Oklava
Page 11
SPICED RICE, APRICOT, ALMOND & FILO PIE
Known as perde pilav in Turkish, this is a very traditional recipe, for which people would usually make their own dough and roll it out very thinly. Here I have tried to make it a little easier by using filo pastry (or the Turkish version, yufka, if you can find it, which is available in most Turkish supermarkets.) If you like, you can use different spices, nuts and fruit than those listed, and even mix in a little shredded chicken or duck.
SERVES 6
150g (5½oz) unsalted butter
50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
185g (6½oz) long-grain rice, rinsed
85g (3oz) dried apricots (preferably natural), diced
100g (3½oz) whole blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
350ml (12fl oz) boiling water
2 large sheets of yufka, or 6 sheets filo pastry
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt 100g (3½oz) of the butter with the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until golden. Add the garlic and all the spices and continue to cook for 5 minutes over a low heat. Now add the rice and season with salt and pepper, stirring to ensure it is well coated. Add the apricots, almonds and boiling water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to its lowest setting, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked.
Remove the rice from the pan and spread it out on a tray to cool down completely. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7.
Melt the remaining butter and use some of it to lightly grease a 20cm (8in) round cake tin. If using yufka, drape the first sheet over the tin and press it down into the bottom and sides, allowing the excess to hang over the edge. Fill the tin with the rice mixture, pressing it out firmly and evenly. Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling and brush it with a little butter. Trim the second sheet so that it is just a little bigger than the tin. Place it on the top of the rice and, using a spoon, tuck in all the corners neatly. Brush the top with butter. If using filo, follow the same procedure, using 3 sheets to line the tin and 3 trimmed sheets on top, brushing each sheet with butter.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove the pie from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Carefully turn it onto a plate and leave to rest for another 10 minutes. Slice into 6 portions to serve.
VEGETABLE DOLMAS
These are called yalanci dolma in Turkish: dolma refers to anything stuffed, and yalanci means ‘liar’, as this version does not contain the usual meat. Mum is a complete pro at any sort of dolma, and is known in our circle for making the best. Throughout the summer she makes them using vine leaves, which she grows herself in the garden, and in the winter she moves on to different types of cabbage. This version, using cabbage leaves, is a good place to start, and once you have mastered it, you can move onto vine leaves, which are a little fiddlier to handle. You could also use the Artichoke Dolma filling to stuff cabbage or vine leaves.
SERVES 8 – 10
2 whole Savoy or green cabbages, stalk removed
500g (1lb 2oz) white long-grain rice, rinsed
2 onions, finely chopped
400g (14oz) tinned plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons dried mint
125ml (4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of 2–3 lemons (we like our dolmas with a zing; use 2 if you don’t)
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Separate the cabbage leaves, making sure you keep them intact. As long as the leaf is big enough to roll into a cigar shape, it is usable.
In a large bowl, mix together the rice, onions, tomatoes, mint, oil and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Blanch the cabbage leaves in batches of 5 for about 1 minute, until they are just pliable. Remove and place on a large tray to cool.
To make the dolmas, take a large cabbage leaf and place a heaped tablespoon of the rice mixture in a line across the stalk end, as in the photo opposite. Do not go right to the edges. Working from the edge closest to you, roll up the leaf tightly to form a cigar shape. The sides will roll in naturally. Put the dolma in a large, wide-based pan with a lid.
Repeat the process until all the leaves are used up or you run out of mixture. As the leaves get smaller you will need less stuffing. It is very important to pack the dolmas in tight layers in the pan. It’s fine to put them on top of one another, but do not go right to the top of the pan, as you need to leave room for them to expand. Boil the kettle and pour over just enough hot water to cover the top layer of dolmas. Put an upside-down plate directly on top of the dolmas to hold them down. Set the pan over a high heat; as soon as the water comes to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, put the lid on and cook for 40–45 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated.
Once cooked, take the pan off the heat and remove the plate. Put a couple of pieces of kitchen paper on top of the dolmas and put the lid back on. Leave to stand for about 15–20 minutes before serving; I like them best served at room temperature.
RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH YOGURT SAUCE, CHILLI BUTTER & PINE NUTS
These small pasta dumplings are called pirohu in Cyprus and manti in Turkey. My version takes a little time, but I believe it’s totally worth the effort.
MAKES ABOUT 36
1 sweetheart cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
semolina, for dusting
½ quantity Chilli Butter
50g (1¾oz) pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
flaky fine salt
FOR THE DOUGH
250g (9oz) plain flour
½ teaspoon fine salt
200–300ml (7–10fl oz) cold water
FOR THE MINT OIL
1 teaspoon dried mint
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
3 banana shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
125ml (4fl oz) white wine
500ml (18fl oz) double cream
400ml (14fl oz) Turkish or Greek yogurt
FOR THE FILLING
500g (1lb 2oz) ricotta cheese
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
small bunch of tarragon, leaves only, chopped
8 basil leaves, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
First make the dumpling dough: mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Keep mixing while you slowly pour in the water until a dough forms. Tip it onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. Cover with clingfilm and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
To make the mint oil, put the dried mint and olive oil in a small pan and heat gently for 5 minutes. Set aside to infuse.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the shallots and cook gently until golden brown. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further few minutes. Now add the wine and simmer to reduce by half, then add the cream and reduce by one-third. Remove from the heat and whisk in the yogurt. Using a stick blender, blend the sauce until smooth and season with salt. Leave to cool and set aside in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 210°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Put the cabbage wedges on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are a little charred and the cabbage is tender but not overcooked. Set aside. Turn the oven down to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.
Combine the ingredients
for the filling and season to taste. Set aside.
To make the dumplings, cut the dough in half and cover 1 piece with a damp tea towel. Roll the other into a circle 2–3mm (1/16–⅛in) thick.
Place about 18 teaspoons of the ricotta mixture on one half of the pastry sheet, spaced evenly apart. Brush the other half of the circle lightly with water if it seems to be too dry to stick by itself. Fold over the circle and push down to seal the edges neatly around each pile of ricotta. Cut out each dumpling using a cup or pastry cutter. Place on a tray or plate heavily dusted with semolina. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Melt the chilli butter and keep it warm. Cut the stalks out of the cabbage quarters and put them in the oven to reheat. Gently reheat the yogurt sauce until it is just warm to the touch, then cover with a lid.
Working in batches, put the dumplings in the boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with some of the cooking water to stop them sticking while you cook the rest. To serve, divide the cabbage and dumplings between 4 plates. Spoon over the warm yogurt sauce. Drizzle over some chilli butter and mint oil. Finally, scatter over the pine nuts and thyme leaves.
SOUR CHERRY PEARL BARLEY, CRISPY KALE, YOGURT, CHILLI BUTTER & SHEEP’S CHEESE
I’m not sure how I came up with this dish, but I’m really glad I did. It’s a big crowd pleaser, which I think is because it is quite unusual and you wouldn’t expect pearl barley to be so full of flavour. It found its way onto the Oklava menu after a critic wrote a review of my residency at Carousel, describing it as a highlight of her year.
SERVES 6 – 8
1 quantity Chilli Butter
6 tablespoons Turkish or Greek yoghurt
small bunch of mint, leaves only, shredded
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, shredded
1 quantity Crispy Kale
60g (2¼oz) hard sheep’s cheese, such as pecorino
FOR THE PEARL BARLEY
150ml (5fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
6 banana shallots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
200g (7oz) dried sour cherries
250g (9oz) pearl barley, rinsed with cold water
fine salt
First prepare the pearl barley: heat the olive oil in a pan over a very low heat, add the shallots and cook very gently for 20 minutes, until soft but with no colour. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the sour cherries and pearl barley and stir to coat in the oil and shallots. Pour enough cold water into the pan to cover the barley by about 2cm (¾in). Gently cook over a medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until just cooked through. Season with fine salt. Meanwhile, melt the chilli butter and keep warm.
Transfer the pearl barley mixture to a serving platter or individual plates. Put the yogurt in a squeezy bottle (if you have one) and drizzle it over the top. Add the herbs and a trickle of warm chilli butter, top with the crispy kale and finely grate over the cheese.
BUTTERED FREEKEH WITH CHICKPEAS, GREEN OLIVES, CURRANTS & PISTACHIOS
Freekeh is a brilliantly versatile grain with a rich, slightly smoky flavour that comes from roasting over an open fire. This is a great dish by itself, as part of a sharing meze-style meal, or as an accompaniment to roasted meats or fish. We sometimes serve it with fried prawns and a wedge of lemon.
SERVES 2 – 4
125g (4½oz) unsalted butter
50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
3 banana shallots, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
250g (9oz) freekeh, rinsed under cold water
125g (4½oz) currants
200g (7oz) good-quality green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
700ml (1¼ pints) water
400g (14oz) tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g (5½oz) pistachios, shelled, toasted and coarsely ground
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
small bunch of mint, leaves only, shredded
small bunch of chives, chopped
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook gently for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 2–3 minutes.
Now add the freekeh, currants and olives and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little extra water if it seems a bit dry. The freekeh should be just tender, but still with a little bite to it. Finally, add the chickpeas, pistachios and herbs, check the seasoning and serve.
OKLAVA AT HOME:
PERFECT PARTY FOOD BY LAURA CHRISTIE
At Oklava we believe that all special occasions should start with a glass of fizz. Our favourite is Kavaklidere Altın Köpük (literally ‘golden foam’), a fantastic wine from Turkey’s oldest and probably best-known winery. The indigenous grape used is Emir, which means ‘lord’, a name said to derive from the fact that Emir wines have occupied a place on the dinner tables of nobility as far back as Roman times.
PARTY MENU
FRIED BEEF KÖFTE WITH TOMATO RELISH
CUTTLEFISH WITH BAHARAT, PEAS & SAMPHIRE
TOMATO, RAW ONION, PURSLANE, CRISP BREAD & MINT SALAD
SALAD OF RUNNER BEANS, CUCUMBER, FENNEL & KALE WITH A TOMATO DRESSING
FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC YOGURT & POMEGRANATE
VEGETABLE DOLMAS
SPICED BEEF & CHEESE SAUCE POGAÇAS
SEMOLINA CUSTARD & FILO BÖREKS
Perfect as an aperitif, Altın Köpük is most easily comparable to Prosecco, and will be familiar in taste: predominantly green apple and white flower with a slight brioche note. This brioche note and a slight added complexity are due to the wine spending some time ageing in contact with yeast. For this reason, it is a very interesting halfway house, production-wise, between Prosecco and wines made by the Champagne method.
For a Turkish take on the classic Bellini, mix Altın Köpük with a basic fruit purée or syrup – our favourites are bergamot, pomegranate and rose. We recommend about 25ml (¾fl oz) purée or syrup, depending on concentration, to 125ml (4fl oz) wine. This is great option for a large group: you can pour the syrup or purée into glasses beforehand, ready to top up with fizz just before serving. If you can’t find Altın Köpük, any Prosecco-style sparkling wine will match well with these syrups or purées, and pair perfectly with Turkish flavours.
For a cocktail option, our Pomegranate & Sumac Martini is a great choice, as all the work can be done in advance and the mixture refrigerated until required. You could even skip the shaking-with-ice stage and add the lime to the prepared mixture for a speedy service, although shaking cocktails in front of guests is always a nice touch. If serving this drink pre-mixed, we recommend chilling the glasses in the freezer or with ice and water first.
The dishes listed on the right are perfect to be laid out buffet-style, or even passed around, leaving you to enjoy your evening without being tied to the stove.
Homemade limonata
Pomegranate iced tea
Traditional turkish çay
Turkish apple tea
At-home ayran
Turkish coffee
Turkish bloody mary
Pomegranate & sumac martini
Medjool date, espresso & fennel martini
Cypriot 75
Raki
HOMEMADE LIMONATA
As one famous food critic asked me in our opening weeks: is this just posh lemonade? The answer is essentially yes. All over Istanbul you see street vendors selling fresh limonata, which is extremely refreshing and easy to make and store. It’s a great addition to a barbecue or for any non-drinkers. Modifications to personal taste can easily be made with the addition of almost any other fruit. The amount of sugar can also be adjusted to taste.
MAKES 1 LITRE
500g (1lb 2oz) granulated sugar
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500ml (18fl oz) water
500ml (18fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
lemon slices or mint sprigs, to serve
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a saucepan and heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Mix the sugar syrup with the lemon juice and store in the refrigerator until required.
To serve, fill a glass with ice and add 25ml (¾in) of the lemon mixture; top up with still or sparkling water and serve with a slice of lemon or sprig of mint.
POMEGRANATE ICED TEA
We have always felt that it’s a shame to have an interesting food and wine list but a dull soft drinks selection – an opinion Laura became more firm about on finding out she was expecting a baby a few months after Oklava opened. Pomegranate iced tea is very refreshing and simple to make, but has enough wow factor to impress guests. This recipe makes a big pitcher for sharing, but you could easily bottle and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days. It’s easy to adapt the recipe – with green tea, for example, or any other kind of fruit.
SERVES 6
25g (1oz) granulated sugar
200ml (7fl oz) light English breakfast tea, brewed for 1 minute
600ml (20fl oz) pomegranate juice
pomegranate seeds
Stir the sugar into the tea until dissolved, then stir in the pomegranate juice. Refrigerate until required.