Food & Drink
Cairngorms-based traveller and food writer Ghillie Bhasan has revised and updated her classic book celebrating the food of Turkey
Pine nut meatballs, chilled rice pudding… try a taste of Turkey with food writer Ghillie Bhasan, plus Rose Murray Brown on great grapes from Greece
Ghillie Basan is a travellercook and food writer, based in the Cairngorms when she isn’t on the move. The food of the Middle East is her speciality, and her Turkish cookbook evokes her love of the country, and the people.
“Whether you are in the busy streets of Istanbul, in a small village in Anatolia, on the slopes above Bursa, or in a resort in the Mediterranean, the enticing aroma of grilling, baking, and spices fills the air – warm bread rings covered in sesame seeds; deepfried mussels with a garlicky sauce; roasted chestnuts, almonds and pistachios; savoury pastries filled with melting cheese; lamb roasting on a spit; aubergines smoking over charcoal; and the scent of fresh peaches,” says Ghillie.
During lockdown Ghillie had the time to work on this new and updated edition of her classic volume. There’s a lot more than recipes, as Ghillie describes the culinary history and geography, the customs and festivities, as well as the local ingredients. You can try Ottoman puddings from Istanbul; juicy apricots stuffed with rice from Cappadocia and anchovy pilaff from the Black Sea coast.
The Turkish Cookbook is published by Lorenz Books, £20
Simple eggs with garlic yogurt
This dish, çılbır, is served as a hot meze dish or breakfast snack in Turkey, but we enjoy it for lunch or supper with a green salad. Hen’s or duck’s eggs can be used, and you can either poach or fry them. Served with toasted flat bread or chunks of a warm, crispy loaf, lashings of garlic yogurt and a good drizzle of melted butter. It’s simple and satisfying.
Serves two 500g/1¼lb thick and creamy natural plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed white wine vinegar, for poaching (optional) 4 large eggs
15-30ml/1-2 tbsp butter
5ml/1 tsp pul biber, or paprika a few dried sage leaves, crumbled salt and ground black pepper
1 Beat the yogurt with the garlic and seasoning. Spoon into a serving dish or on to individual plates, spreading it flat to create a thick mattress for the eggs. Keep it at room temperature as a contrast to the hot eggs.
2 Fill a pan with water, add a dash of vinegar (to seal the egg whites), and bring to a rolling boil. Stir the water to create a whirlpool and crack in the first egg. As the white of the egg sets around the yolk, stir the water ready for the next one. Poach each egg for 2-3 minutes so the yolk is still soft.
3 Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them on the yogurt mattress.
4 Quickly melt the butter in a small pan. Stir in the pul biber or paprika and sage leaves, then spoon over the eggs. Serve immediately.
Meatballs with pine nuts and cinnamon
Meatballs come in various shapes and sizes, made with lamb, beef or chicken, grilled or fried and some are even stuffed in true Turkish fashion.
Serves four to six 250g/9oz minced lean lamb 1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed 10-15ml/2-3 tsp ground cinnamon 30ml/2 tbsp pine nuts 30ml/2 tbsp currants, soaked in warm water for 5-10 minutes and drained 5ml/1 tsp pul biber, or paprika 2 slices of day-old white or brown bread, ground into crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
15ml/1 tbsp tomato ketchup a bunch each of fresh flat leaf parsley and dill, finely chopped 60ml/4 tbsp plain flour, for coating sunflower oil, for shallow-frying salt and ground black pepper lemon wedges, to serve
1 In a large bowl, pound the minced lamb with the chopped onion, garlic and cinnamon.
2 Knead the mixture with your hands and knock out the air, then add the pine nuts with the currants, pul biber or paprika, breadcrumbs, egg and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 Knead the herbs into the meat mixture, making sure all the ingredients are well combined.
4 Take apricot-size portions of the meat mixture in your hands and roll into balls. Flatten each ball with the heel of your hand so that it resembles a thick disc, then coat lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess.
5 Heat a thin layer of sunflower oil in a large, heavy pan. Add the meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
6 Serve hot, garnished with herbs and with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Chilled baked rice pudding
From the Ottoman Palace kitchens to your table at home, sütlaç is the bestever baked rice pudding.
Serves four to six
100g/3¾oz short grain pudding rice, rinsed thoroughly under running water and drained
2 litres/3½ pints full-fat milk 90g/3½oz sugar
5-10ml/1-2 tsp vanilla extract, or the seeds scraped from a juicy vanilla pod
30ml/2 tbsp rice flour
1 Place the pudding rice in a deep, heavy pan, pour in enough water to just cover the rice and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 5-6 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.
2 Pour in the milk and bring to the boil, stirring, then lower the heat and simmer until the liquid begins to thicken.
3 Add the sugar, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the vanilla and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/GAS 6. In a bowl, moisten the rice flour with a little water to make a smooth paste. Stir in a spoonful of the hot liquid. Tip the rice flour mixture into the pan of rice, stirring all the time to prevent lumps forming.
5 Once the liquid has thickened a little, transfer the mixture to a large ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the pudding is lightly browned on top.
6 Remove the pudding from the oven and leave to cool, allowing a skin to form on top, then chill well in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.