Anatolian Recipes Worth Gathering For
Six cherished dishes from the Turkish table, each made with honest fats that bring out the depth of every ingredient.
Lamb Guvec (Clay Pot Stew)
Lamb slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot with peppers, tomato, and butter until it turns spoon-tender. The heart of the Anatolian table.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 kg lamb shoulder, cubed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green peppers, sliced
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup hot water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a heavy pot and brown the lamb well on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter, onion, and garlic; cook until soft and golden. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika.
- Return the lamb, add the tomatoes, peppers, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and hot water.
- Cover tightly and transfer to a 160C oven. Cook slowly for 2 hours until the lamb is falling apart.
- Check the seasoning and let it rest for 10 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve with rice or bread.
Ezogelin Soup
A warming red lentil and bulgur soup finished with a sizzling butter and mint drizzle. The classic soup of the Anatolian home.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 200g red lentils, rinsed
- 3 tbsp fine bulgur
- 2 tbsp rice
- 1.5 liters hot water or broth
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pot and cook the onion until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika for 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils, bulgur, rice, and hot water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until everything is soft.
- Blend part of the soup for a smoother body if you like, then season with salt and lemon juice.
- In a small pan, melt the remaining butter with the dried mint and chili flakes until fragrant.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle the minted butter over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.
Karniyarik (Stuffed Eggplant)
Whole eggplants split and filled with a spiced beef and tomato mixture, then baked until soft and glossy. A beloved Turkish main.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 6 small eggplants
- 400g ground beef
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tomatoes, 2 chopped and 1 sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 handful parsley, chopped
- 1 cup hot water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the eggplants in stripes and fry them whole in olive oil until soft and golden. Set aside on paper.
- In the same pan, cook the onion, garlic, and green pepper until soft. Add the beef and brown it well.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, half the tomato paste, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Slit each eggplant lengthwise and open a pocket. Fill generously with the beef mixture and top with a tomato slice.
- Mix the remaining tomato paste with the hot water and pour around the eggplants. Bake at 190C for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Baked Sea Bass with Olive Oil
Whole sea bass baked with lemon, tomato, and plenty of olive oil, the way it is done along the Aegean coast. Light, fresh, and honest.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 whole sea bass, cleaned
- 2 lemons, one sliced and one juiced
- 3 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced into rings
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the fish dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck parsley and a few lemon slices into each cavity.
- Drizzle a baking dish with olive oil and lay down the onion rings, tomato slices, and garlic.
- Place the fish on top, pour over the lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil, and scatter with oregano.
- Bake at 200C for 25 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the flesh flakes easily.
- Rest for a few minutes and serve straight from the dish with the pan juices spooned over.
Turkish Pide Flatbread
Boat-shaped Anatolian flatbread with a soft, chewy crust, brushed with butter and ready for any topping. A staple of the Turkish oven.
Ingredients
- 500g bread flour
- 7g instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 300ml warm water
- 1 egg yolk for brushing
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the olive oil and warm water and knead into a smooth, soft dough.
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled. Divide into three pieces and roll each into a long oval.
- Fold and pinch the edges to form a boat shape, then place on lined trays. Rest for 20 minutes.
- Brush the rims with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Add any topping you like to the center.
- Bake at 230C for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Brush the hot crust with melted butter before serving.
Irmik Helvasi (Semolina Halva)
Toasted semolina cooked in butter with pine nuts, then simmered into a warm, fragrant pudding. The traditional Turkish comfort sweet.
Ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 250g coarse semolina
- 200g sugar
- 500ml milk
- 250ml water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Ground cinnamon to serve
Instructions
- Warm the milk, water, and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Keep it warm on low heat.
- Melt the butter in a heavy pot and toast the pine nuts until golden. Add the semolina.
- Stir the semolina constantly over medium-low heat for about 12 minutes until it smells nutty and turns light gold.
- Carefully pour in the warm sweetened milk (it will bubble). Stir until smooth, then add the vanilla.
- Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 8 minutes until thick. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then scoop and dust with cinnamon.
