KALBURA BASTI - RIDDLED COOKIES

August is generally always a calm month as most people are on vacation or enjoying the summery weather. Throughout this period of the year, my village becomes a ghost town, the building block where I live is quiet like a tomb, televisions stations are broadcasting old programs, friends are having a great time abroad and even bloggers are less active than usual. This holiday atmosphere is quite infectious. Most people get infected by the virus and dream of taking a break and having a blast away from closed walls and computers...

Consequently, it is the right moment for me to put a momentuous halt to my blogging and to have a bit of fun. But don't worry, I am not completely abandoning my blog during my short week off, because I'll be home chillin' all the while, and knowing how addicted I am to "Rosa's Yummy Yums" I will surely publish a couple of pictures in addition to a guest post (around the 19th of August) and will be on Twitter, Facebook or visiting your sites.

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This Friday, I have decided to write about a traditional delicacy from the majestic land of exotic delights, beauty, diversity and heritage that is Turkey. Despite having never travelled there, I have fallen in love with its wonderful culture and stunning landscapes...

"Kalbura Basti", sometimes also known under the name of "Hurma", are Turkish syrup-drenched pastries that have a riddled appearance. They are featured among the favorite specialities that are prepared for the three-day Candy Holiday (Şeker Bayram aka Eid Ul-Fitr) that follows the holy month of Ramazan (Ramadan). Although this treat is of Ottoman origin, a very similar variation of it ("Hurmašice" or "Hurme") can be found in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina too, since the Osmanli Turks invaded, controlled and influenced those regions.

Those date-shaped cakelets are rolled in very original way as one needs a colander, sieve or grater (the side used to grind nutmegs) to give them their unusual looks ("Kalbur" meaning colander). Apart from having a unique form, this speciality cannot be found everywhere in Turkey. As a matter of fact, it is quite difficult to come across it in bakeries or to see it being served in restaurants, because they are commonly baked at home and savored among family members.

According to the information I gathered while surfing in search for meager information, "Kalbura Basti" can be stuffed with chopped walnuts and grated coconut, or can even be devoid of any filling just like the version I am presenting today which is very basic. Nonetheless, I have made a few modifications by adding ground mahleb into the biscuit mix and a pinch of cinnamon into the coating liquid.

I took the recipe from "Turkish Cookbook" which I had bought on a Swiss bidding site. This book on Turkish cuisine is written by one of Turkey's leading cookery author and Sufi practitioner Nevin Halici who has published nine publications, "Sufi Cuisine" being her latest publication so far.

These simple cookies require hardly any ingredients or work (so easy to put together), and they contain no eggs nor butter, yet they are incomparably delicious. It is absolutely impossible not to get hooked on their exquisitely soft and crumbly texture, syrup-engorged and gooey dough as well as absolutely divine nutty, cinnamony and marzipany flavor. "Kalbura Basti" are incredibly addictive. Once you've eaten one, you cannot stop!

"Kalbura Basti"
Recipe adapted from Nevin Halici's "Turkish Cookbook".

Makes 16 cookies.

Ingredients For The "Cookies":
75ml Milk

75ml Olive oil
1/4 Tsp Baking soda
150g Plain flour
1/2 Tsp Ground mahleb (optional)

Ingredients For The "Syrup":

150g Castor sugar
125ml Water
1/2 Tsp Lemon juice
1/3 Tsp Ground cinnamon Optional)

Method For The "Cookies":
1. Grease a baking pan or cover it with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, olive oil and baking soda together, then add the flour and mahleb. Knead into a smooth dough.
3. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
4. Press each piece of dough over a sieve or a shredder with your fıngers while rolling and shaping into oblongs (do not press through).
5. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Method For The "Syrup":
6. Meanwhile, in a medium pan, add the sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon, bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy, then remove from heat.
7. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place them in a shallow dish and immediately pour the hot syrup over them.
8. Let them soak for 10 minutes, then turn them over and let the other side soak for another 10 minutes, then turn the cookies around again and let them cool.
9. Serve as soon as the cookies are no more hot.

Remarks:
This video (at 0:36 secs) will help you visualize how those cookies are shaped.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with a good cup of Turkish, Greek or Lebanese coffee or some black tea.

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"Kalbura Basti"
Recette adaptée de "Turkish Cookbook" par Nevin Halici.

Pour 16 gâteaux.

Ingrédients Pour Les "Gâteaux":
75ml de Lait
75ml d'Huile d'olive
174 de CC de Bicarbonate de soude
150 g de Farine
1/2 CC de Mahleb en poudre (en option)
Ingrédients Pour le "Sirop":
150g de Sucre cristallisé
125ml d'Eau
1/2 CC de Jus de citron
1/3 CC de Cannelle en poudre (en option)

Méthode Pour Les "Gâteaux":
1. Beurrer une plaque de cuisson ou la recouvrir de papier sulfurisé. Préchauffer le four à 200° C (400° F).
2. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble (émulsionner) le lait, l'huile d'olive et la bicarbonate de soude, puis ajouter la farine et le mahleb, puis pétrir jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte lisse.
3. Diviser la pâte en 16 portions égales.
4. Presser chaque morceau de pâte contre un tamis ou une râpe (côté pour râper la noix de muscade) et les rouler afin de leur donner une forme oblongue.
5. Placer les gâteaux sur la plaque et les cuire dans le four préchauffé pendant 20 minutes.

Méthode Pour Le "Sirop":
6. Pendant ce temps, préparer le sirop: mettre le sucre, l'eau, le jus de citron et la cannelle dans une casserole moyenne et porter à ébullition, puis laisser cuire 2 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le sirop se soit un peu épaissi, puis le retirer du feu.
7. Dès que les biscuits sortent du four, verser immédiatement le sirop chaud dessus. Laisser s'imbiber pendant 10 minutes, puis les retourner et les laisser s'imbiber pendant encore 10 minutes dans le sirop. Puis les retourner à nouveau et les laisser refroidir.

Remarques:
Cette vidéo (à 0:36 secs) vous aidera à visualiser la méthode de roulage.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec un bon café à la turque, grec ou libanais, ou du thé noir.

TURKISH CHEESE, SUCUK & OLIVE PIDE PIES

"Time is the only thief we can't get justice against."
- Astrid Alauda

No time, running. How many of you people have said or heard that sentence before? Too many, unfortunately. Sadly, most of us regularly struggle with a life that is far from being relaxed and suffer from that situation.

We always seem to be rushing and stressing like crazy, because our days are not long enough and we are engrossed in work and in doing chores. We are not capable of coping with the fact that hours pass incredibly fast and that we rarely get anything done as expected. I don't know about you, but although I don't mind being busy and having lots of things to do, I hate being on the run or put under pressure. It is just not a Feng-Shui/Zen lifetsyle. As a matter of fact, it is not for no reason that my favorite expressions is "trrrrranquile!" (pronounced with a Spanish accent)...

I have no clue why suddenly time started to fly by with infinite velocity, but I remember that when I was a college girl I went to school from 8am 'til around 5pm, then I studied for a while, listened to some music/CD's, wrote letters to my penpals, read novels, roamed town with friends and even had leisure to get bored or lie on my bed daydreaming. Nowadays, I barely can do half of those things and I'm continually keeping a concentrated eye on the clock!

This week, I got overtaken by the events, overwhelmed by the shortness of the those 168 hours and challenged by the incessant permutation of minutes. From Monday to Friday, I have been preparing a guest post for a foodblogger friend (creating a new dish, cooking it, taking pictures and putting my thoughts down on paper isn't all that easy and demands a certain amount of concentration), answering questions to an interview and taking care of all the household tasks (cooking, cleaning, etc...). Quite exhausting! And to crown it all I felt extremely lazy and lacked ambition. As a result, I had no stamina left to think about my new post, my schedule got busted as well as unintentionally altered.

You see, as antagonistic as it may sound, despite being a messy and chaotic individual, I am also somebody who needs structure in life, who likes a certain routine and things to be square, otherwise I tend to feel insecure, stressed and panicky. Is it bad or is it good? I don't believe it is, yet I must admit that the motives of this behaviour pattern elude me. I'm pretty sure a psychologist would find a concrete explaination, but I know that's how things work for me. I profoundly dislike having a disorganized agenda. The only places where I like anarchy and clutter to reign supreme are in my computer room, my kitchen or in arts (painting, photography, cinema or music).

For example, if I can't blog as planned I become very fidgety and anxious. Some mornings, I wake up with my heart beating loudly and an unhealthy need to run out of bed in order to sit in front of the computer. Although blogging brings me joy and fulfills my soul, it can also be a burden and a heavy weight for a disciplined perfectionist like me who has high expectations and seldom values herself positively. I am constantly afraid of never being able to deliver quality articles/recipes that are cunning enough.

I really have to find a solution to this problem as my painstaking fussiness and hairsplitting manners can be a real hindrance to creativity and productivity. I should learn how to be a little more laidback and cool when it comes to my blog, otherwise I am likely to end up loathing that activity, loosing your mojo and ending up with a burn-out, and that is something I have come dangerously close to experiencing lately...

When what you like becomes a "punishment" that brings pain, tension and confusion, then it is a sign that you are doing it the wrong way. Such destructive feelings can completely eradicate all the pleasure you used to feel while exercising your hobby and disgust you to the point of no return. Bad and really not constructive, so don't forget not to take blogging too seriously and be casual!

Anayway, despite my hectic mood and difficulty to deal with my "overbooked" agenda, I have nonetheless been able to prepare a post to share with you. I might be someone who needs a lot of energy to get out of her slumber, but it is always a joy to kick myself in the ass for you, my dear readers! So, this Friday I am presenting you one of my fetish recipes for a traditional pizza-like treat that hails from beautiful Turkey.

"A quick poll of our friends revealed that most did indeed think of Turkish food as being limited to endless versions of oily braised eggplant, with a few sticky pastries and limp doner kebabs thrown in for good measure. Yet we had read plenty of books that described Turkish food as one of the greatest cuisines in the world, and numerous magazines and newspapers were busily printing stories about a revitalised Istanbul - the new 'cool' travel destination."
- Greg and Lucy Malouf

Apart from having amazing landscapes, photogenic sceneries and astonishing monuments, to die for eats, unique atmosphere and being romantically exotic, this incredible country placed at a crossroads between Europe and the Middle East is also the beholder of incredible culinary traditions that blow my mind away. With its Central and Far East Asian, Persian, Arabic, Balkanese and Mediterranean influences, the refined cuisine from "the land of the Turks" is so stunning and bewithchingly authentic that it is quite impossible not to fall under its irresistible charm.

Being a big fan of the gastronomy from this part of the world and a fervent admirer of the great Australian Lebanese-born chef Greg Malouf, I constantly crave the dishes that can be found in his three marvelously written as well as illustrated award-winning food and travel compendiums "Turquoise" (Turkey), "Saha" (Lebanon & Syria) and "Saraban" (Persia). They are a fantastic source of recipes and inspiration.

I have already tested a few of the specialities that this talented cook dispenses in his remarkable cookbooks. One in particular has been on the menu more than once and has never failed to sweep us off our feet. His succulent "Cheese, Suçuk And Olive Pide Pies" are terrific and so addictive.

Those scrumptious boat-shaped tarts known under the name of "Sucuklu Pide" are made with simple bread dough which is enriched with olive oil and garnished with halloumi, kasseri (or Mozarella if you can't find this Greek/Turkish stringy cheese), Kalamata olives, green bell pepper and a pungent sausage called suçuk. A wonderful delicacy that is lipsmackingly spicy, cheesy and bready. There sure is more to the Turkish cuisine than kebabs!

Submitted to Yeastspotting!

~ Cheese, Suçuk & Olive Pide Pies ~
Recipe adapted from Greg and Lucy Malouf's, "A Chef's Travels In Turkey: Turquoise".

Makes 3 medium (or 2 big) pide pies.

Ingredients For The "Pide":
1 x Pide dough (recipe follows)
250g Halloumi cheese, finely sliced (see remarks)
150g Mozarrella, finely sliced
12 Pitted Kalamata olives, cut in 4
1 Medium-sized green pepper, seeded and cubed
1 (240g) Suçuk sausage, sliced
Kirmizi biber (Turkish chilli powder, see remarks), to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 Egg yolk
2 Tbs Milk
Ingredients For The "Pide Dough":
1/2 Tbs Dry yeast
A pinch castor sugar
190g/ml Warm water
250g Bread flour or all-purpose flour
3/4 Tsp Fine sea salt
2 Tbs Extra-virgin olive oil

Method For The "Pide Dough":
1. In the bowl of your mixer, dissolve the yeast in half the warm water and sprinkle with the sugar, set aside in warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Incorporate enough flour to create a sloppy paste (similar in texture to pancake batter) and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes in a warm place or until bubbly.
3. Add the remaining flour, the salt, water and the olive oil. Using the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed until the dough is smooth, springy and passes the window pane test, about for 10 minutes (add a little flour or water according to need - the dough should be slightly sticky, but not be tacky).
4. Transfer the dough to lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic film, and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hour.
5. Cut the dough into 3 equal portions and set aside.

Method For the "Pide":
6. Preheat the oven to 250° C (450° F).
7. Roll each piece of dough into a long 30 x 10cm (14 x 4 inches) rectangle.
8. Scatter 1/3 of the topping over the dough (start with the halloumi, then the mozarella, the olives, the pepper and the suçuk), leaving about a 2cm (1 inch) border around the edges.
9. Fold up the two long sides of the dough, bringing them up and over the topping, but without meeting in the middle, then squeeze the sides together at each end, twisting them together slightly to create a long "canoe/boat" shape. Sprinkle with the chilli powder and black pepper.
10. Repeat the operation with the rest of the dough.
11. To make the egg wash, mix together the yolk and the milk. Brush each pide with the egg wash.
12. Bake one Pide at a time for about 7 minutes, or until the bread is golden in color and the cheese has completely melted.
13. Serve hot.

Remarks:
If you don't have any halloumi, suçuk or kirmizi biber, you can replace them with quality Edamer cheese, Calabrese/dried or raw chorizo sausages and the chilli powder of your choice (fragrant and medium hot).

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with onion slices and a salad (tomato & cucumber or lettuce).
Sprinkle with additional olive oil and fine sea salt if you wish.

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~ Pide Au Fromage, Aux Olives Et A La Saucisse Suçuk ~
Recette adaptée du livre "A Chef's Travels In Turkey: Turquoise" par Greg and Lucy Malouf.

Pour 3 pide moyennes (ou deux grandes).

Ingrédients Pour La "Pizza Turque":
1 x Pâte à pain pour pide (la recette suit)
250g de Halloumi, tranché finement (voir remarques)
150g de Mozarrella, tranché finement
12 Olives kalamata, dénoyautées et coupées en lamelles
1 Poivron vert moyen, nettoyé et coupé en petits cubes
1 (240g) Saucisse suçuk sausage, coupée en rondelles
Kirmizi biber (poudre de piments turque, voir remarques), à volonté
Poivre noir, moulu, à volonté
1 Jaune d'oeuf
2 CS de lait
Ingrédients Pour La "Pâte A Pizza Turque":
1/2 CS de Levure sèche en poudre
190g/ml d'Eau tiède
Une pincée de sucre cristallisé
250g de Farine à pain ou farine blanche
3/4 CC de Sel de mer fin
2 Cs d'Huile d'olive extra vierge

Méthode Pour La "Pâte A Pizza Turque":
1. Dans le bol de votre robot, dissoudre la levure dans la moitié de l'eau, puis saupoudrer avec le sucre. Laisser reposer à température ambiante pendant 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux.
2. Ajouter assez de farine afin de former une pâte visqueuse (telle une pâte à pancake). Recouvrir avec un linge de cuisine et laisser la "pâte" lever pendant 20 minutes à température ambiante.
3. Incorporer le reste de la farine et de l'eau, le sel et l'huile d'olive, puis pétrir dans votre robot (à l'aide du crochet) à basse vitesse pendant 10 minutes (ajouter de l'eau ou de la farine selon besoin - la pâte ne doit pas être collante) afin d'obtenir une pâte douce et élastique (elle doit passer le test du "vitrail").
4. Mettre la pâte dans un bol huilé, recouvrir avec du film plastique et laisser lever pendant 1 1/2 heures (la pâte doit avoir doublé de volume).
5. Couper la pâte en trois parts égales et mettre de côté (recouvrir avec un linge humide pour pas qu'elle sèche).

Méthode Pour La "Pizza Turque":
6. Préchauffer le four à 250° C.
7. Abaisser la pâte en un rectabgle de 30 x 10cm.
8. Recouvrir la pâte 1/3 de la avec la garniture (commencer avec le halloumi, puis continuer avec la mozarella, les olives, le poivron et la saucisse suçuk) tout en faisant attention de laisser un bord de 2cm de chaque côté.
9. Rabattre les deux bords de 30cm vers l’intérieur, sur la garniture, sans les faire se joindre (seulement les 2cm de pâte qui doivent être repliés), puis entortiller les bouts afin d'obtenir une forme de bâteau ("canoe"). Saupoudrer avec la poudre de piments et le poivre noir.
10. Répéter l'opération avec les deux autres parts de pâte.
11. Mélanger ensemble le lait et le jaune d'oeuf, et dorer les bords à l’aide d’un pinceau culinaire. 12. Cuire pendant environ 7 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit cuite, dorée et que le fromage ait fondu.
13. Servir.

Remarques:
Si vous ne trouvez pas de halloumi, de suçuk ou de kirmizi biber, vous pouvez les remplacer par du Edamer de qualité, de la saucisse de Calabre/du chorizo cru ou séché de qualité et dela poudre de piments de votre choix (parfumé et pas trop épicée).

Idées de présentation:
Manger chaud et servir avec des oignons en rondelles et une salade (tomate et concombre ou laitue).
Si vous le désirez, vous pouver aussi ajouter un giclée d'huile d'olive et saupoudrer avec un peu de sel de mer fin.

KIRMIZI BIBER - TURKISH CHILI FLAKES

Today, I am once again going to talk about another fabulous goodie that my friend Jessica (from Maryland) brought me back from her trip to Istanbul...

"Kirmizi Biber" are Turkish red pepper flakes (this name is also used to describe whole chili peppers). It is one of the most useful and popular spices in Turkish cooking. The flavor of this fine blend of chilli peppers ranges from mild and sweet (the version I have) to fiercely hot. The peppers are rubbed with olive oil and gently roasted until dark red giving it an unmistakable as well as unique flavour and aroma.

Try sprinkling "Kimzi Biber" over your dips (hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, etc...), sauces (tomato sauces), soups (hot yoghurt soup, tahini and chickpea soup, etc...), stews, vegetables (imam biyaldi, baked potatoes, etc...), salads, pasta (Italian or Turkish like Manti ravioli), cheese (halloumi, feta, fresh cheese), seafood (scallops, any fish, etc...), grilled meat (kebabs, steaks, etc...) or in your sandwiches (Turkish fish sandwich). It's unique smoky sweetness will enhance any dish with it's irresistibly round flavor. It is without doubt a very convenient condiment to have in the kitchen!

STUFFED QUINCES - COINGS FARCIS

Lately, I have been delving into the world of Turkish as well as Middle Eastern food and have developped an immense passion for that delightful Mediterranean cuisine. That is why, today, I will grace the pages of this blog with a wonderful seasonal recipe that I have found in famous Egypto-English book author/culinary journalist Claudia Roden's "Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" (a book that does not disappoint)...

"Stuffed Quinces" or "Ayva Dolmasi" is a very scented and refined dish that is typically Turkish, but which can also be widely found in Persia as well as Georgia.

This Middle Eastern speciality is totally irresistible. In my opinion, there's no better way to celebrate autumn than by cooking a savory, spicy and totally original quince recipe which will fulfill your cravings for sweet and sour combinations. And what a fabulous and totally unique approach to preparing that lovely scented fruit. A perfect ode to fall!

Although this dish contains so few ingredients, you might be tempted to add another spice (garlic for example) or play a little around, but for godsake's don't! You would ruin the flavors of this dish which are very delicate, yet very complex and so well-balanced. "Ayva Dolmasi" doesn't lack character or taste and is
highly satifying gustatively speaking.

The quince pulp gives an ambrosial sweetness to the meat filling while the quince shells deliver a suprising tangy sharpness that contrasts luciously with the mellow roundness of the meat as well as the round and nutty taste of the pine nuts. There is no dissonance in this dish, only voluptuous aromas...

You will see, it is impossible to not fall in love with that fine example of the harmonious cuisine from Turkey"!

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With this Turkish recipe, I have decided to participate to Tobias' (at Tobias Cooks) "Mediterranean Cooking Event" in order to share my love for that cusine and maybe get the chance to win a great cookbook... So I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

~ Stuffed Quinces or Ayva Dolmasi ~
Taken from Claudia Roden's "Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 Large quinces (450g each)
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tbs Olive oil
4 Tbs Pine nuts
240g Ground lamb or beef
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground allspice
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Wash the quinces and rub off the light down that covers their skin in patches.
2. Put the quinces on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 170° C (325° F) for 1 to 2 hours, until they feel soft when you press them.
3. For the stuffing, fry the onion in the oil until soft and translucent.
4. Add the pine nuts and stir, turning them over, until golden.
5. Put the ground meat in a bowl with the spices, and work them to a paste with your hands. 6. Add the onions and pine nuts and work them into the paste.
7. When the quinces are cool enough to handle, cut the quinces in half lengthwise and remove the cores and discard them.
8. Then scoop out about one third of the pulp, chop it, and add it to the meat mixture.
9. Divide the meat between the four quince halves and press it into the quinces.
10. Return the stuffed quinces to the baking sheet and bake for half an hour at 180° C (350° F).
11. Serve with the accompaniment of your choice.

Remarks:
I used beef, but lamb would surely be tastier.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with rice pilaf, rice with chickpeas or bread and yoghurt.

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~ Coings Farcis A La Turque ou Ayva Dolmasi ~
Recette tirée du livre "Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" de Claudia Roden et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients:
2 Gros coings (450g chacuns)
1 Oignon moyen, haché
1 1/2 CS d'Huile d'olive
4 CS de Pignons
240g de Viande de boeuf ou d'agneau hachée
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/2 CC de Tout-épices (poivre de la Jamaïque)
Sel de mer et poivre, à volonté

Méthode:
1. Laver les coings en s'assurant de bien enlever le duvet qui les recouvre.
2. Mettre les coings sur une plaque de cuisson (recouverte de papier sulfurisé) et les cuire pendant 1 à 2 heures dans le four préchauffé à 170° C, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient mous au toucher.
3. Pour la garniture, faire revenir les oignons dans l'huile afin qu'ils soient transparents et tendres.
4. Ajouter les pignons et bien remuer jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés.

5. Mettre la viande hachée dans un bol avec toutes les épices et pétrir cette masse à l'aide de vos mains.
6. Ajouter les oignons et les pignons. Bien les incorporer dans la masse.
7. Quand les coings sont manipulable (tièdes), coupez-les en deux et retirez les pépins ainsi que les queues.
8. Prélever une petite partie de chair que vous hacherez et incorporerez à la viande hachée.
9. Diviser la garniture en 4 portions égales et farcir les coings.
10. Mettre les coings farcis au four et les cuire pendant 30 minutes à 180° C.
11. Servir avec l'accompagnement de votre choix.

Remarques:
J'ai utilisé de la viande de boeuf, mais je suis sûre que ce plat serait encore plus goûteux avec de la viande d'agneau.

Idées de présentation:
Servir soit avec du riz pilaf, du riz aux pois chiches ou du pain arabe et du yaourt.

SULTAN'S DELIGHT - HUNKAR BEGENDI

Authentic food from the Middle-East really attracts me to the highest point. The aromatic, deep, rich, elegant and refined Arab cuisine of this region of the world intrigues me as it reflects the mysterious, bountiful and exotic cultures that originated it...

As Claudia Roden's gorgeous cookbook "Arabesque" has ignited my interest for Middle-Eastern gastronomy, I now feel the urge to expand my cookery book collection in that direction. So when I came across the reviews of Greg Malouf's "Turquoise - A Chef's Travel In Turkey" on the net, I knew that I had to add it to my ongrowing (yet still frustratingly small) selection of cookbook.

My very thoughful boyfriend consulted my wishlist and decided to offer me this big book for my birthday (last Xmas). What a wonderful gift for a food lover like me! It might be quite expensive, but it sure is worth every penny spent!

Last week, I invited my good friend Corinne for lunch and as I know she is a food enthusiast as well as a Middle Eastern gastronomy admirer like me, I decided to treat her with a 100% Turkish menu based on three recipes taken from that fabulous "bible". I made a "Tomato Salad With Tarragon, Feta And Sumac Dressing", a dish called "Sultan's Delight" and some "Yogurt And Honey Sorbet" with "Cinnamon And Vanilla Flavored Apricot Compote". Both of us were delighted by the wonderful dishes that the Turkish cuisine offers and ate with much appetite!

"Sultan's Delight" is a delicate and luscious speciality consisting of a "Lamb Ragoût" which is served over a "Cheesy Eggplant Purrée". According to legend, this very dish was served to the Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoléon III, Emperor of the French, on a visit to Istanbul in 1869. As the Sultan Abdülaziz I wanted to impress his guest, he had many of his favorite dishes prepared, including this one. Eugénie liked it so much that she sent her own French chef to the palace kitchens in order to get the recipe. Unfortunately, the Sultan's chef was reluctant to give away his secrets and said that "an imperial chef needs only his heart, his eyes and his nose". Anyway, this popular dish (one of the most important of the Turkish cuisine) would not be served in restaurants around Turkey or cooked in many home if the recipe hadn't been shared somewhere down the line...

If you are still skeptical about that classic dish's amazing exquisitness, a mouthful it will be enough to convert you and make you understand why Eugénie fell in love with it or why the Sultan's chef was so protective when it came to sharing it with people outside of the palace! This spicy tomato and lamb stew pairs wonderfully well with the creamy and rich eggplant puree in order to create a unique as well as heavenly dish.

~ Sultan's Delight ~
Recipe by Greg Malouf "Turquoise: A Chef's Travel In Turkey" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for the "Lamb Ragoût":
700g Lamb (from the leg or shoulder)
40g Unsalted butter
2 Medium-big purple onions, cut into 1cm dice
3-4 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tsps Fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tsp Honey
2 Large vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
1 Tbs Hot Turkish red pepper paste (see remarks)
1 Tsp Sea salt
1/2 Tsp Freshly ground black pepper
250-300ml Chicken Stock
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
Ingredients for the "Cheesy Eggplant Purée":
2-3 Medium-big eggplants
90ml Thick cream
100g Gruyère, Cheddar, Kasseri or Comté cheese, grated
Good pinch of ground nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice

Method for the "Lamb Ragoût":
1. Trim the lamb of any fat and sinew and cut into 3 cm cubes.
2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based casserole dish over medium heat, then brown the lamb all over and remove from the pan.
3. If necessary, add a little more butter to the pan, then add the onion, garlic and oregano and sweat over a low heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the honey, then increase the heat and cook for another couple of minutes.
5. Stir in the tomatoes, pepper paste, salt, pepper and stock, the bring to the boil. Stir well and return the lamb to the pan.
6. Cover the pan, lower the heat and leave to slimmer very gently for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
Method for the "Eggplant Purée":
7. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and sit them directly on the naked flame of your stove top. Set the flame low-medium and cook for at least 15 minutes, turning constantly until the eggplants are charred all over and soft (see remarks).
8. Remove from the flame and place on a small wire rack in a sealed container or plastic bag so the juices can drain off. Allow the eggplants to cool for about 10 minutes.
9.When the eggplants are cool, gently peel away the skin from the flesh, taking care to remove every little bit or the purée will have a bitter burnt flavour.
10. Put the eggplants into a bowl of acidulated water and leave for 5 minutes-this soaks away any lingering bits of burnt skin and turns the flesh pale and creamy.
11. Drain the eggplants in a colander and squeeze them gently to extract any moisture, then chop very finely.
12. Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly.
13. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
14. Add the chopped eggplant and beat lightly to combine.
15. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required.

Remarks:
As I had not hot Turkish red pepper sauce, I used "Sambal Oelek".
If you don't have a gas stove, put the eggplants on a baking pan covered with parchment paper and bake them in the oven, at 250° C/480° F for about 40-50 minutes (turn them over after 25 minutes). You won't get quite the same smoky flavour, but the effect is reasonable.
If you wish, you can thicken the eggplant puree by using cornstarch (mix 1 1/4 Tbs in cream before boiling).

Serving suggestions:
To serve, spoon the eggplant purée into the centre of a warmed serving platter. Make a well in the centre of the purée and spoon in the lamb.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot with a salad, Ekmek or Pide bread.

***************

~ Délice Du Sultan ~
Recette par Greg Malouf "Turquoise: A Chef's Travel In Turkey", adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients pour le "Ragoût d'Agneau":
700g d'Agneau (gigot ou épaule)
40g de Beurre non-salé
2 Oignons rouges (assez gros), pelés et coupés en cubes d'un 1cm
3-4 Gousses d'ail, finement hachées
2 CC d'Origan frais, haché
1 CC de Miel
2 Grosses tomates, épeluchées, vidées et coupées en cubes
1 CS de Pâte de piments forte turque (voir remarques)
1 CC de Sel de mer
1/2 CC de Poivre noir fraîchement moulu
250-300ml de Bouillon de poulet
Persil plat, haché, pour garnir
Ingrédients pour la "Purée d'Aubergine Au Fromage":
2-3 Aubergines, moyennemnt grosses
90ml de Crème double
100g de Gruyère, Cheddar, Kasseri ou Comté, rapé
Une bonne pincée de noix de muscade moulue
Sel de mer
Poivre noir, fraîchement moulu
Quelques gouttes de jus de citron

Méthode pour le "Ragoût d'Agneau":
1. Enlever le gras, les tendons et nerfs de l'agneau et couper la viande en morceaux/cubes de 3 cm cubes.
2. Dans une large casserole à fond épais, faire fondre le beurre à feu moyen, puis faire brunir la viande de chaque côté et la déposer dans une assiette
3. Si nécessaire, ajouter un peu plus de beurre dans la casserole, puis ajouter l'oignon, l'ail et l'origan. Faire suer sur feu doux pendant environ 5 minutes.
4. Ajouter le miel, puis augmenter la température et cuire pendant une à deux minutes supplémentaires.
5. Ajouter les tomates, le pâte de piments, le sel, le poivre et le bouillon. Bien mélanger et porter à ébullition.
6. Couvrir la casserole, baisser le feu et faire mijoter pendant 1 à 1 1/2 heures, ou jusqu'à ce que la viande soit tendre, que le liquide se soit évaporé et que la sauce soit épaisse.

Méthode pour la "Purée d'Aubergine":
7. A l'aide d'une fourchette piquer les aubergines un peu partout et les placer directement sur la flame (feu moyen) du fourneau et les cuire au moins 15 minutes en les retournant constamment jusqu'à ce qu'elles soient bien grillées de tous les côtés (voir remarques).
8. Retirer du feu et les déposer, emballées dans du papier journal pendant 10 minutes.
9. Quand les aubergines sont plus trop chaudes, enlever la peau de manière délicate et sans en laisser autrement la purée aura un goût amer.
10. Mettre les aubergines dans un bol d'eau froide acidulée et laisser tromper 5 minutes afin que les petits bouts de peau partent et que la chair devienne pâle et crémeuse.
11. Egoutter les aubergines dans un chinois et bien les presser afin qu'il ne reste plus de liquide, puis hacher la chair très finement.
12. Dand une casserole moyenne, porter la crème à ébullition et faire mijoter quelques minutes afin qu'elle se réduise un peu.
13. Ajouter le fromage et bien mélanger, puis assaisonner avec la noix de muscade, le sel et le poivre ainsi qu'avec quelques gouttes de jus de citron.
14. Ajouter les aubergines hachées et battre afin d'obtenir une purrée homogène.
15. Goûter et ajuster l'assaisonnement si nécessaire.

Remarques:
Comme je n'avais pas de pâte de piments forte turque, j'ai utilisé du "Sambal Oelek".
Si vous n'avez pas de fourneau à gaz, alors mettez les aubergines dans le four (milieu) à 250°C et cuisez-les pendant 40-50 minutes, en les retournant après 25 minutes. Vous n'obtiendrez pas le même goût fumé que lorsqu'elles sont grillées directement sur le feu, mais le résultat sera plus que correct.
Vous pouvez épaissir votre puree en utilisant de la maizena (mélanger 1 1/4 CS avec la crème avant cuisson).

Idées de présentation:
Mettez la purée au centre de votre assiette, puis faites un puits et mettez-y quelques cuillères de ragoût d'agneau. Garnissez avec le persil et servez chaud avec une salade ainsi qu'avec du pain Ekmek ou du pain Pide.