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Winter Menu No. 1 prepared for

Winter Menu No 1

 Seasons

yahniwinter1 cabbagewint1 picklewinter1 pumpknwinter1

For this basic yahni, the meat is braised gently with very little liquid. as a result, it transforms into succulent morsels in a mellow sauce. Minute pearl or pickling onions taste good and look fine but are fiddle to trim and peel. Ordinary onions finely sliced work perfectly well.
The kestaner dolmasi is a long forgotten recipe from imperial Bursa, where the best chestnuts grow. Buy ready-roasted chestnuts from a street seller, or rinse fresh chestnuts, slit the peel and place, still wet, in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. These dolmas keep for several days in the fridge and, like most olive oil dishes, even improve.
The beetroot pickle is quick and easy to make and should be eaten right away.
Kab' aş pumpkin pudding, which comes from the Hatköy tribe in the norhtern Caucasus, is delicious and delightfully simple.
To retain the goodness, use minimum water to steam the pumpkin.


Yahni
Braised veal with onions

1kg veal or beef (cubed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 onions (finely sliced into half-moons)
or about 1/2 kg pearl onions (peeled)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Rinse the meat under cold water and set aside to drain

Choose a heavy saucepan with a tight lid. heat the oil, add the onions and fry until golden, stiur in the meat and sauté for 5–10 minutes until lightly browned.

Dilute the tomato paste in half a glass of warm water, transfer to the pan with the onions and the meat and stir in the vinegar. No seasoning is needed at this stage. When it starts bubbling, cover and cook the stew over the lowest possible heat, undisturbed, for about 45 minutes.

Check that the meat is cooked. It should fall apart easily. Season with salt and pepper. Add half a glass of hot water, stir and continue to simmmer for a further 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Serve this yahni hot, with a buttery white rice pilav, or a creamy potato purée.

From Cornucopia 37
Hot Pots

Issue Price £200/$320 rare issue

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Kestaner Dolmasi
Cabbage leaves stuffed with chestnuts

250g ready-roasted chestnuts

1 medium white cabbage

Filling:
1 cup olive oil

1 large onion

1 cup rice (rinsed)

2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Ground cinnamon

Black pepper and salt

Shell and skin the roasted chestnuts, break into pieces and set aside.

Wash the cabbage whole. Remove the stem and cut away any tough stalks. Place in a large pan and blanch in salted boiling water for 2–5 minutes until tender but firm. Rinse in cold water and alow to cool.

While the cabbage leaves are coolong, start preparing the filling. Chop the onion finely. Heat the olove oil in a shallow pan and fry the onions until translucent.

Add the rice to the onions and fry a little more, then stir in one cup of hot water and season with the cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer covered for 5_15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a dish.

Separate the cabbage leaves carefully without tearing them.

Take one leaf, halve or quarter it depending on the size, cut away the stalky bits, and place a little rice filling and some pieces of chestnut in the centre. Fold the edges of the leaf over the filling. Then roll each dolma like a cigarette to enclose the filling completely.

Place the dolmas side by side in the shallow pan used to cook the rice. Add one cup of hot water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 15_20 minutes.

Leave the dolmas to cool in then pan, covered, then arrange them on a serving dish. Serve cold, garnished with lemon slices and parsley leaves as a starter, or traditionally, after the main dish.

From Cornucopia 17
The Family Brassica
Issue Price £10/$16

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Also see Cornucopia 25
for more chestnut recipes


Pancar Turşusu
Beetroot pickle

4 or 5 medium raw beetroot

Salt

1 clove garlic

1 cup wine vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Wash the beetroot. Remove the stalks and leaves if there are any, reserving those that look undamaged.

Place the beetroot (with any stalks and leaves) in a saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and cook until tender. Reserve the cooking water.

When the beetroot have cooled, peel and cut into thin rounds, or halve very small ones. Place with any stalks and leaves in a jar or glass bowl. Seive the water in which they were boiled, and add to the beetroot until just covered.

In a separate bowl, pound the garlic to a pulp with a pinch of salt. Add the vinegar and sugar to the bowl, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve, and pour the liquid over the beetroot.

As soon as the beetroot comes into contact with the acidity of the vinegar, it turns like magic to a brilliant ruby colour. Stir once or twice without bruising the slices. Serve chilled.

From Cornucopia 9
Jewels of the Fall
Issue Price £50/$80 rare issue

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Kab' aş
Pumpkin pudding

1/2 kg fresh pumpkin

2 cuips milk

1 cup honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

200g clotted cream (kaymak)

1 cup ground walnuts

Slice, peel and rinse the pumpkin. Cover and steam it with a little water over a low heat until soft.

Mash with a fork to a pureee, and add the milk and honet. Return to the heat and simmer, stirring, until it becomes a lovely thick pulp. Remove from the heat and dot with butter while still hot.

When the pudding has cooled and set, spread it with the cream or kaymak and scatter generously with ground walnuts

From Cornucopia 14
The Pumpkin Eaters
Issue Price£28/$44.80

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Berrin Torolsan copyright
All rights reserved, 2011

     
 

Winter Menu No. 1

 

Braised veal with onions

 

Cabbage leaves stuffed with chestnts

 

Beetroot pickle

 

Pumpkin pudding

 

Winter Menu No. 2

 

Autumn

 

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Winter

 

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Spring

 

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Summer