by Selin Kiazim
SPICED BEEF & BULGUR WHEAT KÖFTES
This is my take on a traditional Cypriot dish that I learnt from one of my mum’s friends. Traditionally, the dough is made with only bulgur wheat and water, but getting the consistency right can be challenging, which is why I’ve added eggs, flour and olive oil. You can add different spices and herbs to the meat to your liking, but it’s important not to add more wet ingredients, or you are likely to end up with a cracked casing where the juices have run into the dough.
MAKES 16 – 20
sunflower oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into wedges
FOR THE DOUGH
250g (9oz) fine bulgur wheat
1 teaspoon fine salt
about 800ml (1½ pints) boiling water
1 medium egg
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4–8 heaped tablespoons plain flour
yogurt with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, to serve (optional)
FOR THE FILLING
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
500g (1lb 2oz) minced beef
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely shredded (a little stalk is good)
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start by making the dough. In a large, deep tray, combine the bulgur wheat and fine salt and add enough water to cover the bulgur wheat by about 1cm (½in); the wheat will start absorbing it immediately but you don’t need to add more. Mix thoroughly, then cover with a clean cloth and leave to absorb all the liquid; this will take about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the pan. Carefully wipe the pan out with kitchen paper and return it to a high heat.
Add the remaining olive oil and the mince, breaking it up in the pan. Fry until it has browned all over and any excess moisture has evaporated. This will take about 15 minutes. Return the onion to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
Now add the spices and cook for a few more minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Check the seasoning and leave the mince to cool.
To finish the dough, add the egg, olive oil and 4 tablespoons flour to the soaked bulgur and knead by hand or using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for at least 5–10 minutes, or until you can form it into a ball without it sticking to your hands. If you feel the mixture is too wet, add a little more flour.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C (350°F). Alternatively, place a deep frying pan over a high heat and add enough sunflower oil to cover the köftes. When hot enough, a small cube of bread added to the oil should sizzle immediately.
To shape the köftes, break off a piece of dough a bit bigger than a golf ball and roll into a ball. Using slightly wet hands, poke your finger in and start turning the dough, shaping it into a long pocket with 8mm (⅜in) thick walls. Keep the top end a bit wider so that it is easier to stuff. Spoon in some of the beef filling, leaving about 1..5cm (5/8in) empty at the top. Now close off the end and ensure there are no gaps in your dough. If there are any cracks, remould, adding extra dough if needed, and smooth it over with damp hands.
Carefully place a few köftes at a time in the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Repeat the process until all the mixture is used up. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze into the filling.
SPICED BRAISED OXTAIL WITH SHALLOTS
Oxtail is a delicious but under-used cut: when cooked slowly, it produces soft, melting meat that is perfect for this hearty dish. A tablespoon of açi biber salçasi (hot pepper paste) adds warmth, but if you’re not a fan, replace it with more tomato purée. I like to serve this stew with mashed potatoes or a good loaf of crusty white bread to mop up the juices.
SERVES 2 – 4
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 slices oxtail, about 5cm (2in) thick
1 tablespoon plain flour
12 round shallots
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 star anise
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon Turkish hot pepper paste (açi biber salçasi)
125ml (4fl oz) red wine
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Place the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over a high heat. Season the oxtail and dust it in the flour. Add it to the dish and cook until dark brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. If the meat has released a lot of oil, remove some of it from the pan.
Add the whole shallots to the dish and turn the heat down to medium. Gently cook until golden brown; about 10 minutes. Add the bay leaf, spices, tomato purée and pepper paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook to reduce by half. Return the oxtail to the dish and add just enough water to cover it. Put the lid on and place in the oven for 2–3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.
Remove the oxtail and place the dish over a high heat to reduce the cooking liquid to a thick sauce. Return the oxtail to the dish, check the seasoning and serve.
FRIED BEEF & ALLSPICE KÖFTES
This dish is called kadin budu koftesi in Turkish, which means ‘ladies’ thighs meatballs’. I’ve heard that this is because the shape of these köftes resemble female legs, although whether this is truth or folktale, I really couldn’t say. But I can tell you that they work well as a part of a meze spread, or served alongside a nice mixed salad.
SERVES 4 – 6
60g (2¼oz) long-grain rice, rinsed in warm water
sunflower oil, for frying
2 onions, chopped
500g (1lb 2oz) minced beef
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
plain flour, for dusting
fine salt
Put the rice and water in a small saucepan. Season with a little salt and boil for 10–15 minutes, or until just cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook gently over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Add half the minced beef and continue to cook for 10–15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining minced beef with the rice, allspice, black pepper, 1 egg and the cooked mince. Season with salt and knead for about 5–10 minutes, or until the ingredients are well incorporated and form a ball. Fry a little piece to check the seasoning, then adjust the remaining raw mixture as necessary. Divide it into 14 equal pieces, and shape each into an oval patty.
Heat a shallow depth of oil in a large frying pan. Beat the remaining eggs in a bowl. Dust each patty in flour, coat in the egg and place in the hot oil. Fry for 1½ minutes, or until golden on each side. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little fine salt.
RABBIT FRITTERS
I discovered lalangi (rabbit fritters) while chatting to one of my mum’s friends about Cypriot food. Traditionally, this is a very simple dish in which you boil a whole rabbit in water and coat the picked meat in batter. The cooking method I use comes from my mum. Back in Cyprus, my dad used to go out hunting and bring back wild hares and rabbits. Mum would use vinegar and herbs to tame the strong flavour of the wild meat, a technique that I’ve adopted for many of my gamey dishes. Serve with Black Olive & Pepper Tapenade.
SERVES 6 – 8
1 rabbit, farmed or wild, jointed into 8 pieces
4 onions, chopped
200ml (7fl oz) red wine vinegar
200ml (7fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
>
1 sprig of rosemary
4 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE BATTER
250g (9oz) plain flour, plus extra for rolling
1 tablespoon fast-action dried yeast
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons nigella seeds
about 400ml (14fl oz) sparkling water
fine salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Put the rabbit in a roasting tray with 2 chopped onions, half the vinegar, half the olive oil, the thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the tray with foil and roast for 90 minutes, or until the rabbit is falling off the bone. Remove and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, put the remaining onions with the remaning olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook gently until caramelized; this will take 10–15 minutes. Add the remaining vinegar and allow it to bubble until there is almost no liquid left. Leave the onions to cool.
Once the rabbit is cool enough to handle, pick all the meat off the bones and shred it up a little. Drain off any liquor and onions from the rabbit and cook gently in a small pan until there is almost no liquid left. Add it to the caramelized onions.
Season the rabbit meat and add the parsley, tarragon and onions. Mix it well, then shape the rabbit mixture into small balls about 3cm (1¼in) in diameter.
To make the batter, put the flour in a bowl along with the yeast, sugar and nigella seeds. Gradually add the sparkling water, whisking continously. You are aiming for quite a thick batter, like one you would make for fish, so you might not need all the water. Finish by adding the salt and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C (350°F). Alternatively, heat a 4cm (1½in) depth of oil in a frying pan over a high heat. When hot enough, a small cube of bread added to the oil should sizzle immediately.
In batches of however many will comfortably fit in your fryer or pan, roll the balls of rabbit in flour, dip them in the batter, then carefully add to the hot oil. Fry until golden and crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and season with fine salt. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
CRISPY POMEGRANATE-GLAZED LAMB BREAST WITH YOGURT
Having initially created this dish in my days as head chef at Kopapa, I have since developed it as presented here. It was born out of my love for lamb, pomegranate molasses and yogurt, and started out as lamb ribs. However, after a chef overcooked them and they all fell off the bone, I decided it was even better as lots of bits of crispy lamb. At the restaurant we press the lamb under a weight overnight to help with portioning, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to; it is just as delicious as randomly shaped crispy chunks. The lamb is best prepared a day in advance.
SERVES 4
1 bone-in lamb breast, about 2 kg (4lb 8oz) – ask your butcher to cut it into 4 or 5 pieces to make it more manageable
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
flaky sea salt
FOR THE SAUCE
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
100ml (3½fl oz) pomegranate molasses
50ml (2fl oz) cider vinegar
25g (1fl oz) dark brown sugar
TO SERVE
4 heaped tablespoons Turkish or Greek yogurt
4 sprigs of mint, finely shredded
4 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, finely shredded
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Place the lamb breast, onion and bay leaf in a large roasting tray or ovenproof casserole dish. Add enough water to cover the lamb by about 2cm (¾in). Cover with foil or a lid and roast for about 3 hours. The lamb is ready when you can pull the bones away without any resistance. Set the lamb aside to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.
When the lamb is cool enough to handle, but not completely cold, remove as much meat as possible, discarding the bones and any cartilage. Place the meat in the fridge until the fat has set – preferably overnight. To achieve the neat cubes shown here, layer the lamb in a shallow rectangular tray – it should be tightly packed. Put another tray on top and weigh it down to press the lamb into shape. The next day, cut the meat into 2cm (¾in) cubes.
To make the sauce, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5. Put all the spices in a small roasting tray and toast them on the middle shelf for about 6 minutes. Discard any fat on the surface of the reserved cooking liquid, then place in a small pan with the toasted spices, pomegranate molasses, cider vinegar and sugar. Allow this to simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has a consistency like single cream, then strain off and discard the spices.
Put the diced lamb in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry until crispy all over, turning occasionally and seasoning with sea salt as you go. Be aware that a lot of fat will come out and the pan may spit at you, so take care. The pieces of lamb will break up a little in the pan, but that’s fine. You want some bits that are super crispy and some bits that are soft in the middle; this can take anything from 8–12 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a colander to drain, discarding the excess fat. Season with flaky sea salt.
To serve, place the yogurt in individual bowls or one big bowl. Place the lamb on top, pour over as much sauce as you like and sprinkle over the herbs.
QUINCE & ROSEMARY-GLAZED LAMB RUMP
I have to restrain myself from putting too many lamb dishes on the menu. As a Turk, I guess this love affair with lamb is quite natural. Lamb rump, sometimes also known as chump, is an underused cut, which is a great shame as it is full of flavour. Try to buy your rumps of lamb from a butcher, if you can, as supermarkets tend to sell them in slices rather than lovely hunks of meat. This recipe would work really well served with roast potatoes and vegetables, but it can also be served alongside other dishes for sharing. You could try the glaze with a leg of lamb instead of rumps – in which case preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6 and roast for 25 minutes for every 450g (1lb) of lamb. Increase the temperature to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7, and pour on the glaze. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until caramelized, basting halfway through the cooking time.
SERVES 4
100g (3½oz) quince paste (membrillo)
1 sprig of rosemary, stalks removed
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 lamb rumps, 200g (7oz) each, fat cap lightly scored
1 heaped tablespoon unsalted butter
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7. In a small blender, process the quince paste, rosemary, sherry vinegar and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.
Heat the oil into a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Season the lamb rumps with salt and pepper and put them in the pan, fat-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden. Increase the heat and turn them over. Brown them on all sides, then turn them fat-side down again. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Turn the lamb rumps over and return to the oven for 3 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. The meat will be pink in the middle; if you prefer it well cooked, just leave it in the oven for a bit longer.
Once the lamb has rested, put the pan over a high heat. Add the lamb rumps, about 50ml (2fl oz) of the glaze and add the butter. You can add all the glaze if you like this dish extra sticky, or save the rest to use another time, as it keeps well in the fridge. Let the glaze bubble up, turning until it is well coated. Remove the lamb and leave to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, slice each rump into 4 or 5 slices. Pour over any pan juices and sprinkle over some flaky sea salt to serve.
SPICED FRIED CRISPY LAMB’S LIVER
Laura and I first tried this dish while in Turkey before the opening of Oklava. We had spent a
lovely night at Arcadia vineyard, and on the way back to Istanbul our hosts took us to a restaurant in Edirne, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne is famous for its thinly sliced fried lamb’s liver and we were keen to try it out. Our hosts ordered what turned out to be huge plates of the dish, which I excitedly tucked into, relishing the rich flavour. If you’re an offal fan like me, you’ll love this simple dish, which I’ve adapted with the addition of a few spices. If you can’t find urfa chilli flakes, use normal chilli flakes instead. Serve with tomatoes, raw onions, lettuce and bread and Fried Dried Chilli Yogurt.
SERVES 4
250g (9oz) lamb’s liver, membranes removed
250ml (9oz) milk
1 tablespoon ground fennel
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon urfa chilli flakes (isot biber)
120g (4¼oz) plain flour
1 tablespoon fine salt, plus extra for seasoning
sunflower oil, for frying
Slice the liver into very thin strips about 3mm (⅛in) thick. Soak it in the milk for about 1 hour. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl. Mix the flour with the measured salt.
Heat a 1cm (½in) depth of oil in a shallow frying pan over a medium heat. Take the liver slices out of the milk in small batches and coat them thoroughly in the seasoned flour. You can place the liver slices in a sieve to shake off any excess flour.