Ezme salad, spiced yogurt and eggplant dip: Big Has' recipes for kebab classics
Kebab-shop cold eggplant ">
You know when you sometimes sit in a Turkish restaurant and you get that cold eggplant and potato thing to dip your bread in? Well, we call that saksuka. I know you think a lot that it contains baked eggs, but this one is kebab-shop style, and it's much better.4
Sea salt 600g eggplant cut into 2½ cm cubes 1 ½ liter vegetable oil 200 g long green peppers, cut into 2½ cm cubes 300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 cm cubes 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 60 ml garlic olive oil 2 tsp aci biber salçasi (pasta e hot Turkish pepper) 1 tsp pul biber (or Aleppo pepper) 500 g good tomatoes, such as beef or beef heart, grated 1 tsp caster sugar
Heavyly salt the eggplants and let them sit for at least 20 minutes to drain excess moisture.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on high thick, cast iron casserole or pan (you can also do this in a deep fryer; just make sure the oil is clean). You want the oil to be around 180C. Sponge the eggplants so they don't spit on you when frying. Fry the aubergines, in batches if necessary, for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden on all sides, then drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Although you have already used salt to extract moisture, you must season them again now, while they are still hot.
Fry the peppers in the same oil for five to seven minutes, until tender and skin is blistered, then drain. Again, season them while they are hot.
Put the cubed potatoes in a saucepan filled with heavily salted water, bring to a boil and let cook until done - don't overcook them or they'll break down when you mix everything together later and make the mixture thick and floury. Let everything cool.
Now make a tomato sauce. In a large skillet, gently sauté the garlic in the olive oil (a large skillet just means it will cook faster); you don't want it to color, so just give it a few minutes. Add the aci biber salçasi and the pul biber, and fry for a few more minutes - you just want to bring the spices to temperature and cook the crudité. Add the grated tomatoes, increase the heat, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until you get a smooth sauce. Add the sugar and salt.
Allow the sauce to cool, then stir in all the vegetables, trying not to crush the potatoes. Point...
You know when you sometimes sit in a Turkish restaurant and you get that cold eggplant and potato thing to dip your bread in? Well, we call that saksuka. I know you think a lot that it contains baked eggs, but this one is kebab-shop style, and it's much better.4
Sea salt 600g eggplant cut into 2½ cm cubes 1 ½ liter vegetable oil 200 g long green peppers, cut into 2½ cm cubes 300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 cm cubes 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 60 ml garlic olive oil 2 tsp aci biber salçasi (pasta e hot Turkish pepper) 1 tsp pul biber (or Aleppo pepper) 500 g good tomatoes, such as beef or beef heart, grated 1 tsp caster sugar
Heavyly salt the eggplants and let them sit for at least 20 minutes to drain excess moisture.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on high thick, cast iron casserole or pan (you can also do this in a deep fryer; just make sure the oil is clean). You want the oil to be around 180C. Sponge the eggplants so they don't spit on you when frying. Fry the aubergines, in batches if necessary, for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden on all sides, then drain on a wire rack or on paper towels. Although you have already used salt to extract moisture, you must season them again now, while they are still hot.
Fry the peppers in the same oil for five to seven minutes, until tender and skin is blistered, then drain. Again, season them while they are hot.
Put the cubed potatoes in a saucepan filled with heavily salted water, bring to a boil and let cook until done - don't overcook them or they'll break down when you mix everything together later and make the mixture thick and floury. Let everything cool.
Now make a tomato sauce. In a large skillet, gently sauté the garlic in the olive oil (a large skillet just means it will cook faster); you don't want it to color, so just give it a few minutes. Add the aci biber salçasi and the pul biber, and fry for a few more minutes - you just want to bring the spices to temperature and cook the crudité. Add the grated tomatoes, increase the heat, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until you get a smooth sauce. Add the sugar and salt.
Allow the sauce to cool, then stir in all the vegetables, trying not to crush the potatoes. Point...
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