rice, pour the saffron water over the fish, and cook, tightly covered, for another 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, until the flesh of the fish is white and the rice is tender. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the pilaf into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the almonds and cinnamon or cassia.
Fresh fava beans appear only in spring and for a very short time. Each year, it is traditional in every home to cook fava beans with olive oil at least once. This fava bean pilaf, which is Persian in origin, was cooked by Pervin Kaşo, who comes from a Persian family. Because basmati rice is the choice for Persian pilafs (and the rice selected by Pervin), I use it in this recipe.
2 cups (370 g) basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water and 1 tablespoon salt
18 ounces (500 g) fresh fava beans, sorted and peeled
2 to 4 tablespoons (28 to 55 g) unsalted butter, cut into chickpea-size pieces
1 cup (20 g) fresh dill, minced
Drain and rinse the rice with plenty of water. Combine the rice and fava beans in a pot, add the hot water and oil, and cover. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes over medium heat, then 5 to 6 minutes over low heat. Arrange the butter on top of the rice. Cook, covered, over the lowest possible heat, for another 5 minutes. Add the dill, then slowly stir the rice to ensure that the melted butter is uniformly distributed. Fluff the pilaf gently with a spoon, sprinkle with pepper, if you choose, and serve.
THIS IS one of my favorite dishes that I acquired a taste for only a few years ago, after I tasted it in a small restaurant called Hünkar in the Fatih district in Istanbul. In the meantime, the chef-owner of this restaurant has opened three more restaurants and opened up a space for Turkish home cooking that not only brings this kind of food the recognition it deserves, but also inspires young chefs to specialize in Turkish cooking. The chef, Feridun Ügümü, is from Erzurum, but this dish is from the Black Sea region. This is always prepared with fresh anchovies, but if you wish, you may replace them with small fish of similar size, like small sardines.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (see Notes), plus 2 tablespoons cut into pea-size pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
2 pounds (910 g) whole fresh anchovies, cleaned (see Notes), plus 15 cleaned and chopped fresh anchovies
2½ cups (500 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cassia (see this page)
About 3½ cups (840 ml) fish or vegetable stock
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an ovenproof baking dish with butter.
Arrange the whole anchovies back to back in the baking dish so they completely cover the bottom of the dish. Line the sides of the dish with more anchovies, letting them hang over the edge. (You will have some whole anchovies left over.)
Sauté the onions in the 3 tablespoons butter and the oil until translucent. Drain and rinse the rice. Add to the onions, along with the carrot, and sauté, stirring constantly. Add the currants, mint, cinnamon or cassia, allspice, pepper, and salt to taste. Add the stock and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, then 5 minutes over low heat or until the stock is almost absorbed. (The rice should still be grainy and not quite cooked through.) Add the chopped anchovies and stir. Spoon all of the rice mixture over the whole anchovies in the baking dish, then flip the anchovies that are hanging over the sides of the dish over the rice. Arrange the reserved whole anchovies on top so that they cover the rice completely. Scatter the cubes of butter on top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert carefully onto a serving platter and serve.
Notes: While you can use different oils to make this dish, the traditional recipe calls for butter, which certainly gives a delicious taste.
To clean whole fresh anchovies, cut the head off and split the fish open so that it is like a butterfly. The bone will easily leave the flesh when you pull it away gently from the head to the tail.
TOMATO PILAF is a summertime classic. It is the Turkish equivalent of Italy’s pasta with fresh tomato sauce, one might say. When cooked with ripe summer tomatoes, its flavor and consistency are wonderful, and it is addictive with a bowl of cacik (Cold Yogurt and Cucumber Soup; this page). You must serve it immediately, however, or it will lose some of its mouthwatering moisture.
2½ cups (500 g) medium-grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes in plenty of hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 55 g) unsalted butter
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and grated (3 cups/600 g; see Note, this page)
Freshly ground black pepper for serving
Drain and rinse the rice. Combine the butter and tomatoes in a pot. Add the salt and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. The tomatoes should be half-cooked and still juicy. Add the rice and the measured hot water, making sure that the tomato and water mixture covers the rice by one-and-a-half finger-widths. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, then 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat. Remove from the heat immediately. Gently stir once and serve immediately, sprinkled with lots of freshly ground pepper—the more the better! (Do not let the rice sit, as in other recipes, because it will lose its moisture; see Note.)
Note: This is the one and only pilaf that I do not leave over low heat to fluff; the slight stickiness the tomatoes impart makes it unique. I also do not use stock in this pilaf because it takes away from the freshness and aroma of the tomatoes.
THIS RECIPE from Bozca Island in the upper Aegean is for a Hıdırellez holiday meal. Hıdırellez is a special day when people ask the holy men Hızır and İlyas to grant their wishes. Hızır, who gives life to plants, and İlyas, protector of water and animals, meet during the night of the fifth of May and cross the seas and fields looking for people’s wishes. These two characters eventually became one, called Hıdırellez. I remember writing the school grades I wanted on a mock report card and then throwing it into the sea for Hıdırellez to find. Women who want to have children put dolls or drawings of babies under trees for Hıdırellez. The holiday is celebrated on May 6 with picnics of cold food like hard-boiled eggs and stuffed vegetables eaten on kilim rugs spread over the spring grass. As this pilaf should be eaten hot, it would be served when the holiday is celebrated at home.
2 pounds (910 g) bone-in beef or lamb meat, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes and bones reserved
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
1½ cups (300 g) rice, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water with 1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, cut into pea-size pieces
½ cup (10 g) minced green onions
½ cup (10 g) fresh dill, minced
½ cup (10 g) fresh parsley, minced
Put the meat, bones (they will add flavor to the broth), and onions in a pot and sauté in 3 tablespoons of the oil until the onions are translucent. Cover with the hot water and cook over low heat until the meat is done, about 1 hour. Remove the bones after cooking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Transfer the cooked meat and 3 cups (720 ml) of the hot broth from the pot into another pot. Add the rice and bulgur and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer the pilaf mixture to a roasting pan. Add an additional 1 cup (240 ml) hot broth and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter 4 tablespoons (55 g) of the butter on top of the rice, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and cover loosely with foil. Bake until all the juices are absorbed, 17 to 20 minutes. Stir in the green onions, dill, parsley, and mint, and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Invert the pilaf onto a serving platter and serve (or serve directly from the oven dish).
Bulgur Pilaf with Wild Fennel and Sardines
MY INSPIRATION for this dish was Sicily’s pasta with sardines. I replaced the pasta with bulgur for a Turkish twist on this dish. Wild fennel, which was used in the Ottoman palace for pickling, is a forgotten herb except in some areas of the Aegean, where lamb is cooked with it. If it’s not available to you, you can substitute the chopped fronds of a fennel bulb or chopped dill.
2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced, (optional)
1 fresh hot pepper, chopped (or 1 dried)
1 packed cup (20 g) diced wild fennel (see above for substitutions)
4 to 5 canned sardines, oil drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pounds (910 g) fresh sardines, cleaned
Sauté the onion in the butter and oil until translucent. Add the tomato (if using), the bulgur, and the hot pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3⅓ cups (795 ml) water and cook, covered, over medium heat until “eyes” appear on the surface of the bulgur. (If the bulgur is still al dente, add another ½ cup/120 ml water and cook 1 or 2 minutes more. The bulgur should be cooked through.) Reduce the heat, stir in the fennel, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the canned sardines.
Heat ½ inch (12 mm) of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Mix the salt and flour in a shallow dish. Coat the fresh sardines in the flour mixture and fry in the oil until both sides of the sardines are golden and the fish are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes total, depending on the size of the sardines. Serve the bulgur pilaf on a platter, topped with the fried sardines.
Bulgur with Black-Eyed Peas and Purple Basil
AN OTTOMAN recipe in which rice was cooked with black-eyed peas was an inspiration for this dish. I substituted bulgur for the rice, since bulgur and black-eyed peas are rustic, regional ingredients, thus culturally a more fitting combination. Purple basil lends this dish an unusual rustic aroma. I have not encountered traditional recipes for dried or fresh black-eyed peas anywhere in Turkey but Muğla and the surrounding area. During the Seljuki period, a large number of immigrants from the Turcoman tribes (including my ancestors) migrated to Muğla and nearby areas like Gökova. I like to think that they brought this legume with them, which dries and keeps well and is used in many regional dishes.
1 medium onion, diced, plus 3 medium onions sliced into rings
½ cup (120 ml) plus 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (75 g) cooked black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes, preferably from Antep or Maras
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (9 g) minced fresh purple basil or fresh tarragon (green basil is not a Turkish aromatic)
Sauté the diced onion in ½ cup (120 ml) of the oil in a pot until translucent. Add the hot water, bulgur, black-eyed peas, and red pepper flakes and cook until the bulgur has absorbed all the liquid, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, caramelize the onion rings in the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil over very low heat, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour the melted butter over the pilaf, sprinkle with the basil or tarragon, and stir with a spoon to fluff the pilaf. Spoon the pilaf onto a serving dish, top with the caramelized onions, and serve.
