Chicken Dolma in a Clay Pot (Tavuk Dolması)
Meat and Swiss Chard Borani (Etli Pazili Urfa Borani)
Lamb and Vegetable Casserole (Sebzeli Kuzu Güveç)
Lamb Chops Marinated in Milk (Pirzola, Sütlu Terbiyeli)
Lamb with Quince (Ayvali Kuzu)
Leg of Lamb with Eggplant (Pehli)
Fillet of Lamb Sprinkled with Raki (Kuzu Sırtı Cevirmesi, Rakili)
Pot Lamb Tandir (Tencerede Kuzu Tandiri)
Beef Cheeks with Loquat (Yeni Dunyali Yanak Yahnisi)
Beef Shanks Under a Lettuce Blanket (Marullu Dana Kapama)
Turkish meat dishes may be grouped under the headings kebab, kofta, kavurma (confit), külbasti, and yahni, and the meat used in all of these dishes is lamb, mutton, or beef. In some regions, however, kid is the only kind of meat consumed because the mountainous plateaus are not suited to herding lamb but are good for goat herding. The kid meat of Muğla (southwest Turkey) and its environs is considered especially tasty and is the only kind of meat eaten in this area. Of course, as for all kinds of meat, aromatic flora of this area make a difference in the taste of the meats. A unique aspect of Turkish meat dishes is that meat pieces the size of a small bird—called kusbası (or “bird’s head”)—are cooked with vegetables, legumes, and even fruits. This tradition is not only healthy and delicious, but economical.
The meat eaten in Turkey is always halal and is killed according to Islamic rules. The animals for consumption are cut in the presence of an imam who has attained a certain level and can conduct religious ceremonies. He recites a short Koran verse while the animal is being killed with its head turned toward Mecca. The animal is killed by cutting off the head because there has to be blood coming out of the animal; otherwise it is not halal.
Turkish cuisine also includes a lot of poultry. We know from palace archives that once the Ottoman Empire was established, chicken was a valuable dish that was served on the tables of the sultans as early as the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in the mid-fifteenth century. Nevertheless, chicken was raised and consumed in the eleventh century, when the Turks started settled life in Central Asia.
In Turkish cuisine, chicken, like meat, is cooked with vegetables; the traditional chicken and okra dish is the most prestigious and delicious. Chicken is usually cooked as a whole bird, and the broth is used for many purposes. In fact, one chicken delivers three different kinds of dishes (the bird itself, soup, and pilaf made delicious due to this freshly made broth). That is why, especially today, chicken is consumed more than red meat. In fact, chicken is the number one food at muhallebi shops, which are actually places that specialize in traditional desserts. Since their chicken breast pudding is made from the white meat of the chicken, the rest of the bird is used for chicken soup and rice.
Kebabs (keba): Keba was originally an Arabic term that meant “frying meat” and not “grilling meat,” as it has come to mean today. Other cultures have borrowed the term to refer to grilled meat. But, in Turkish cuisine, keba has always referred to slow-cooked meat, no matter the technique used. Examples of kebab include testi kebab, where meat is cooked in a clay pot with a narrow neck; the ubiquitous shish kebab, pieces of meat on skewers called sis (shish); and kuyu kebab, which literally means “water-well kebab” (there is no water in the well; the name refers to a deep well-like hole specially dug for the purpose of cooking meat. The meat, usually a whole animal, is lowered into the hole and cooked for many hours, till the meat falls off the bones. The list may be lengthened with sac kebab (cooked on a metal sheet) and tas kebab (cooked under a pot on a metal tray). The variety of kebabs illustrates Turkish cuisine’s never-ending creativity and adaptability in the kitchen. For every type of kebab, the meat is cut to fit the utensil it will be cooked with. Today kebabs grilled on skewers are a popular meze around the world; see this page to this page for recipes. They can also be served for dinner alongside a rice or bulgur pilaf.
Kofta (köfte): This term refers to ground meat, either lamb or beef or a mixture of the two, shaped into balls, ovals, or discs, and then grilled, fried, or cooked in a pot, according to the technique called for in the recipe. Certain spices, according to regional or personal preferences, and softened bread (or rice or bulgur) are usually added to the meat mixture. Because kofta are often served as part of a meze platter, in this book I’ve presented many recipes for kofta along with the other appetizers (see this page to this page).
Külbasti: Originally, külbasti was a thin piece of lean lamb, cut from the leg and cooked very slowly over ashes. Today, külbasti is made from all kinds of meat and is prepared on a grill, even though the name, which literally means “on the ashes,” signifies the original style of cooking. According to Ottoman recipes, külbasti is made in such a way that the meat is first grilled and then steeped for a long time in a copper pot set on the ashes to soften the meat. I have come across this technique of cooking in the town of Tire, in the Aegean part of Turkey, where the Ottoman culture is very evident. The taste is completely different from that of meat that is only grilled or braised.
Yahni: This slow-cooked dish is always prepared in a single pot with big or small pieces of lamb, similar to what you would call a stew in the United States. Legumes or vegetables are usually added, and then it is generally named for this additional ingredient, for example, bamyali (okra) yahni or nohutlu (chickpea) yahni. Today’s yahnis are always made with tomatoes and tomato paste; before the tomato arrived in the Old World, however, yahni was made without it.
Kavurma: Kavurma, one of the oldest cooking techniques, refers to frying usually small pieces of meat until they break down to create almost a confit. The meat may be used right away or kept in the rendered fat of sheep’s tail and used later. Prepared kavurma is available in certain grocery stores in Turkey, but it is more difficult to find for sale in the United States. Any kind of meat cooked in butter, fat, or oil without added water is also known as kavurma, including the meat dish made for the first day of the Sacrifice Holiday when Muslims who can afford it sacrifice a sheep or even a cow and distribute pieces of it to those who cannot afford to eat meat regularly. Kavurma has also come to mean the frying of vegetables.
CONSIDERING THE large reach of the Ottoman Empire, it is not a surprise that Turkish cuisine features recipes from many far-flung places. Many dishes came out of the cultural interaction of the empire. This recipe has Georgian and Jewish roots. I love its simplicity, which is one aspect of Turkish cuisine. In that sense, Jewish and Turkish food traditions are very similar. Another version of this recipe was given to me by a lady from Azerbaijan, but instead of pomegranate she used tamarind. Since tamarind is not easily found, I got this version from my charming friend Anita Benadrete.
2 large pomegranates, seeds removed and set aside
1 medium chicken (3 to 4 pounds/1.4 to 1.8 kg)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Mix the pomegranate seeds with the onion; if the pomegranate is not very sour, stir in the juice of ½ lemon. Pack the chicken cavity with the pomegranate mixture and fasten the ends of the skin closed with toothpicks. Mix together the juice of ½ lemon, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste and thoroughly massage into the chicken skin. Place the chicken, uncovered, in an ovenproof dish. Pour the hot water into the dish to prevent the chicken from drying out and roast for 30 minutes, sprinkling the chicken with the water in the baking dish throughout the cooking process. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes more, continually basting the chicken with the cooking juices. If the skin is browning too quickly, cover lightly with foil. When the chicken is completely cooked (try moving a joint—it should almost fall off), remove all the filling, pass it through a sieve to remove the hard parts of the pomegranate seeds, pour it over the chicken, and serve. (If the chicken is cut into pieces before being served, it will absorb more of the tasty juices.)
Chicken Dolma in a Clay Pot (Tavuk Dolması)
IN MY childhood, chicks ran free in the yard, and I loved eating chicken to the bone—as a yahni (stew) or whatever way it was cooked. Our chickens’ great taste came from their natural feeding; they always imparted a heavenly flavor to rice or soup made with chicken stock. This dolma, a special dish from Ula in southwestern Turkey, is always served to important guests, and my mother followed this tradition. When I saw it listed among the dishes served only to pashas at the circumcision banquets of Sultan Suleyman the Lawgiver in 1539, I realized it also had an important place among the dishes of the palace.
1 medium chicken (3 to 4 pounds/1.4 to 1.8 kg) with liver, heart, and giblets
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g) medium-grain rice
1½ packed cups (30 g) fresh parsley, minced, stems set aside
Mince the chicken innards and fry them in half the butter over high heat until browned and aromatic. Add the rice, sauté for 1 minute, and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and ¾ cup (180 ml) water. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is nearly al dente. (If the rice is not done, add an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons water and continue cooking.) Let the rice cool for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Mix together the lemon juice and oil and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly baste the chicken with the lemon juice mixture, place half the remaining butter and a bay leaf under the skin of each breast, and spoon the rice stuffing into the chicken cavity. (Shake the chicken occasionally, holding it by the legs, so that the filling settles tightly.) Once completely filled, fasten the ends of the skin together with two or three toothpicks. Cover the bottom of a güveç (clay pot; see Note) with the reserved parsley stems and gently place the chicken on top. Tightly cover the pot with foil and bake for 30 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and cook for another 1½ hours. Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven for at least 15 minutes. Serve the chicken in the clay pot, if you like.
Note: If a güveç is not available, use any clay cooking pot. If it has a lid, all the better—the foil will be unnecessary.
Meat and Swiss Chard Borani (Etli Pazili Urfa Borani)
IN THE city of Urfa, in eastern Turkey, a dish made with chickpeas, chard, and pieces of lamb enriched with bulgur and kofta is known as borani. (The name also applies to the spinach dish on this page.) An eggplant dish in ancient Persian cuisine was also referred to as borani, its name (burani in Persian) attributed to a charming Persian queen. Confusing nomenclature aside, one thing is for sure: Borani is supposed to be a special dish, and this version certainly is. (Here, I replaced the traditional bulgur kofta with pasta to make the recipe easier, although I’ve provided instructions for the kofta, opposite, so you can make them if you like.)
1 pound (455 g) bone-in lamb shoulder or leg, meat cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes and bones reserved
1½ cups (300 g) chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 ripe tomato (if in season), peeled, seeded, and grated (see Note, this page)
1 pound (455 g) Swiss chard, chopped
1 cup (100 g) pasta (preferably fettucini) or Bulgur Kofta (opposite)
½ cup (240 ml) plain Greek yogurt whisked with 1 clove garlic pounded with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle (optional)
Combine the meat, bones, and chickpeas in a large pot, add water to cover by at least 3 inches (7.5 cm), and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam with a slotted spoon when the water boils. Cook over medium heat until both the meat and chickpeas are soft, 50 to 60 minutes. (You should have at least 3 cups/720 ml stock left to use in the dish later.) Remove the bones after cooking.
In another large pot, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter until translucent, then add the tomato paste and fresh tomato, if using. Mix well for 30 seconds or so, then add the meat and chickpeas, 3 cups (720 ml) of the reserved stock, and the Swiss chard. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente (see Note). (Alternatively, add the bulgur kofta instead of the pasta to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes.)
Brown the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a pan, add the mint, and heat for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour over the borani and serve immediately, with a drizzle of garlic yogurt if you like.
Note: If you are not serving the borani with pasta right away, cook the pasta for 4 to 5 minutes, and then remove from the heat. (This prevents the pasta, especially fettucini, from becoming too soft.) The dish has to be soupy enough to be eaten with a spoon. Add more stock if necessary.
TO MAKE this borani more traditional, you can add these kofta instead of pasta.
8 ounces (225 g) lean ground meat
½ cup (70 g) fine bulgur, soaked in ½ cup (120 ml) hot water for 15 minutes
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, preferably isot (see this page)
Knead together the meat, bulgur, and red pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt. Form into small (chickpea-size) balls.
THIS YAHNI, or meat stew, is an important dish, traditionally served at big banquets. Okra, a subtropical plant that grows well in the hotter areas of Turkey, has always been in my life. Even as a child, I appreciated this vegetable. Aegeans love okra and cook it with or without meat. I prefer okra yahni with meat or chicken. These have a fuller taste and are truly satisfying, whether served hot or cold, which is how the one prepared in olive oil is enjoyed. Usually people pair this stew with rice, but for me, a slice of bread is just as good.
Chicken may take the place of meat in many Turkish dishes, depending on what is handy. My mother’s family raised chickens in their garden in the town of Ula and, whenever the family craved an okra yahni, she had her own source for the chicken. What a feast!
1 whole bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2 pounds/910 g), or 1 whole medium chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter
3 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups/220 g)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
5 cups (1.2 L) hot water, plus more as needed
2 pounds (910 g) okra, topped to create a cone shape
Fry the meat in the butter and oil until browned on all sides. Add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the tomato paste and mix with the meat and onions until aromatic. Add the tomatoes and cook until their juices are evaporated. Add the hot water. Simmer until the meat is thoroughly cooked, 50 to 60 minutes for the meat or free-range chicken. (There should still be some liquid in the pot to cook the okra; if not, add some more hot water, but not so much that the liquid covers the okra.) Add the okra, salt to taste, and the lemon juice. (Salt added too early will toughen the meat, so be sure to add it only after the meat is cooked.) Cook until the okra is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. The finished dish should have plenty of juice to mop up with bread. Serve, adding at least 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to each serving.
Lamb and Vegetable Casserole (Sebzeli Kuzu Güveç)
EVERY GOOD cook knows that baking in an earthenware dish gives the best results. The earthenware dish—güveç in Turkish cuisine—is also very pleasing to the eye; the nice black color it gets through long use is a special mark of warmth and family joy.
1 (2-pound/910-g) lamb shoulder with some fat, cut into 14 pieces (with bones)
2 long thin Japanese eggplants (10 inches/25 cm long), peeled in alternating stripes and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick slices
2 medium or large zucchini, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick slices
8 ounces (225 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces (225 g) okra, tops trimmed into a cone shape so they do not give off slime
2 ripe tomatoes (if in season), peeled and diced, or 1 teaspoon tomato paste
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, combine the lamb with the eggplants, zucchini, green beans, okra, and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the thyme, tomatoes or tomato paste, red pepper paste, and oil and mix well. Transfer the mixture to an earthenware dish (a snug fit is best). Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and cook for another 50 to 60 minutes, or until the vegetables are well cooked. (If the green beans are done, you may assume the rest are too.) Serve in the earthenware dish.
Lamb Chops Marinated in Milk (Pirzola, Sütlu Terbiyeli)
MARINATING MEAT in milk, and then basting the meat with cotton wool soaked in milk while grilling it over charcoal was a favored style of cooking in Ottoman times, and was rightly called süt (milk) kebab. Since first trying this Ottoman recipe, I have never grilled chops without using this technique. No matter how good the lamb is, the long soak in milk makes the taste even more delicate. Note that Turks never use knives for lamb chops, and they always eat the meat to the bone.
18 (3-ounce/85-g) lamb chops (3 chops per serving), pounded (see Note)
2 cups (480 ml) cold milk, plus more for brushing
Soak the chops in the milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Drain and discard the milk.
Wrap the bare bones with foil (this makes it easier to eat the chops with your hands, which is the best way). Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high (see Notes), placing the grill grate at least 4 inches (10 cm) above the heat source (otherwise, the chops will burn). Grill the chops, continually brushing them with fresh milk, for 3 to 5 minutes per side (depending on the size and thickness of the chops). When the chops are golden on the outside and springy to the touch, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. (Take care not to overcook the chops, or the meat will be tough.)
Notes: This recipe is for chops prepared as they are in Turkey: The butcher pounds small chops with a special tool until they are ½ inch (12 mm) thick. For larger chops not pounded in the Turkish style, the grilling time should be increased.
If you have an indoor electric grill, the chops may be cooked on that as well.
Lamb with Quince (Ayvali Kuzu)
EVEN BEFORE the tomato became a part of Turkish cuisine, Ottoman yahni dishes (meat stews) were classified as either white or red. Instead of getting their flavor and color from tomatoes as all yahni dishes do today, red yahni derived its color from caramelized onions as in the following stew recipe, which gets its sweetness and beautiful golden color from both caramelized onions and pekmez. Quince makes the dish lighter and more abundant (and prevents the diner from eating too much meat), while also adding a delicate aroma to the dish.
2½ pounds (1.2 kg) bone-in lamb, preferably shoulder or shank (if shoulder, cut into 6 pieces)
1½ pounds (680 g) quince (see sidebar, this page), peeled and cut into thick wedges
6 to 8 apricots, whole or cut in half
½ orange, sliced into four rounds
½ cup (120 ml) pekmez (see this page), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon ground cassia (see this page)
Fry the meat and onions in 1 tablespoon of the butter until the onions are golden. Add the water, cover tightly, and cook over very low heat for about 1½ hours, until the meat is very tender.
In a separate pan, fry the quince in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until golden, then add the quince, apricots, and orange to the meat along with the pekmez, cassia, and salt to taste. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the quince is al dente. Arrange the meat and quince, apricots, and orange attractively on a serving dish, drizzle with a little more pekmez, and serve.
Leg of Lamb with Eggplant (Pehli)
THIS IS a dish from the major towns of central Anatolia. It is very easy to prepare, but it makes a great impression at the table. It is thus understandable why it is an important dish, served at festivities like weddings or banquets. Surprisingly delicate, it is a good example of Turkish cuisine’s grand yet not elaborate dishes.
1 leg of lamb (keep the meat in one piece with its bone broken in several places to fit in the pot)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
10 whole black peppercorns, cracked with mortar and pestle Hot water
4 pounds (1.8 kg) Italian eggplant, peeled at intervals and cut into 1-inch- (2.5-cm-) round thick slices
7 or 8 long, thin mild green peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch (12-mm) slices
5 or 6 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes
Fry the lamb on all sides in the vegetable oil, then transfer to a large pot. Add the thyme and bay leaf crushed into pieces, the peppercorns, and enough hot water to cover the leg halfway. Cook over medium heat, skimming the surface of any foam. When almost all the foam is gone, tightly cover the pot and cook until the lamb is very tender to the touch (2 to 3 hours, depending on the quality of the leg); reserve the cooking liquid. Soak the eggplant in salted water for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat ½ inch (12 mm) of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Squeeze the eggplant to get rid of excess water, pat dry with a towel, then carefully drop the eggplant into the hot oil; fry until golden, 4 to 5 minutes, turning them when necessary. Drain on paper towels. Add some of the frying oil to another pan and slowly sauté the onion until translucent. Add the peppers and fry quickly so that they are wilted but not browned. Remove from the heat and add the tomatoes; leave in the pan for 1 minute so all the vegetables are well integrated. (The tomatoes should not cook.)
Put the cooked leg of lamb in the middle of an oven dish with only a little space around it (otherwise, it will dry out). Arrange the fried eggplant around the leg and pour the onion, pepper, and tomato mixture over the leg. Add 1½ cups (360 ml) of the reserved cooking liquid. Bake, uncovered, basting the leg with liquid if the top gets dry. When the tomatoes are soft, after 35 to 40 minutes, turn the oven off, but keep the dish in the oven, covered with foil, until serving. Baste with the juices if the top gets dry. This dish may be served the day it is cooked, but it tastes even better the next day. (You may have to add a little stock when you reheat it, but keep it covered until the last few minutes.)
Fillet of Lamb Sprinkled with Raki (Kuzu Sırtı Cevirmesi, Rakili)
FILLET OF LAMB is the most prized part of the lamb, from a cultural perspective. (Mind you, it is also the best part!) It was the part served to the Khans and important guests in Central Asia for many centuries. Today prestigious restaurants in Turkey grill and serve fillet of lamb simply—and rightly so, as it is a tasty cut that needs little embellishment. If you can get fillet of lamb in the United States, by all means use it. But it can also be replaced in this recipe with fillet of beef, the most valuable part of the animal; see my variation below. This recipe was inspired by a French dish, which used pernod, a drink similar to but sweeter than raki.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (clarified is best; it will not burn when fried)
3 lamb fillets (2½ pounds/1.2 kg)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked with a mortar and pestle
1 clove garlic, unpeeled, bruised
1 sprig fresh rosemary, or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup (240 ml) raki (see sidebar, this page)
In a medium cast-iron frying pan, heat the oil and butter over high heat. Add the fillets and fry for 3 to 4 minutes with the pepper, garlic, rosemary, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for another 5 to 7 minutes, turning the fillets every minute or so to make make sure they brown evenly. (The fillets will take 10 to 12 minutes total for medium-rare; for well done, keep on the heat for another 3 minutes.) Heat the raki in a saucepan, pour over the fillets off the heat, ignite with a match, and let flame for a minute or until it dies down. Serve immediately, serving half a lamb fillet to each diner. (If you can immediately take the pan to the table, you can finish the dish there. It makes quite an impression!)
Fillet of Beef Sprinkled with Raki (Kuzu ya da Sığır Sırtı Cevirmesi, Rakili)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Instead of 3 lamb fillets, use 1 beef fillet. Brown the whole fillet in a medium cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning so all surfaces get a nice brown color. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, place it in the oven, and roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare, 25 minutes for medium, and 30 to 32 minutes for well-done. Remove from the oven, pour the raki all over the meat, ignite with a match, and serve while still in flame or when the flame is about to die. Wait for 5 minutes before cutting each serving to allow time for the juices to settle.
Lamb and Mutton: A Pastoral Legacy
Turkish tribes who made their living by raising animals slaughtered sheep only for festive days or in preparation for the long winter; meat was treasured whenever it was served. In contrast, the fact that 99,120 sheep were consumed in the Ottoman palace in the year 1669 to 1670 makes the claim of seventeenth-century French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier that about 500 sheep were consumed in one day in the palace entirely believable. In the same year, 4 million sheep, 3 million lamb, and 200 cattle were consumed in the imperial city of Istanbul. Tavernier was also right in his observation that beef never entered the palace kitchens; it was, however, purchased by the palace to make pastırma (air-cured spicy beef) for the palace residents. Many dishes today are cooked with beef or veal, yet quite a few dishes still require lamb to give them a taste we can readily identify as Turkish.
The tremendous consumption of meat by the palace and in the city of Istanbul was fed by Turkmen (Turcoman) tribes in Anatolia and animal herders in the Balkans. In the Turkmen Ugulbeglu clan, one of the providers, there were 403 sheep per capita in 1540—a good example of the imbalance between raising and consumption among the pastoral tribes. Sheep raised by Turkmens included Karakoyun (black sheep), Akkoyun’ (white sheep), Irik, and Yerli (meaning local sheep). Today, however, Kivircik and Karaman are the kinds of lamb that are raised in abundance. The Kivircik, with its miniature tail, is famous for its delicate taste, resulting from being fed the fragrant greens of Thrace. People who value an exceptional taste always cook with this variety, which has made the lamb of Turkey famous all around the world. The Karaman, with its fatty tail, not only takes a long time to cook, but also has a distinct, unpopular odor. Its long-cooking flesh has even inspired a proverb: “The mutton of Karaman shows its true character when it is too late.”
Now, however, the mountainous Anatolian Peninsula has given way to goat herding, and kid has become a major meat source. These goats are herded by the yörük, who are a cultural extension of the Turkish nomads. They still produce similar nomadic products like goat cheese, strained yogurt, butter, and çökelek (whey cheese).
Pot Lamb Tandir (Tencerede Kuzu Tandiri)
A TANDIR is a baked mud oven that was used in Central Asia, an important piece of cooking equipment that we share with Indian cuisine. The cooking techniques, however, differ. In Turkey, the meat is cooked in a closed oven over a fire, not directly in the fire as in India. In the recipe below, the dish is cooked over a burner, not in a tandir. Nevertheless, it is just as tasty. It is also proof of how delicious slow cooking can be, a method that Turkish cuisine excels at.
1 or 2 sprigs fresh oregano or thyme
1 or 2 fresh bay leaves, or ½ dried bay leaf (dried is much stronger than fresh)
6 cloves garlic, peel on, pierced with a knife (optional)
10 to 12 whole black peppercorns
Break the bone in the lamb shoulder so it fits tightly in a small pot (see Note). Tuck the oregano or thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in the gaps and add the lemon juice and 3 to 4 tablespoons water. Tightly close the pot (place a weight on the lid if necessary). Cook over medium heat until the pot fills with steam, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible level and cook for 1½ hours. If any liquid remains, increase the heat to medium to evaporate it, and season the meat with salt at this point. Gently turn the lamb to brown on all sides. (Don’t worry if the meat falls to pieces; this is the idea of a tandir.) Serve.
Note: If you open the lid too often, the juices will evaporate. Keep the heat at its lowest and you will have plenty of liquid in the pot. You can strain off the liquid and use it as a concentrated stock for pilaf or soup. After removing the liquid you can continue to brown the meat in what little juice is left in the pot.
Beef Cheeks with Loquat (Yeni Dunyali Yanak Yahnisi)
CHEEKS ARE not cooked separately in traditional Turkish cuisine, but the best part of a lamb’s head is the cheeks—and the same is true of the more widely available beef cheeks. This recipe is from Aydin Demir, once the head chef of Tuğra Restaurant, which was part of a luxury hotel that served only Turkish food. He is passionate about bringing more contemporary influences to Turkish food and has managed to do so without losing the essence of dishes like this one. Loquats, a delicate Asian fruit, give a tangy lightness to the dish, and when paired with beef cheeks they create a tasty stewlike dish. If you can’t find loquats, try good ripe apricots or even sweet plums as a substitute. Traditionally, apricots and apples are cooked with meat in the regional cuisines of eastern Turkey.
1 pound whole shallots, peeled
½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
12 loquats, halved, seeds removed, or 12 good ripe apricots, halved and destoned, or 12 sturdy apples, peeled and chopped
Fry the meat in hot oil. When golden, add the following in this order: garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, cinnamon stick, and cardamom. Sauté 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste, sprinkle in the flour, and mix well so all the ingredients are coated with flour. Add the bay leaf and wine and enough water to cover the meat. Cook over low heat, skimming any foam from the surface with a slotted spoon. Once skimmed, turn the heat to very low and cook until the beef is very tender, about 1½ hours. Add the butter, pepper, and salt to taste and let sit for about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add the loquats, heat through, then serve.
Beef Shanks under a Lettuce Blanket (Marullu Dana Kapama)
THIS DISH is traditionally made in spring with lamb shanks. Like the lamb, the fresh herbs and lettuce are also fresh flavors that welcome the new season. It is a great dish for those who follow nature’s rhythms in their cooking. If you can find good-quality lamb, I would use it instead of beef, though this recipe is one that’s also wonderful with beef, which—more so than the lamb—really brings out the flavor of the romaine lettuce nicely.
6 beef or lamb shanks (not more than 1½ pounds/680 g), cut into 1½-inch (4-cm) pieces
2 packed cups (40 g) fresh dill, minced
3 packed cups (60 g) fresh parsley, minced
1 packed cup (40 g) fresh mint, minced
4 to 5 green onions, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
12 to 14 romaine lettuce leaves, halved lengthwise
Put the meat in a large pot, add about 3 cups (720 ml) cold water (or enough to just barely rise above the meat), and bring to a boil (see Note). Skim off foam with a slotted spoon, tightly cover the pot, and continue to cook over very low heat (so the meat retains its tasty juices) for about 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the oil and butter until translucent. When the meat has cooked for about 1½ hours, stir in the dill, parsley, mint, green onions, sautéed onion, pepper, salt to taste, and romaine. (This dish should have some juice; if necessary, add ½ cup/120 ml water at this point.) Cook, tightly covered, over very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes more, or until the romaine is tender. Serve immediately or reheat and serve within a few hours.
Note: Before adding the water, you may also fry the meat in the butter and oil in which the onion will be fried. Then transfer it to the cooking pot and add 3 cups (720 ml) of hot water instead of cold. Bring to a boil and continue.
