Jan Bilton: Spice trail to Turkish delights (+recipes)

Lamb cooked in yoghurt and cumin.

On a recent trip to Turkey I spent a couple of days exploring the spice alleys and sampling the street food of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.

I'm now an avid fan of Turkish fare. So when I received Turkish Fire, a cookbook of street food and barbecue recipes, I was entranced not only with the recipes but the background of the author, Sevtap Yuce.

Sevtap grew up in Ankara and the story of her early life brought tears to my eyes but thankfully there is a happy ending. She married and now lives in Australia. Sevtap trained with renowned chef Bill Granger in Sydney and now runs a successful cafe, Beachwood, in the northern rivers area of New South Wales at Yamba. Her story is well worth reading.

I'm enjoying adding new Turkish delights to my repertoire. But, being the sort of cook I am, I can't help adding my own little innovations. This sometimes happens because of the difference in even basic ingredients between countries. For example, the type of flour we have in New Zealand is different to flours in other countries, which absorb more or less water.

I assume that the intensity of the spices is greater when purchased fresh from street stalls so I sometimes increase the quantity when using spices from my pantry.

Flavoursome ingredients used in Turkish recipes include:

Sumac: Prepared from a reddish-purple berry with a slightly astringent, lemon flavour. The seeds are dried and finely crushed and add flavour and colour to rice, vegetable dishes, fish and meats.

Nigella seeds: Little black seeds with a slightly bitter taste, a combo of black pepper, oregano and onions. Excellent in vegetable dishes, sprinkled on breads or with curries.

Cumin: Aromatic and with a distinctive flavour, cumin should be used sparingly in vegetable dishes and sauces. Excellent in curries, pickles and other spicy dishes.

Allspice: Also known as pimento they are the small sun-dried berries of a tropical tree. They have a combined aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

Pul biber: A crushed red pepper prepared from dried aleppo peppers. The Turks sprinkle it over almost everything. Mild to medium in heat, you can replace it with chilli flakes in recipes.

Turkish Fire: Author; Sevtap Yuce. Publisher: Hardie Grant.

RECIPES

LAMB COOKED IN YOGHURT & CUMIN SEEDS

Based on a recipe from Turkish Fire.
3 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp each: chilli flakes, flaky sea salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg boned and rolled lamb shoulder
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 160C.

Lightly toast cumin seeds. Combine with chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Rub the lamb with yoghurt pushing it into any crevices. Sprinkle with combined spices. Wrap securely in foil. Place in roasting pan and cook for 2 and 1/2 hours, until very tender. Remove from oven, cover with a towel and rest for 20 minutes.

Place meat on a platter and, using 2 forks, pull meat apart.

Great served with burghul salad and mint salad. Or Turkish bread. Serves 8.

TURKISH BREAD

This bread could also be sprinkled with nigella seeds.

2 tsp dried active yeast granules
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp flaky sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tbsp whole cumin or caraway seeds
Extra sea salt to garnish

Place yeast, sugar and water in a bowl. Stand until yeast starts to foam.

Place flour and salt in a cake mixer. Using the dough hook, gradually add the water/yeast combo.

Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and continue kneading with dough hook for 8 minutes.
Form into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl and brush with more oil. Cover. Stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 250C. Lightly flour 2 large oven trays.

Divide the mixture in half and roll into 2 balls. With wet hands press dough out to form 2 long ovals about 30cm x 20cm on each oven tray. Using fingers, make dimples in dough. Brush with egg and sprinkle with cumin or caraway seeds and extra salt. Bake, one tray at time if necessary, for 8-10 minutes, until golden.

Best served freshly made and hot. Makes 2 loaves.

MINT & PARSLEY SALAD

Use flat-leaf parsley for best flavour.

4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp sumac
Sea salt to taste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup each: mint leaves, flat leaf parsley

Combine the tomatoes, red onion, sumac, salt and olive oil in a bowl.
Just before serving add the mint and parsley leaves.
Serves 4.

CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS

Feta cheese and fresh dill could be used in place of the goat's cheese.

1kg cauliflower
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 shallots, diced
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg
100g goat cheese with dill
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Sunflower oil for frying

Remove leaves and thick stems from cauliflower. Break into florets. Bring saucepan of water to the boil. Add lemon juice and florets. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Place florets in a bowl and mash them well. Add shallots, flour and egg. Crumble in goat cheese and season to taste.

Shape into patties about the size of large walnuts. Pan-fry the patties in batches in the oil for about 2-3 minutes each side, until they are golden.

Drain on paper towels and keep them warm. Serves 6.