by Selin Kiazim
SERVES 4
2 cuttlefish with tentacles, cleaned
100ml (3½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons baharat (available in Turkish supermarkets)
125g (4½oz) peas, fresh or frozen
100g (3½oz) samphire
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
3 sprigs of mint, leaves only, thinly sliced
4 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut open the cuttlefish and score the inside in a cross-hatch pattern. Slice it into irregular diamond shapes about 4cm (1½in) wide. Pat the cuttlefish dry with kitchen paper and keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Heat the measured olive oil in a small saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat until light golden brown. Remove from the heat and add the baharat.
Heat a large frying pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the cuttlefish and let it fry for at least 1 minute before moving it; you want the edges to caramelize. After that, move the fish around a little in the pan and cook for 1 more minute. Now add the cooked onion, peas and samphire and cook for 1 more minute, or until the samphire has just wilted. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and add a little more olive oil to make a dressing in the pan. Finally, stir in the herbs and serve.
FRIED RED MULLET, PICKLED APRICOTS & CAPER LEAVES
This dish pays homage to my nene’s fried fish. While I was growing up, we would visit my grandparents in Cyprus every summer, and one of the first things Nene would cook is fried fish with a big bowl of salad. Dede (Grandad) would go to the nearest town to pick up a bag of mixed little fish, a trip that I reckon took almost four hours by the time he had stopped off for a coffee and put the world to rights with his friends (also bearing in mind that his favoured mode of transport was his tractor).
SERVES 4
100g (3½oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
4 red mullet, scaled and gutted, filleted if you prefer
50g (1¾oz) capers (lightly rinsed) or caper leaves
1 onion, cut into large dice
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only
small bunch of coriander, leaves only
small bunch of purslane, roughly chopped
50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PICKLED APRICOTS
300ml (10fl oz) water
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
150ml (5fl oz) cider vinegar
12 dried apricots, preferably natural, halved
First make the pickled apricots: put the water in a pan with the sugar, coriander seeds and vinegar. Bring it to the boil and add the apricots. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the apricots and set aside in a bowl. Turn the heat back up to reduce the liquid to a light syrup. Once it is the right consistency, pour it over the apricots and leave to cool.
Add the capers, onion, parsley, coriander, purslane, olive oil and vinegar to the cooled apricots, along with a little of their syrup. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the fish with the fine salt and leave for about 10 minutes. Heat 2cm (¾in) depth of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Place the fish in the flour and coat well, rubbing the flour mixture thoroughly into the fish.
Lower the fish carefully into the hot oil and fry until the underside is golden – about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and do the same on the other side. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little more fine salt. Serve with a pile of the apricot salad plus an extra drizzle of the apricot syrup and olive oil.
PISTACHIO-CRUSTED COD WITH PRESERVED LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
Most people think of nuts as a snack, or associate them with desserts. However, I love using them in savoury recipes too, especially pistachios – the lovely nutty flavour compliments all sorts of dishes. Some of the best pistachios in the world come from Gaziantep in Turkey, so if you see them, be sure to buy a packet.
SERVES 4
4 cod fillets (from a sustainable source), about 175g (6oz) each, skinned and pin-boned
FOR THE PISTACHIO CRUST
100g (3½oz) pistachios, shelled and toasted
15g (½oz) fresh breadcrumbs
70g (2½oz) unsalted butter, softened
FOR THE PRESERVED LEMON SAUCE
1 whole preserved lemon
150ml (5fl oz) double cream
75g (2¾oz) cold unsalted butter, diced
small bunch of chives, thinly sliced
First make the pistachio crust: put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a coarse paste. Spread a little of the paste over each cod fillet to make a layer about 5mm (¼in) thick, then set aside in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. To make the sauce, scoop the flesh out of the preserved lemon and put the flesh in a small saucepan with the double cream. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and reduce by one-third.
Finely dice the preserved lemon skin. Once the cream has reduced, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter a cube at a time. Strain through a fine sieve and add the diced lemon skin. Cover with clingfilm and keep warm until needed.
Bake the cod in the oven for 7–9 minutes, or until just firm to touch and lightly coloured on top. Stir the chives into the preserved lemon sauce and serve with the fish.
SEA BASS WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOT PURÉE & POMEGRANATE DRESSING
Sea bass is one of the most popular fish in Turkey and Cyprus, usually served simply charcoal-grilled with a wedge of lemon. The thing I love about eating fish over there is that it is so seasonal, which not only protects the local species from being overfished but also ensures you get to eat them at their best. Other popular fish in the eastern Mediterranean are sea bream, turbot, grouper, blue fish and red mullet and can be used instead of sea bass.
SERVES 4
sunflower oil, for frying
2 banana shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthways
4 sea bass fillets, about 125g (4½oz) each, scaled and pin-boned
FOR THE CARAMELIZED SHALLOT PURÉE
2 heaped tablespoons unsalted butter
6 shallots, sliced
50ml (2fl oz) double cream
fine salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR THE POMEGRANATE DRESSING
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Preheat the oven to 210°C (400°F fan), Gas Mark 6.
First make the purée: melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the shallots. Cook over a low heat until golden brown – this can take up to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Add the banana shallots, cut-side down. When they start to turn golden brown, put the pan in the oven and roast the shallots for about 15 minutes.
While the shallots for the purée are still hot, put them in a blender with the double cream and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
To cook the fish, heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the sea bass, place in the pan skin-side down and cook gently until the skin is golden brown and crisp (this should take no more than a few minutes). Turn it over and cook the flesh side for 30–60 seconds, then take it out of the pan immediately so that it doesn’t overcook.
To serve, reheat the purée and put a spoonful on each serving plate. Place the fish on top, skin-side up, a
nd spoon over the pomegranate dressing. Add the roasted shallots. Stir the pomegranate dressing as it will have sepatated, then dot it around the plates and serve.
PAN-FRIED MACKEREL, BLACK OLIVE CROUTE & TOMATO-POMEGRANATE SALAD
All along the Galata Bridge in Istanbul you will find small vendors, mostly on boats, selling grilled mackerel sandwiches called balik ekmek. They are utterly delicious. This is my slightly pimped-up version, but instead of making the croutes you could use a good crusty baguette.
SERVES 4
sunflower oil, for frying
4 mackerel fillets, pin-boned
1 tablespoon ground fennel
2 tablespoons Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber)
2 tablespoons black olive paste (available in Turkish supermarkets) or use tapenade instead
FOR THE CROUTES
4 white baguette slices, cut diagonally, 1cm (½in) thick
olive oil, for drizzling
flaky sea salt
FOR THE SALAD
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 long green Turkish peppers (Charleston peppers; use ordinary peppers if you can’t find them), sliced
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely shredded
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5.
First make the croutes. Drizzle a little olive oil on the slices of bread, sprinkle with salt and put them on a baking tray. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp.
Mix the tomatoes, red onion, peppers, parsley, olive oil and pomegranate molasses with a little salt and pepper.
Heat a little sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the mackerel on the flesh side with salt, ground fennel and chilli flakes, pressing the seasoning in. Put the fish, skin-side down, in the hot frying pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn it over and cook for 1 more minute, or until just cooked through.
To serve, spread some black olive paste over the croute, add some tomato salad and place the mackerel on top.
MONKFISH, CITRUS, URFA CHILLI DRESSING & CORIANDER
While I was researching food from the Byzantine era as a link between Turkey and Italy, I found a connection in the use of spices and garum (fish sauce). So I created a black pepper dressing, which later turned into an urfa chilli dressing. Any charcoal-grilled fish would work very well here.
SERVES 4
1 monkfish tail (about 1 kg/2lb 4oz), trimmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 blood orange or ordinary orange, peeled and segmented
small bunch of coriander, leaves only, but with a little stalk
flaky or fine sea salt
FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE CARAMEL
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) blood oranges or ordinary oranges, juiced
squeeze of lemon juice
FOR THE URFA CHILLI DRESSING
25g (1oz) urfa chilli flakes (isot biber)
50ml (2fl oz) fish sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
125ml (4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
Heat a barbecue until the coals turn grey. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7.
First make the caramel: put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Watch until it turns deep brown, carefully tilting the pan to swirl the sugar around. As soon as the caramel reaches the right colour, carefully add the orange juice, standing well back. The caramel will seize up, so keep stirring into the edge of the pan to release it. The mixture will all come together and reduce as you cook it; you want a syrupy consistency. To test this, you can drizzle a little onto a plate and place it in the refrigerator (once cooled, it should hold its own shape without running too much). Finish it with a little squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside at room temperature.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the urfa chilli dressing, and set aside at room temperature.
Pat the monkfish dry with kitchen paper. Coat it in olive oil and season with salt. Place directly on the very hot barbecue rack. Cook for 4–5 minutes, then turn it over and cook for another 4–5 minutes; you want caramelized grill marks and for the fish to feel firm to the touch. Alternatively, place the monkfish in a large roasting tray and roast in the oven for 6–8 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.
To serve, quickly flash the monkfish on the barbecue or in the oven to reheat. Put it on a serving plate and drizzle the blood orange caramel around it. Add a good helping of urfa chilli dressing, orange segments and coriander and serve straight away.
OKLAVA AT HOME:
DINNER PARTY BY LAURA CHRISTIE
Dinner parties are the perfect excuse to have a crack at some of the more complex recipes in this book – see here for a suggested menu. Preparing these dishes may at times keep you away from your guests, but their amazed queries of ‘How did you make this?’ will make it all worthwhile. We recommend serving these dishes on large sharing platters in the middle of the table.
DINNER PARTY MENU: FOR 6–8 PEOPLE
BAHARAT-SPICED BREAD WITH MEDJOOL DATE BUTTER
SOUR CHERRY PEARL BARLEY, CRISPY KALE, YOGURT, CHILLI BUTTER & SHEEP’S CHEESE
ROMAINE LETTUCE SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS & FETA DRESSING
CHILLI-ROAST CAULIFLOWER
RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH YOGURT SAUCE, CHILLI BUTTER & PINE NUTS
SEA BASS WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOT PURÉE & POMEGRANATE DRESSING
ÇEMEN-BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH BROWN BUTTER BREAD SAUCE
CRISPY POMEGRANATE-GLAZED LAMB BREAST WITH YOGURT
SPICED RICE PUDDING BRÛLÉE, PISTACHIOS, CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE, RUM JELLY, LYCHEES & LIME
TURKISH COFFEE
Turkish wine is the obvious accompaniment to Turkish food. My white of choice would be Paşaeli Yapincak, which spends time in oak but still retains a ripe citrus note with touches of stone fruit and orange zest. It’s enjoyable alone but fantastic with food, as the complexity added by the oak gives it enough backbone to stand up to the punchy flavours of Turkish cooking.
I first came across this wine on a trip to Istanbul with Selin. On our last night, we took a slightly hairy cab ride followed by a private water taxi to reach a fish restaurant on the very edge of the Bosporus. I wanted to try the Yapincak grape (pronounced ‘yap-in-jack’). The wine we drank was from a winemaker I had not previously come across but, carried away by the food and spectacular view, I forgot to make a note of the name. However, I did remember the distinctive label with its images of fish. Fast forward several weeks and I spotted the wine at a tasting in London. Accompanying it was the winemaker, Seyit, who has since become a great supporter of Oklava. Paşaeli are committed to promoting indigenous varieties, and Yapincak is native to the Şarköy area in Thrace. Minimum intervention is used in the vineyards, and organic wine methods are used as far is as practical in a modern, medium-sized winery.
A remarkable red for a dinner party is the Arcadia Cabernet Franc. Perfect with the bolder and fuller flavours of Turkish cooking, this wine will be a real surprise to any Turkish wine sceptics. The Arcadia winery was founded over ten years ago by father and daughter Zeynep and Ozcan, possibly the most welcoming hosts in Turkey. Selin and I first visited Arcadia in the summer of 2015, and it is everything I have come to love about small-scale wine production – a family affair and a project of real passion. Great care is taken to look after the land, involve the community and insist on careful production methods. The end products are amazing wines that reflect the beauty of their surroundings.
Cabernet Franc is an inter
national grape, so the flavour profile of this wine, which includes plum, blackcurrant and liquorice, and aromas like tobacco (from the year spent in French oak) will be familiar to many. Full-bodied with elegant tannins, it benefits from being decanted – or simply pour the wine into glasses and enjoy an aperitif while giving it a few minutes to open up.
OKLAVA AT HOME:
DATE NIGHT BY LAURA CHRISTIE
For date night, keep things simple but impressive. Our Cypriot 75 makes an elegant start to any special evening: it is very simple to make if you have a lot of cooking to do, and the flavours are neither too sweet nor too bitter. It’s also easy to top up if you decide to stick to the cocktail through the meal.
DATE NIGHT MENU: DINNER FOR TWO
BAHARAT-SPICED BREAD WITH MEDJOOL DATE BUTTER
COURGETTE, FETA & MINT FRITTERS WITH WHIPPED FETA & MUHAMMARA
PISTACHIO-CRUSTED COD WITH PRESERVED LEMON BUTTER SAUCE OR SPICED BRAISED OXTAIL WITH SHALLOTS
BUTTERED FREEKEH WITH CHICKPEAS, GREEN OLIVES, CURRANTS & PISTACHIOS
MUHALLEBI WITH STRAWBERRY JELLY OR CHOCOLATE, PRUNE & CARDAMOM DELICE
A favourite wine for date nights at the restaurant is Kalecik Karası, pronounced ‘kahle-jik car-ah-su’ (or KK, as we call it for short). Among the things we love about Turkish wines are the names of the grapes, and this one means ‘black from the small castle’. Kalecik is a small village with a castle north-east of Ankara in Central Anatolia, and it’s the home of this grape variety. Also located near Ankara is the producer of this wine, Vinkara, a sophisticated and modern winery with a passion for indigenous varieties. Most of Turkish wine that makes it to export comes from the Aegean region, so getting some inland examples on the list has been fantastic.
