Cizbiz köfte (pronounced jizzbizz) gets its name from the sizzling sound that the melting fat from the meat makes when it drips onto hot embers. It is so straightforward you cannot go wrong. But for something special, make the meat of extra-good quality and not too lean. Plain white pilav is an elegant accompaniment to stews, roast chicken or lamb. The addition of mastic gum (resin from the mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus) is often recommended in old recipes and adds freshness. Unlike risotto, pilav should not be soggy. Each grain has to be tender, having absorbed the flavour and richness of the stock, and yet remain intact and fluffy. This dish is still the ultimate test for Turkish chefs when applying for posts. Purslane salad is ideal if you have small quantities of wild purslane from the garden or from an outing in the country. It is refreshing, full of vitamins and very simple to prepare. Cherry compote perfectly completes a meal of rice pilav and is sometimes served alongside the pilav. Traditionally compotes were served between courses to refresh the palate.
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Cizbiz Köfte
Sizzling Köftes - 400g minced meat (preferably lamb)
- 1 slice stale bread (soaked and squeezed dry)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 teaspoon powdered cumin
- 2-3 tomatoes (halved crosswise)
- Olive oil for brushing the köftes
- Place the minced meat in a bowl. Discarding the crust, crumble the bread into the bowl, adding the egg. Season with the vinegar, salt, pepper and cumin. Knead with your hands until all the ingredients are blended into a soft dough.
- Roll a small piece between your palms into a ball the size of a walnut, and lightly flatten. Repeat until all the meat is used up. Cover and store in the fridge until needed.
- Before cooking, set the grill to very hot (if you have a barbecue, wait until the flames have died down and all the embers are glowing).
- Brush the köftes with olive oil, sprinkle the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and grill them together for 2 minutes on either side.
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- From Meatball Wizard: Cooking Köfte
View Cornucopia 22.
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Plain White Pilav - 2 cups short-grained rice
- 4 cups beef or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 grain of mastic gum (optional)
- Soak the rice in warm water with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes. Then drain and wash two or three times in cold water until the cloudy water clears.
- Put stock, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil
- Add the rice and stir once with a wooden spoon. When boiling, add a grain of mastic and turn the heat down and simmer covered.
- When the pilav is cooked, remove from the heat,, set aside, covered for 10 minutes, then place it on a warm dish and serve hot.
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- From Stock Taking: The Perfect Pilav Cornucopia 7
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Cherry Compote - 4 cups water
- 2 cups caster sugar
- A handful of cherries
- Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a fireproof dish. Remove the stalks and wash the fruit.
- When the sugar has dissolved completely, add the cherries to the syrup and boil briefly until the skins break.
- Cool and taste. If the compote is too sweet, dilute with water. Serve chilled.
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- From Fruits of Victory:
Cooking with cherries
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