I snatched Essential Turkish Cuisine up the moment it hit Sauce HQ. A few of my good friends are Turkish citizens studying or working here in St. Louis, and I knew they would tell me exactly authentic Engin Akin’s recipes actually were. Akin’s book certainly starts out on the right note with an extensive explanation of the evolution of Turkish cuisine from its ancient roots in the steppes of Mongolia to the heyday of the Ottoman Empire to today’s modern republic.
I chose (or rather, my friends chose) to try a traditional Turkish köfte, or meatball, recipe. Kad?nbudu köfte translates to “lady’s thigh kofte,” a dish that dates back to the Ottoman days of lavish palace banquets. A blend of ground lamb and ground beef are mixed with chopped onions, fresh parsley and cooked rice (instead of breadcrumbs), then dipped in flour and egg and fried until golden. Unlike Italian meatballs, these required cooking half the meat first, then combining it with the remaining raw meat and other ingredients before frying. While I don’t know that it changed the overall flavor, the oblong kofte cooked to an even tenderness with the juices sealed in thanks to a thin layer of golden egg.
This simple dish packed a surprisingly amount of flavor and served as a perfect appetizer before a dinner party. It also received the offical seal of approval from my Turkish host, who declared it to be as good as her grandmother’s. It doesn’t get much more authentic than that.
The Rundown
Skill level: Intermediate Though the recipe are simple, the book gives an entire overview of everything from lentil soup to whole roast fish to desserts, so familiarity with a variety of cooking methods is required.
This book is for: A Turk abroad looking for a taste of home or an American looking to travel in their own kitchen.
Other recipes to try: As recommended by my friends – zucchini pancakes (mücver), oven-baked flatbread (pide), Turkish dumpling (mant?) or semolina cake in syrup (revani).
The verdict: By a narrow 2-1 vote, the Engin Akin’s kofte trumps Maureen Abood‘s buttery hushweh.
Lady’s Thigh Kofta (Kad?nbudu köfte) 6 servings
1/3 cup (35 g.) medium-grain rice
2 onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 lb. (910 g.) lean beef, or a combination of lean beef and lean lamb (the combination will taste better)
¼ cup (5 g.) fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper
½ tsp. ground coriander
1/3 cup (40 g.) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Olive oil for frying
• Cook the rice in ½ cup (120 ml.) water.
• Cook the onions in half of the butter over medium heat until softened.
• In a separate pan, saute half of the meat in the remaining butter, until all the liquid evaporates.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the rice, onion, sauteed and raw meets, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add the coriander.
• Remove egg-size pieces from the meat mixture and roll them one by one between your palms into elongated balls. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Then roll the balls in flour and then in the egg. Heat ½ inch (12 mm.) of oil in a frying pan and fry the kofta over medium heat until golden on all sides and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.
Reprinted with permssion from Stewart, Tabori & Chang
This article appears in November 2015.