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  SERVES 2 – 4

  3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

  2 long green Turkish peppers (Charleston peppers; use ordinary peppers if you can’t find them), finely chopped

  1 large bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

  1 red onion, finely chopped

  50ml (2fl oz) pomegranate molasses

  50ml (2fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  flaky sea salt

  Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and season with salt. It is best to let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving. If you prefer, you can add more pomegranate molasses, depending on how acidic you like it.

  ROMAINE LETTUCE SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS & FETA DRESSING

  I have been developing this recipe for quite a few years now. The idea initially came to me when I had an amazing salad at a fish restaurant called Uskumru in Istanbul. A bowl full of wonderful greens came to the table with a cheesy dressing. I couldn’t work out quite what was in it, so in my very broken Turkish (some days I speak it better than others) I asked the waiter what was in it. The answer was 14 ingredients, and he wouldn’t tell me any of them! This salad is pretty different from the one I got served that day. The best place to find candied walnuts is in a Turkish supermarket; they look like little black golf balls in syrup. They are candied when still in their green shells, fresh from the tree.

  SERVES 4

  4 candied walnuts in syrup, or 100g (3½oz) walnuts, toasted

  1 head of Romaine lettuce, separated into leaves

  small bunch of chives, thinly sliced

  30g (1oz) pecorino or hard sheeps’ cheese

  FOR THE DRESSING

  300g (10½oz) Turkish white cheese or feta

  1 garlic clove

  1 teaspoon dried oregano

  1 tablespoon honey

  freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

  100ml (3½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  80ml (2¾fl oz) water

  Start by making the dressing: place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

  Slice the walnuts into 3mm (⅛in) slices. Lay all the lettuce leaves out on a tray with their cupped sides facing up. Spread the feta dressing inside all the leaves. Dot the walnut slices across the lettuce, then sprinkle over the chives. Finally, using a fine grater, grate the pecorino all across the top. Transfer to plates and serve.

  SALAD OF RUNNER BEANS, CUCUMBER, FENNEL & KALE WITH A TOMATO DRESSING

  The Turks love all sorts of beans, fresh or dried. Generally, they are cooked or dressed in lots of olive oil and tomato and served either as a vegetarian dish or cooked with lamb. Here I have made the dish into more of a salad, which is great for lunch or a light dinner. Find the best-quality runner beans you can in season – when they’re at their best they have an incredible sweet flavour.

  SERVES 4

  1 fennel bulb

  ½ cucumber, cut into 5cm (2in) batons

  50g (1¾oz) rocket

  1 handful mint leaves, shredded

  FOR THE KALE

  250g (9oz) kale, central stalks sliced out and the leaves torn into small pieces

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  FOR THE BEANS

  150ml (5fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  1 onion, thinly sliced

  4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  1 teaspoon tomato purée

  250g (9oz) runner beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 5mm (¼in) strips

  4 tomatoes, coarsely grated

  2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

  flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  First prepare the beans. Preheat the oven to 130°C (250°F), Gas Mark 1. In a large, wide saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and stir to coat in the oil. Cover and cook gently for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.

  Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the runner beans, then cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and turn the heat right down. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are completely soft and tender.

  Meanwhile, coat the kale leaves in 1 tablespoon olive oil and a little salt. Spread them out flat on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. Check the kale every 5 minutes and move it around on the tray so that it bakes evenly.

  Check the beans: there should be just enough sauce to coat them. If there is too much, remove the lid and cook to reduce it. Turn the heat off and add the sherry vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

  Cut the fennel into quarters lengthways through the root. Discard the dark green parts and cut out the core. Using a mandoline, slice the fennel quarters as paper thin as you can and place them in ice-cold water for 10 minutes. Alternatively, do this with a knife, but take your time to slice it as thinly as possible. Drain the fennel and dry it.

  To assemble the salad, put the beans with all the tomato dressing in a large bowl, add the cucumber, fennel, rocket and mint and season with salt and pepper. Give it all a really good mix. Transfer to a serving dish, scatter with the kale crisps and serve immediately.

  FRIED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC YOGURT & POMEGRANATE

  Please note, you will be pretty garlicky after eating this! But you will also be licking your lips for more. Frying vegetables like this is pretty common in Turkey and Cyprus, especially during the summer. Find the best-tasting vegetables you can, as they are the stars of the show.

  SERVES 4

  2 courgettes, cut lengthways into 2cm (¾in) slices

  2 aubergines, cut lengthways into 1cm (½in) slices

  1 teaspoon fine salt

  200–300ml (7–10fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  8 long green Turkish peppers (Charleston peppers; use ordinary peppers if you can’t find them), halved lengthways

  4 hot Turkish peppers (sivri biber; use any hot chillies if you can’t find them), halved lengthways (optional)

  2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

  seeds from 1 pomegranate

  flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  FOR THE DRESSING

  200ml (7fl oz) Turkish or Greek yogurt

  100ml (3½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  1–3 garlic cloves (as much as you like!), finely grated

  1 handful mint leaves, shredded

  1 handful flat leaf parsley, shredded

  Sprinkle the courgettes and aubergines with the fine salt, put them in a colander, then set aside for 1 hour. This is to remove some of the excess moisture. Meanwhile, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing with 3 tablespoons water and season with salt and pepper.

  Rinse the salt off the courgettes and aubergines, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

  In a large, shallow, wide-based pan, heat a quarter of the olive oil. Fry the courgettes, aubergines and peppers in batches until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, adding more olive oil as needed. As the vegetables cook, transfer them to a colander to cool and drain off the excess oil.

  Once all the vegetables are at room temperature, coat them in the yogurt dressing and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and scatter with the pomegranate seeds.

  COURGETTE, FETA & MINT FRITTERS

  In Turkey these fritters are known as mücver. Traditionally, they also include dill. Now, I know I have Turkish blood and all that, but I really don’t like dill. That is why it’s not in my recipe, but you can include it if you wish, along with any other herbs or greens you like. You could even try using different cheeses. I first put these on the menu at Trip Kitchen, and I can’t say I really thought they would turn out to be as popular as they are, but everyone loves them and we get through loads of them every day. The secret is to add just enough flour so that they hold together when frying. The flour measurement be
low is not exact – it all depends on how much moisture is in your mixture. The fritters are best served with a little yogurt and extra shredded mint.

  SERVES 4 – 6

  1 teaspoon fine salt

  8 courgettes, coarsely grated

  2 bunches of spring onions, thinly sliced

  1 large bunch of mint, leaves picked and shredded

  1 large egg

  800g (1lb 12oz) Turkish white cheese or feta, crumbled

  200g (7oz) plain flour

  freshly ground black pepper

  sunflower oil, for frying

  yogurt and shredded mint, to serve

  Mix the fine salt and courgettes together and put them in a colander set over a bowl. Sit a plate directly on top of the courgettes, then put several weights on top of the plate. Set aside for up to 1 hour to drain.

  Put the courgettes in a clean tea towel and roll them up into a cracker shape, twisting the ends. Squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can. Put them into a bowl and add the spring onions, mint, egg, cheese, flour and black pepper. Using your hands, mix together the whole lot, squeezing it as you go. It is important to combine the ingredients really well, but try to keep a little of the texture of the cheese.

  Heat the sunflower oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C (350°F). Alternatively, place a deep frying pan over a high heat and add enough sunflower oil to cover the fritters. When hot enough, a small cube of bread added to the oil should sizzle immediately. Working in batches of 6–8, shape the fritter mixture into very tight quenelles using 2 identical spoons, and lower them into the oil one at a time. Fry for about 1–2 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on each side. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

  FETA, GARLIC & POPPY SEED CRISPS

  These are essentially fancy cheese crackers. But they’re incredibly moreish, perfect as snacks or to serve alongside a cheese board. You could even top them with Muhammara and serve them as a canapé.

  MAKES 18 – 24 CRISPS

  200g (7oz) Turkish white cheese or feta, finely crumbled

  40g (1½oz) poppy seeds or nigella seeds

  2 garlic cloves, finely grated

  40g (1½oz) unsalted butter, melted

  4 sheets of filo pastry, each about 47 x 29cm (18 x 11in)

  Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment – the tray needs to be big enough to allow the filo sheets to sit completely flat.

  Mix the feta, poppy seeds and grated garlic together. Brush the baking parchment with a little melted butter and lay a sheet of filo on top. Brush the top of the filo with more butter. Distribute one third of the feta mixture across the filo in a thin, even layer. Place another sheet of filo on top, pressing down firmly. Brush the top with butter.

  Now distribute another third of the feta mixture across the filo in an even layer. Repeat the layering and brushing, finishing with a sheet of filo on top. Place a sheet of baking parchment on the filo and an identical baking tray on top of that. Push down firmly. Remove the top baking tray and paper and cut the filo sandwich into whatever shapes you wish. I like to cut rectangles.

  Put the sheet of parchment back on top, followed by the baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, checking halfway through, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove the top baking tray and parchment and allow the crisps to cool completely.

  CIRCASSIAN CHICKEN

  While I was waiting for Oklava to open, I did a bit of private catering work. Whenever a customer wanted canapés, I made this recipe and served it on crostini, and it was a real winner. Called çerkez tavuğu in Turkish, this dish is also great as part of a meze spread.

  SERVES 10 – 12 AS PART OF A MEZE SELECTION

  1 whole free-range chicken (about 1–1.3kg/2¼–3lb)

  4 sprigs of thyme

  1 head of garlic, cut in half lengthways

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 onion, chopped

  1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

  4 garlic cloves, finely grated

  3 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed

  500g (1lb 2oz) walnuts, toasted and crushed

  freshly squeezed juice of 1–2 lemons

  1–2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika

  small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

  small bunch of chives, thinly sliced

  fine salt

  flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Remove all the skin from the chicken and reserve it. Place the chicken, breast-side down in a large pan, along with the thyme and whole garlic, and just cover with water. Add a little fine salt. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat right down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, turning the chicken over carefully after 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the chicken in the liquid to cool completely.

  Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F fan), Gas Mark 4. Put the chicken skin on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Check it halfway through, at which point carefully drain off the excess fat and turn the skin over. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Once cool, chop it finely.

  Strain the stock off the chicken, reserving the liquid. Remove all the chicken meat from the bones and tear it into small pieces as you go.

  Heat the olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook gently, without allowing them to colour, for 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and grated garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

  In a food processor, blend the onion mixture with the bread, half the walnuts, 500ml (18fl oz) of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon paprika. Blend to a coarse purée.

  Mix the purée with the chicken, the rest of the walnuts (reserving a few for garnish) and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon and paprika if you wish. Place on a serving dish and scatter over the chives, an extra sprinkling of paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, the reserved walnuts and the chicken skin.

  OKLAVA BRUNCH

  For as long I can remember, we always went on holiday to Cyprus or Turkey. There are big age gaps between my two older sisters and me – 7 and 15 years – and they stopped wanting to go on holiday with my parents as soon as they were old enough, but I still had to for many years ahead. Not that I’m complaining about being taken on holiday, but it became a lot less fun without my sisters there. However, there were two things that always got me excited: one was spending all day in the pool, the other was breakfast.

  BRUNCH MENU

  HOUSE-BAKED BREADS (SEE BAHARAT-SPICED BREAD & BLACK OLIVE, HELLIM, ONION & MINT LOAF)

  FETA, TULUM, KASAR AND HELLIM CHEESES

  MARINATED OLIVES

  TAHINI WITH MULBERRY MOLASSES

  JAM

  CANDIED FRUITS

  CLOTTED CREAM

  HONEY

  SAVOURY AND SWEET BÖREKS (SEE 1, 2, 3 & 4)

  TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS AND TURKISH PEPPERS

  SEASONAL FRUITS

  KAYSERI PASTIRMA

  MENEMEN

  FRIED EGGS WITH CYPRIOT PASTIRMA

  MEDJOOL DATE BUTTER

  ÇAY

  If we were staying in a hotel in Turkey, breakfast normally involved an array of breads, pastries, fresh and candied fruits, vegetables, yogurt, egg dishes, Kayseri pastirma, sujuk sausage, cheeses and much more. If we were in Cyprus, my nene would make me toast from bread she had baked during the week by grilling it over an open flame, then serve it with lashings of butter and her homemade strawberry jam, or sometimes her hellim (or halloumi, as this cheese is also known). I wish I could give you a recipe for her jam, but it would involve using the strawberries my grandparents grow. You will just have to take my word for it: it is the best strawberry jam in the world.

  Breakfast or brunch, as I am about to explain, is not an everyday event; it’s definitely a weekend thing. Midweek breakfast tends to involve just a few of the items listed opposite. At Oklava,
we do our best to bring a little of that Turkish magic to the brunch we serve every weekend; we like people to take their time and work their way through the options.

  CYPRIOT PASTIRMA, BROKEN EGGS, SPICY TOMATO & BREAD SAUCE WITH TOMATO-POMEGRANATE SALSA & YOGURT

  Mum would sometimes scramble eggs with pastirma as a quick dinner – so simple, yet so satisfying! It was the perfect treat. What we Cypriots call pastirma is called sujuk in mainland Turkey; although it comes in different forms, essentially it is cured beef flavoured with lots of garlic and paprika. You can find Cypriot pastirma or sujuk in most Turkish supermarkets, or you could use soft cooking chorizo or Merguez sausage instead.

  SERVES 4

  400g (14oz) Cypriot pastirma (cured beef) slices

  8 large eggs

  200g (7oz) Turkish bread or a good white crusty loaf, diced into small pieces

  4 tablespoons Turkish or Greek yogurt

  1 tablespoon Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber)

  flat leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish

  FOR THE SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

  100ml (3½oz) extra-virgin olive oil

  4 garlic cloves, sliced

  1 red chilli, sliced, seeds left in

  1 teaspoon Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber)

  1 teaspoon Turkish hot pepper paste (açi biber salçasi)

  500ml (18fl oz) tomato passata

  100ml (3½fl oz) water

  1 teaspoon thyme leaves