Recipes

We have chosen a couple of our favourites dishes from Ghillie's books for you to try.

Smoked aubergine and yogurt puree (Serves 4)

(Taken from Turkish Cooking)

2 large, plump aubergines
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
225g/8oz thick, set, plain yogurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the aubergines directly onto the flame on the gas hob, turning them from time to time, until the skin is charred and the flesh feels soft to touch. Place them in a plastic bag and leave to sweat for 5 minutes. Hold each one by the stalk under running cold water and gently peel off the charred skin, until you are left with the smooth bulbous flesh on the end of the stalk. Squeeze the flesh to get rid of any excess water and place it on a chopping board. Cut off the stalk and chop the flesh to a pulp.

In a bowl, beat the flesh with the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Beat in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chunks of fresh crusty bread.

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Spinach with currants, pine nuts and yogurt (Serves 3-4)

(Taken from Turkish Cooking)

350g/12oz fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly washed and drained
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, cut in half lengthways, in half again crossways and sliced with the grain
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 tablespoons currants, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1-2 teaspoons Turkish red pepper, or 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
roughly 200g/7oz thick, creamy, set yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
ground paprika for the top

Place the spinach in a steamer, or in a colander placed in a large pot partially filled with water. Steam the spinach until soft. Drain off any excess water and coarsely chop the steamed spinach.

In a bowl, beat the yogurt with the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and put aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and stir in the onions and sugar, until they begin to colour. Toss in the currants, pine nuts and red pepper and fry until the nuts begin to colour. Add the spinach, tossing it around the pan until well mixed and pour in the lemon juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Serve the spinach from the pan with the yogurt spooned on top, or tip the mixture onto a serving dish. Make a well in the middle and spoon the yogurt into it, drizzling some of it over the spinach. Sprinkle a little paprika over the yogurt and serve while the spinach is still hot.

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Lamb's liver with cumin (Serves 4)

(Taken from Turkish Cooking)

500g/1lb 2oz fresh lamb's liver
2 tablespoons plain flour
1-2 Turkish red pepper, or paprika
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons cumin seeds
sea salt
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Place the pieces of liver on a board and, using a sharp knife, remove the skin and any ducts. Cut the liver into thin strips, or bite-size cubes. Mix the flour and red pepper in a shallow bowl and toss the strips of liver in it, until well coated.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the garlic and cumin seeds, until they give off a nutty aroma. Toss in the liver, stir-frying it quickly on all sides. Drain it on kichen paper. Serve hot or cold with wedges of lemon to squeeze over it.

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Carrot and feta patties (Serves 4-6)

(Taken from Turkish Cooking)

3-4 medium sized carrots, washed and peeled
3 tablespoons plain flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, cut in half lengthways, in half again and sliced
225g/8oz feta, crumbled
a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
a bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped
a bunch of fresh dill fronds, chopped
1 teaspoon Turkish red pepper, or 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
sunflower oil for frying

Coarsely grate the carrots. Gather up fistfuls of the grated carrot and squeeze out the excess water.

Tip the flour into a bowl and gradually beat in the eggs to form a smooth batter. Add the drained grated carrot, onion, feta, herbs and Turkish red pepper. Season with a little pepper - add salt, if you like, but usually the feta is quite salty. Mix well.

Heat enough sunflower oil for frying in a heavy-based, non-stick pan. Drop a few spoonfuls of the mixture, leaving a little space between each one, into the oil and fry the patties in batches, until firm to touch and golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately while they are still warm.

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Tagine of spicy kefta with lemon (Serves 4-6)

(Taken from Flavours of Morocco)

For the kefta
450g (1lb) finely minced lamb
1 onion, finely chopped, or grated
a small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ras-el-hanout
sea salt

2 tablespoons ghee
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
a small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 lemon, cut into 4 or 6 segments, with pips removed
sea salt

To make the kefta, pound the minced lamb in bowl. Using your hands, lift up the lump of minced meat and slap it back down into the bowl. Add the chopped onion, parsley, and spices and season with salt and pepper. Again, using your hands, mix the ingredients together and knead well, pounding the mixture for a few minutes. Take pieces of the mixture and shape them into little cherry-sized balls. (These can be made ahead of time and kept chilled in the refrigerator).

Heat the ghee in a tagine, or heavy-based casserole pot. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté with the sugar until they begin to brown. Add the turmeric and half the coriander and pour in roughly 300ml (10fl oz) water. Bring the water to the boil, reduce the heat and carefully place the kefta in the liquid. Put the lid back on and cook the kefta gently for about 30 minutes, rolling them in the liquid from time to time. Tuck the lemon segments around the kefta, season with salt, and cook gently for another 20 minutes. Garnish with the rest of the coriander and serve hot with a chunks of crusty bread or couscous.

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Older recipes can be found here