Turkse kos – My Whisk and I

Shoulder of Lamb

July 30, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2kg lamb shoulder
6 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml ground cumin
15ml ground coriander
5ml chilli flakes
10ml smoked paprika
10ml salt
5ml black peppercorns, crushed
62ml olive oil
62ml lemon juice

125ml pomegranate seeds
60ml pine kernels, roasted

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Place the lamb shoulder in a roasting dish with the fat side up.
Add the cumin, coriander, chilli, paprika, salt, peppercorns, olive oil and lemon juice to a small bowl and mix together.
Smear the paste all over the meat.
Pour 500ml of water around the lamb and tightly cover the roasting dish with aluminium foil.
Roast the lamb for an hour, open up the foil and spoon the liquid in the pan over the meat.
Cover again and roast further. Open the lamb once more after another hour.
The total roasting time should be 3 hours, with the foil covering.
Remove the foil after 3 hours of roasting and place the meat back in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the roasting tin but reserve the juices.
Slice or shred the lamb in a serving dish and drizzle with the pan juices.
Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pine kernels over the shredded meat and serve.

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Turkish Delight Ice-Cream Terrine

July 29, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

800g fresh ricotta cheese
165g caster sugar
300ml whipping cream
125g pistachio nuts
200g Turkish delight, cut into 1cm cubes
30ml rose water

Line a small 1 litre loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the sides.
Add the ricotta and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Spoon the cream into a bowl and whisk to soft peaks.
Spoon the cream into the ricotta mixture and fold through.
Scatter the pistachio, Turkish delight and rosewater over and fold through until evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and cover with the overhanging plastic wrap.
Freeze the terrine for 7-8 hours.
Unwrap the top of the terrine and invert it on to a serving plate.
Slice to serve.

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Baklava Loaf

July 28, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

80ml blanched almonds
80ml blanched walnuts
30ml brown sugar
7,5ml ground cinnamon
750ml self-raising flour
80g butter, cubed
300ml milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Honey Syrup:
190ml sugar
60ml honey
125ml water

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 10cm x 21cm loaf pan with baking paper.
Add the almonds and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
Spoon the nuts into a bowl and add the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Mix through and then spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a small bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Sift the flour in to a mixing bowl and add the butter.
Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre and add the 250ml of milk.
Mix with a flat-bladed knife until it forms a soft dough – add a few drops of milk at a time if the mixture needs more liquid.
Flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Gently knead the dough until it JUST comes together.
Now place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll to a 20cm x 35cm rectangle.
Brush the surface with the egg and scatter over the nuts.
Start from a short end and roll up like a Swiss roll.
Place in the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.
Stand in the pan for 10 minute, remove from the baking tin and place on a cooling rack to cool.

For the syrup:
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook the mixture for 5 minutes while stirring.
Now boil it without stirring for another 5 minutes and take it from the heat.
Pierce the top of the warm loaf with a skewer and drizzle half the syrup over.
Sprinkle the reserved two tablespoons nut mixture over the cake and stand for another 10 minutes.
Serve the Baklava Loaf sliced with the remaining syrup.

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Aubergine Flatbread

July 25, 2023June 27, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

60ml olive oil
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
150g – 200g aubergine, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml sumac
lemon juice
pomegranate seeds
8 – 10 small flatbreads, about 8cm diameter

Pour the olive oil in to a pan and set it over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the chickpeas, aubergine cubes, garlic and sumac and cook for about 10 minutes, until the aubergine is soft.
Take from the heat and roughly mash together so that you have mashed chickpeas with texture.
Smear the mixture on to the flatbreads, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds.
Serve as a canapé with drinks.

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Turkish Egg Brunch

July 22, 2023June 26, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is my take on the spicy Turkish Eggs – spicy but with a zippy herby sauce to balance the heat. The ingredients/sauces are enough to feed one person.

Red Sauce:
60g butter, cubed
10ml finely chopped red chilli
1,2ml ground cumin

Green Sauce:
125ml measuring cup, tightly packed with parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
one quarter of a red onion, finely chopped
a pinch of salt
30ml olive oil
20ml red wine vinegar

3 eggs
cocktail tomatoes
baby spinach leaves
radish, sliced
cucumber, finely diced

For the Red Sauce:
Add the butter to a pan set over medium-high heat and allow it to melt.
Swirl the butter in the pan for 2 minutes while it bubbles away.
Pour it into a small heatproof bowl and add the chilli and cumin.
Stir through and leave to develop the flavours.

For the Green Sauce:
Chop the parsley very fine and add it to a small bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir through.
Set aside to develop the flavours for about 15 minutes.

Fry the eggs sunny side up.
Arrange the tomato, spinach, radish and cucumber around the egg.
Drizzle the red and green sauce over the plate and serve immediately.

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Breakfast Pide

July 20, 2023May 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Bread:
330ml warm water
5ml salt
5ml sugar
10ml instant yeast
750ml bread flour

Filling:
blanched spinach
red onion, sliced
tomato, chopped
grated mozzarella cheese
poached egg
sesame seeds

For the bread:
Add the water, salt, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Add the bread flour and mix on low speed to form a dough.
Turn the speed up to medium and mix/knead for 5 minutes. You will be left with a soft but slightly sticky dough.
Place the dough in a clean, oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 240℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
Roll the dough into a 10cm diameter circle with a rolling pin.
Place the dough rounds on the baking sheet and brush all over with olive oil.
Top the dough with some of the spinach, mozzarella, tomato and red onion, leaving a 1cm border on the outside edge.
Scatter the border of the dough round with sesame seeds and break an egg in the centre.
Bake in the oven for 13 minutes.
Serve warm.

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Rose-Meringue Discs

July 15, 2023May 29, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 egg whites
190ml caster sugar
7,5ml rose water
rose petals

Preheat your oven to 120℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Trace circles with an 8cm diameter on the baking paper and then flip the baking paper over on the tray.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the whites to soft peaks.
Turn the mixer to high and start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time and waiting for the sugar to be incorporated before adding the next spoonful.
Whisk for 5 minutes or until you have a very stiff, glossy mixture.
Drizzle over the rose water and fold in with a spatula.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle.
Pipe the meringue on the inside perimeter of each circle.
Now spread the meringue from the outside of the circle to its centre, forming an even disc.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven but do not open the door for another hour.
Carefully remove the discs from the baking paper.
Wet your finger, touch a rose petal and then stick the petal on the disc.
Serve the meringue discs with a cup of mint tea or use as a decoration for a dessert.

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Perde Pilavi

July 13, 2023May 25, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Perde Pilavi is a traditional Turkish dish made of chicken and rice flavoured with nuts, fruit and spices and wrapped up in a delicious pastry, specked with flaked almonds.

1 chicken (1-1,5kg)
1 litre chicken stock
40g butter
40g flaked almonds
330g short grain rice (like Arborio)
30g raisins
5ml salt
5ml paprika
10ml mint, chopped
660ml chicken stock

Pastry:
2 eggs
60ml yoghurt
60g butter
50ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
350g flour
5ml baking powder
50g flaked almonds

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and pour in the stock.
Cook on medium heat for an hour, until done.
Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool slightly.
Reserve the stock.
Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat, add the butter and wait for it to melt.
Add the almonds and stir-fry until golden.
Add the rice and cook for a minute or so, stirring all the while to coat in the butter.
Now add the raisins, salt, a few grindings of black pepper, paprika and mint.
Pour in 660ml of the reserved stock (add boiling water if you dont have enough), stir the mixture and cover with a lid.
Turn the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost cooked.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Shred the chicken into strips and discard the bones and skin.
Add the chicken to the rice mixture and stir through.

For the pastry:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the eggs, yoghurt, butter and vegetable oil to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Add the salt, flour and baking powder to a bowl and whisk through.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.
Lightly knead the pastry to bring it together.
Flour a work surface and roll the pastry to a 45cm diameter circle. It should be large enough to line the dish and have enough hanging over the sides to close around the filling.
Spray a 18cm diameter x 8cm deep ceramic dish with cooking spray.
Scatter the almonds on the bottom of the dish.
Line the bottom and sides of the dish with the pastry, leaving the overhang.
Spoon the cooled rice mixture into the pastry.
Fold the overhang-pastry over the filling to enclose it completely – trim off any excess.
Bake for 40 minutes, until golden.
Take the dish from the oven and rest it for 15 minutes.
Place a serving plate over the baking dish and invert it.
Serve the pilavi with a crispy salad.

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Meatballs stuffed with feta / Köfte

July 8, 2023May 17, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

500g lamb mince
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
60ml milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
10ml chopped parsley
10ml chopped mint
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5ml salt
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
100g feta cheese, cubed (1,5cm x 1,5cm)

Sauce:
1 x 400g tin chopped tomato
5ml salt
10ml sugar
60ml cream

For the meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the minced meat in a large mixing bowl and break it up with your hands.
Break up the bread, add it to the bowl and pour over the milk. Mix well.
Now add the onion, parsley, mint, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt and a few good grindings of black pepper. Mix again.
Scoop 30ml of the meat into your hands, form a ball and press it flat in your palm.
Place a feta cube on the mince and bring the sides up and around it. Roll the mince ball between your hands to seal.
Place the balls on an oven tray and keep going until you have no meat left.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the meatballs and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

For the sauce:
Add the tomato, salt and sugar to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan set over medium-high heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the cream, stir through and add the meatballs.
Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Serve the meatballs with rice or bulgar wheat.

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Cheese Pies

July 6, 2023May 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

125ml butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten together
250ml grated mozzarella cheese
500g feta cheese, crumbed
12 phyllo pastry sheets

Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the butter to a bowl and melt it in the microwave oven.
Add the eggs to another bowl and beat together.
Add the grated mozzarella and feta to the eggs and mix together. Set aside.
Now lay one phyllo sheet on a work surface and brush all over with the melted butter.
Lay another sheet on top and brush again.
Spoon 125ml of the cheese mixture evenly across the length of the pastry, about 2cm away from the edge.
Fold the edge over the cheese and roll the pastry into a long log.
Now roll the log into a coil.
Place the coils on your prepared baking sheet and brush with the melted butter.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Serve the cheese pies with a sweet sauce.