Sweet and sour

Part travel guide and part recipe book, Istanbul Cult Recipes by Pomme Larmoyer offers an immersive experience of food, culture and place. Istanbul shares with its residents and visitors alike a great love affair with food. Its food is like the city — endless, generous, varied and festive.

Turkish cuisine is as richly diverse as the country itself, which brings together the influences of Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean. In Istanbul Cult Recipes, almost every dish has its own neighbourhood, accompanied by an address at which to enjoy it, making for a long list of places to stop for lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or a snack.

Pomme Larmoyer’s Istanbul Cult Recipes is a compilation of recipes from Istanbul cuisine and recommendations of where to go and eat when you visit. Take your pick of lively Turkish breakfasts; linger over delectable plates of meze; try your hand at making breads, wraps and kebabs like those sold from the city’s food carts and master the art of making sweets such as baklava, helva and of course, the unctuous Turkish delight. With maps highlighting some of the author’s favourite food destinations and profiles on some of the city’s proprietors and chefs, let Istanbul Cult Recipes envelop you in its passion for Turkish food.

• Pomme Larmoyer is a food writer, editor and traveller. She believes you can learn everything you need to know about a country from its kitchens and enjoys talking with other people from other cultures about their style of food.

TURKISH TABOULEH - Hande’s kisirKisir is Turkish tabouleh (above), traditionally made from burghul, tomatoes, capsicums (peppers) and fresh herbs. Hande Bozdogan, the lovely founder of the Istanbul Culinary Institute gave me her version, which is both sweet (from the beetroot) and sour (from the pomegranate molasses and balsamic vinegar). The pomegranate molasses used to dress this salad is very different from pomegranate juice, and far more like a thick vinegar. Do not overlook it because it has a unique sweet–sour flavour.

INGREDIENTS:

150g fine burghul (bulgur)2 beetroot (beets), trimmed, cooked and peeled (see note below)Extra virgin olive oil½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar2 bulb spring onions (scallions), finely chopped3 or 4 flat-leaf (Italian) parsley sprigs, finely chopped2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked and finely choppedpul biber (Aleppo pepper) or other chilli flakes1 generous teaspoon pomegranate molasses (available from Turkish or other Middle Eastern food shops, some supermarkets and online)METHOD:

Bring 300ml water to the boil in a saucepan, and add the burghul. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, then set aside.Purée one of the beetroot in a blender or food processor with a little olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Dice the other beetroot, and add the diced beetroot and the purée to the burghul.Next, add the spring onions, parsley, thyme, a pinch of chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt. Stir through, then add the pomegranate molasses and a little more olive oil. Stir through again, and serve cold.Note: To cook beetroot, wrap them in foil and roast in a preheated oven at 200°C for 1–1½ hours. (Insert a knife into the flesh to check whether they are done: they are cooked when they are tender and the flesh is easily pierced.) Peel once they are cool enough to handle.Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 10 minutesServes 4— Courtesy of Istanbul Cult Recipes by Pomme Larmoyer. Published by Murdoch Books. RRP $55

TURKISH WRAPS - dürümA dürüm (above) is a thin unleavened flatbread that can be filled with anything you like — meats and vegetables of all kinds — to create a wonderful rolled sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Lebanese flatbreadSALAD

Chopped lettuceRed onion slicesRocket (arugula)Flat-leaf (Italian) parsleyTomato slices seasoned with salt, sumac and pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or other chilli flakesMake the filling of your choice (see below). Lay the flatbread in a very hot frying pan (without adding any fat), cooking for 30 seconds on each side. Place the salad, then your choice of filling in the middle of the flatbread, season with salt, sumac and chilli flakes to taste, and roll the bread into a cylinder. Serve hot.

LAMB

100g lamb tenderloin, cut into cubes and marinated in 1 teaspoon tatli biber salçasi (mild Turkish chilli paste), a little sunflower oil and saltOR trimmed and cleaned lamb’s liver, diced and seasonedThread the cubes of meat onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water beforehand). Grill on a medium-hot barbecue (or under a preheated grill/broiler or in a frying pan), turning, until cooked through.

MINCED MEATS

100g minced (ground) beef60g minced (ground) lamb shoulder1 small garlic cloveA little finely chopped onionChopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsleyMix together all ingredients, season with salt. Shape the meat onto skewers. Grill on a medium-hot barbecue (or under a preheated medium-hot grill/broiler or in a frying pan), turning, until cooked through.

CHICKEN

100g free-range skinless chicken thigh fillet, cut into cubes1 small garlic clove, crushed½ teaspoon ground cuminSunflower oilMix together the chicken, garlic and cumin in a bowl. Drizzle with a little sunflower oil, and season with salt. Thread the cubes of chicken onto skewers. Grill on a medium-hot barbecue (or under a preheated grill/broiler or in a frying pan), turning, until cooked through.

Preparation time: 10 minutesResting time: at least 1 hourCooking time: 10 minutesMakes 1 wrap