Sultan's Kitchen. Ozcan Ozan
Pita bread
Prepare a charcoal grill or heat the oven to 450°F. Using the tip of a skewer, poke 2-inch-deep holes all over the eggplants to allow the heat to get into the whole eggplant. Grill them over the charcoal fire, turning occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until they completely collapse. Alternatively, place them in a baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes in the oven. Let them cool.
Mix 1 cup cold water, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon salt and set the mixture aside.
When they're cool enough to handle, lay the eggplants on a cutting board and peel off the skin, starting from the stem and working downward. Discard the skin and stems. Add the eggplant pulp to the lemon mixture and set aside for 10 minutes. (The lemon mixture helps prevent the eggplant from discoloring.)
Transfer the pulp to a strainer. Using the back of a wooden spoon, squeeze the excess liquid from the pulp. Return the eggplant pulp to the bowl, add the remaining lemon juice, the olive oil, and the garlic. Season with salt. Mash the mixture with a potato masher to make a smooth paste. Alternatively, place the eggplants in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a few times until smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley, olives, tomatoes, and red onion slices. Serve with pita bread.
VARIATION
Yogurtlu Pathcan Ezmesi: Omit the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and the olive oil used for seasoning. After you puree the eggplant, mix in 1 1/2 cups Süzme Yogurt (page 36). Chill and serve.
~~~~~~~~~
Patlıcan Salatası Char-Grilled Eggplant Salad SERVES 4-6
3 large eggplants (about 3 to 3 1/3 pounds total)
6 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra to season
1 pound bell peppers (about 4 medium)
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Prepare a charcoal grill, or heat the oven to 450°F. Cook the eggplant the same way as for Pathcan Ezmesi (page 20). Prepare the lemon juice using 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, mix the eggplant pulp with it, and set it aside for 10 minutes.
Grill the green peppers for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until they blacken completely. If using the oven, cook them for 15 minutes. Place the peppers in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes so the skin loosens. Remove the tops, peel the skin, and chop them, taking care to remove the seeds.
Transfer the eggplant pulp to a strainer and squeeze out the excess liquid. Roughly chop the pulp and mix it with the green peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, oil, and the remaining lemon juice. Season with salt. Stir gently, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.
~~~~~~~~~
Zeytinyağlı Biber Dolması
Stuffed Green Peppers
SERVES 4-6
3 tablespoons currants
3 medium tomatoes
1 cup virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons pine nuts
1 medium Spanish onion, grated (1 cup)
1 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small green bell peppers (about 3 pounds)
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Soak the currants in warm water for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, seed and chop one of the tomatoes. Cut the other two tomatoes into 6 wedges each. Set the tomatoes aside.
Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook them for about 2 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Drain the currants and add them to the pot along with the onion, rice, sugar, cinnamon, and 2 cups hot water. Stir well, cover the pot, and cook the mixture over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. The rice should be partially cooked.
Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the chopped tomato, dill, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Carefully cut off the tops of the green peppers and remove the seeds and cores. Fill each pepper with some of the rice mixture, pressing down gently and making sure not to overstuff it or it may burst during cooking. Place a tomato wedge over each stuffed pepper.
Stand the peppers side by side in a flameproof casserole dish. Pour over the remaining olive oil and 2 cups water. Cover the surface of the peppers with crumpled wet parchment paper. Place an ovenproof plate on top of the parchment paper (make sure it fits inside the pan) to weigh it down. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the dish, and simmer for about 55 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the water has been absorbed. Let the peppers cool. Serve at room temperature garnished with lemon wedges.
~~~~~~~~~
Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarması (Yalanci)
Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice, Pine Nuts, and Currants
SERVES 4- 6
This is a popular summer meze along the Aegean Coast and the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. These stuffed grape leaves are very good served with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
This recipe is called yalacı, which means "fake," because the rice, pine nuts, and currants are substitutes for meat in the stuffing.
1 (16-ounce) jar grape leaves, grained
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Tomato wedges
Chopped fresh Italian parsley
STUFFING
3 tablespoons currants
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cup)
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soak the currants in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Drain them and set them aside.
To prepare the grape leaves, bring 2 quarts water to a boil, unroll the grape leaves, and place them in the boiling water for 2 minutes to soften the leaves and rid them of the brine. Using a slotted spoon, remove the leaves from the water and drape them over the edge of a colander to drain. With a sharp knife, cut out the small protruding stem from each leaf. Set the grape leaves aside.
To make the stuffing heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook the pine nuts for about 2 minutes, until they're golden brown. Add the currants, onion, rice, sugar, cinnamon, and 2 cups hot water. Stir the mixture, cover the pot, and cook gently for about 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove the pan from