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Braised Mackerel
This recipe is adapted from that published by Turabli Efendi in 1864 (see post Cinnamon - the condiment of choice in the late Ottoman era) and was originally called 'Priest's Stew' .
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
6 medium sized mackerel, cut into steaks with bones removed
90ml (3 floz) olive oil
600g (3 large) onions, sliced
1/2 small bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 small fennel, chopped into small pieces
150ml (5 floz) good quality vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
METHOD
1. Heat half oil in large flat-based pan and gently cook onions then set half aside.
2. Sprinkle half parsley and fennel over onions then place mackerel on top.
3. Sprinkle remainder of onions, parsley then fennel.
4. Pour over vinegar, season with salt and pepper.
5. Place over a moderate heat until fish cooked, approximately 20 minutes.
6. Serve with cinnamon sprinkled over the top.
Almost every spice stall in the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul will have small bundles of dark reddish brown cylinders of something that is labelled cinnamon. Closer inspection of the aromatic bark will show the learned cook that almost all the product available is in fact cassia. From a distance it looks the same and up close the fragrance is similar, but there are differences that your home spice grinder will tell you about.
Cinnamon was known to the Seljuk kitchens of the 11th - 14th centuries and became part of the rich culinary legacy bequeathed to Ottoman and to a lesser extent Turkish cuisine. The use of the spice continued throughout the centuries to be lost in the latter years of the Empire. As late as the 19th century cinnamon was an important ingredient in dishes and also a condiment added when finishing a dish, much the same as salt and pepper are used these days. In A Manual of Turkish Cookery written in English by Turabi Efendi in 1864, many a recipe calls to, sprinkle a little cinnamon over, and serve. From soups to kebabs, stews and kofte, dolma, pilaf and all manner of desserts cinnamon is mentioned. These days it is rare to see cinnamon used in savoury dishes, with the exception of some fillings for dolma.
Cinnamon or cassia sticks can be kept for 2-3 years in the right conditions, in an airtight container away from heat and humidity. Grinding releases the aromatic scent of the spice and for this reason will not keep well for very long. It is better to buy small amounts of freshly ground spice whenever required rather than store a larger quantity for any length of time. The choice of cinnamon or cassia depends of the purpose for which it is intended and sometime a blend of two will add the sweetness of true cinnamon with the bold aroma of cassia.
Cinnamon complements a number of recipes including cakes, sweet pastries and biscuits, fruit, especially poached or stewed, curries and a range of dishes within older Turkish and Ottoman cuisine such as cold fish stews and soups.
To read a more in depth article go to Tropical Spices 101: Cinnamon and Cassia
As I sit and write this at the kitchen table, I look around and see countless containers full of water. By the sink, on the chopping block and behind me in large buckets on the floor. It is a hot, sunny day here in Istanbul and I am not catching drips from a leaking roof. I frantically filled them up last night as I read an email saying that huge chunks of this sprawling city would be without water for 24 hours.
As many spots around the world struggle with drought and water shortages, putting severe medium and long-term restrictions in place, expecting citizens to obey these new laws, in Turkey they just cut the water off. Last year when it became obvious that water levels were low and unlikely to meet the summer’s demand, signs went up in several parts of Istanbul telling people to have shorter showers. As far as I could tell this was the extent to which the public were actively, or passively, targeted.
I thought about the people where I lived and the fact that many of them did not have showers in their houses, instead making do with rudimentary baths and buckets. I thought about the other ways that water is wasted. I thought about the practices that were already technically illegal that still went on without reprimand. Washing carpets in the street is pretty common sight around here. On hot days, women haul out their floor coverings and spend several hours scrubbing them, hoses running continuously, water gushing down the street. On any day shopkeepers continuously water the path or road in front of their shop to keep dust under control.
Water is the cheapest utility here in Turkey. In comparison to electricity, the cost of which seems to rise monthly, water bills almost slip by without notice. So, why would people willingly cut down their consumption when it seemed, almost, free? Clearly, they will not! So, the next best solution is just to deprive people of water for a period of time. Thankfully these days, it is done in an organised and advertised fashion. In years gone by, I would get up and find the water would just dripping out of the shower hose. Frantic and desperate about not being able to have my morning wake up call, I would ask the neighbours about what was going on. When would the water come back on? No one knew so I would call the water company, sometimes getting a clear answer, sometimes not. One hot, sweaty summer the water disappeared for three days.
The uncertainty of when the water would come back on would mentally paralyse me. I would spend the day almost inert, afraid of expending a dot of energy and working up the tiniest beads of perspiration. But as I said, these days the limits are defined, my buckets are filled and my mind does not seize and cease to function.
Turkey is well known for many food, and drinks. Outside the country, Turkish coffee and raki - pronounced rak-uh (or raki as many people say!) are probably the most famous beverages. Within Turkey, ayran might miss out to tea as the nation's favourite but would surely prove a strong competitor. Probably a long way behind but from the same family of fermented beverages is boza and kefir. Whilst ayran is seen mostly as a drink to accompany meals or a refreshing mouthful on a hot summer's day, boza and kefir are surrounded by nutritional benefits and health claims.
Yoghurt, or yogurt as it is also spelt, results from the bacterial fermentation of milk. Whilst its origins are unclear, it is likely that the first cultured milks appeared by accident after random fermentation from wild bacteria living on animal hides. The word itself derives from the Turkish yogurt and traditional transliteration spells yoghurt. But not only did the Turks provide the world with the term for the sour, thickened milk but were probably responsible for introducing it to European cuisines. Suleyman the Magnificent is said to have sent his doctor to cure the apparently incurable stomach ailment suffered by Francis I in France. The cure was of course yoghurt
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I have just spent twenty minutes trying to explain this for a film crew from the Netherlands, as I have done on countless occasions. Despite the fact that Istanbul is the latest, hottest, hippest city in Europe, some people are still puzzled as to how an Aussie woman with no real connection to Turkey could end up here.
I had no family ties, no job connections and no man I met on a holiday to return to. And not only have I ended up in Istanbul, but on the border of Fener and Balat along the Haliç (Golden Horn) in Fatih. A place crowded with kids and their parents, living two, three or more to a room. A place of no doorbells, where children shriek, “Anne, kapiyi aç!” (Mum, open the door) throughout the day and night. A place of mixed race and religion, struggling to come to terms with its poverty and state of disarray when its past is such a contradiction to its current circumstances. A place brimming with discontent and anger as neighbours yell and curse at each other over the smallest things: a car parked near a front door, water streaming over a balcony as carpets are washed, a plastic bag of household rubbish dropped from a fourth floor window spewing its contents as it hits the road, barely missing a passer-by
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Equipping your Turkish Kitchen
A Turkish kitchen has many of the same items that sit on benches and in cupboards of kitchens around the world. Pots and pans, knives and chopping boards, baking trays, tea and coffee making equipment. What makes these items different in a Turkish kitchen may be their shape, the material it is made from or simply the way it is used. Some things just cook and taste better when using traditional Turkish cooking equipment
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Yeast and bread
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the single-celled fungi used in brewing and baking. Yeast is the raising agent used in most bread making. It works by metabolising simple carbohydrates (sugar) for energy and producing alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). The heat during cooking or baking bread forces both the CO2 and alcohol out of the final product. Sounds simple, but yeast is a very sensitive microscopic soul. Whilst a little sugar can stimulate its activity, too much will slow it down. Salt and fat also retard its action, but heat is the thing that kills it.
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Bazlama – Simple, griddled, thick, flat bread
A thick flat bread found in markets around Anatolia, but also found in some supermarkets in Istanbul
Ingredients
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Comment by SHARON CROXFORD
on Cinnamon - the condiment of choice in the late Ottoman era
Food Currency
Sharon Croxford