Sultan's Kitchen. Ozcan Ozan
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the tahini to make a smooth paste. Garnish with sliced red onion and olives and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with toasted pita bread.
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Zeytinyağlı Kuru Fasülye Pilakisi
Lima beans with Vegetables and Olive Oil
SERVES 4-6
1 pound dried medium or large lima beans (2 cups), soaked overnight (page 7)
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 carrots, diced (3/4 cup)
1 rib celery, diced (1/2 cup)
2 potatoes, diced (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Lemon wedges
Drain the soaked beans, place them in a saucepan, and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook the beans gently for about 30 minutes, or until they're just tender.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion gently for about 2 minutes, until it's softened but not brown. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, carrots, and celery. Drain the cooked beans and add them to the pan, cover it, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a serving dish, cover it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.
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Zeytinyağlı Taze Bakla Fresh Fava Beans Cooked with Olive Oil SERVES 4-6
This recipe, in which the entire fava pod and beans are eaten, comes from the Aegean region. It is prepared in the southern and western parts of the country in early spring and summer, when fava beans are young and tender. The dish is delicious served on hot days with Yogurt-Garlic Sauce or just plain yogurt.
1 1/2 pounds fresh fava beans
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
Salt
1 recipe Yogurt-Garlic Sauce (page 13)
Prepare the beans by snapping off one end and pulling off the string, then turning the beans over and pulling the string from the other side. Cut the fava beans in half and place them in a bowl. Cover them with cold water, sprinkle on the flour, and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat and cook the onion gently for about 2 minutes, until it's softened but not brown. Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with 2 tablespoons of the dill and 1 1/2 cups water. Season with salt. Bring this mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
Transfer the mixture to a serving plate, cover it, and refrigerate. Pour the yogurt-garlic sauce over the beans and sprinkle on the rest of the chopped dill. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
~Fresh Fava Beans Cooked with Olive Oil and served with Yogurt-Garlic Sauce (page 13)
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Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasülye
Green Beans with Tomatoes and Olive Oil
SERVES 4-6
You can use any type of green beans, long or short, round or flat, for this recipe. In Turkish, flat green beans that don't have strings are used. When buying string beans, look for fresh, bright green beans that snap sharply when broken in two.
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Heat the oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat and cook the onions gently for about 2 minutes, until it's softened but not brown. Stir in the garlic, tomato, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil; then lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 35 minutes, or until the beans are tender but not too soft.
Transfer the mixture to a serving plate, cover it, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a garnish of chopped parsley.
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Çerkez Tavuğu Circassian Chicken SERVES 4-6
This dish is one of the classical masterpieces of Turkish cuisine and is served on special occasions. Traditionally the walnuts were crushed between two stones, and the walnut oil was collected and drizzled over the dish. Use only the best quality paprika and make sure the walnuts are sweet. Though it won't give the same flavor, olive oil may be used instead of the walnut oil.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken stock (page 58)
2 tablespoons walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Walnut halves
WALNUT SAUCE
2 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons unsalted clarified butter (page 7)
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/ tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts Salt
Place the chicken breasts and the chicken stock in a saucepan, cover it, and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. (Be careful not to overcook the chicken, or it will lose some of its flavor.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and let it cool. Reserve about 2 cups of the cooking liquid and keep the rest for another use.
To make the walnut sauce, soak the bread in a little of the reserved chicken stock, then squeeze it dry and crumble it into a small bowl. Set the bread aside. In a small saucepan, heat the clarified butter over medium heat, add the onion, and cook gently for about 2 minutes until the onion is softened but not brown. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and ground red pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set the mixture aside.
In a food processor or