In this last vlog of our first series (we will be back in the next 2-3 weeks) we finish our Turkish feast (see the recipe below) and also indulge in a little bit of bazaar shopping too in the famous Arasta bazaar near the blue mosque
If you would like experience this fabulous cookery class when you visit Istanbul please contact the amazing and so friendly www.cookingalaturka.com
They not only do cookery classes but amazing food tours too and they are a wonderful restaurant as well. They are based in the historic Sultanhamet district. You can also follow them on Instagram
Etli yaprak dolması
Vine leaves stuffed with minced meat
These stuffed vine leaves are many a Turk’s favorite home-cooking dish. Unlike the classic zeytinyağlı dolma, which are rolled into long elegant fingers and served cold, these are short and stubby, and served hot in some of the cooking liquid, alongside tomato and yogurt.
Serves 4:
40 preserved vine leaves (yaprak), soaked in 3 washes of water for 1 hour each, or if you use fresh ones, blanched for a few minutes to soften
Filling:
12oz / 350g minced lamb (kuzu kıyma) or beef (dana kıyma), or a mix of both
1 small onion (soğan), finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves (sarımsak), finely chopped
4oz / 120g long-grain rice (pirinç), washed, soaked and drained or medium-grain, not soaked
bunch of dill (dereoto), parsley (maydanoz) and mint (nane), finely chopped
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, 1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp bell pepper paste (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil (zeytinyağı)
1-2 tomatoes (domates), skinned, seeded and cut into 1 x ½ inch pieces (keep the seeds and chop these too to add to the stuffing later)
½ carrot (havuç), ½ onion, a few garlic cloves and pepper corns to line the pan
Cooking liquid:
¼ pint / 150ml water
2 tbsp olive oil
Mix all ingredients for the filling in a bowl, except for the rice. Add (part of) the tomato seeds to the mixture for extra moisture (you want the mixture to be moist but not too liquid). Fold in the rice carefully. Lay the leaves on a flat surface (always with the shiny side on the outside) and place a little of the meat mixture at the top of each leaf. Shape the mixture into your desired dolma shape to ease the rolling process. Fold the sides over (no need to close them - remember: this is when you decide the length of your dolma and you want them to all be the same length) and roll the leaf up into a tight package (start pressing gently but surely already from the very beginning!).
In a wide saucepan prepare a bed of sliced carrot, onion and garlic, the stems of all the herbs used in the stuffing, the stems of the leaves, some peppercorns and if you have any, some meat bones. This serves both for aromatic purposes and so that the dolmas won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of (broken or small) vine leaves and place the ready dolmas on top with their opening facing downwards. They need to be tightly packed together so that they won’t open while cooking. Pour some olive oil over them and add some salt and the tomato pieces. Cover with another sheet of leaves and lots of plates or other weights to hold everything down. Pour the water over the vine leaves (if you do this before the plates are on top the dolma will float to the surface and open up). Cover with a lid, and cook gently for 40-45 minutes. Then rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot in their cooking liquid with the tomato cubes and some yogurt on the side.
11 сен 2023
