Tired of Turkey? Think Again!
OK, I couldn't resist the pun. It is, after all, Thanksgiving in the US. And though our Canadian Thanksgiving was over a month ago, I still remember that "I never want to see another recycled turkey dish" feeling! So this isn't about turkey, the bird. It's about Turkey, the country, and some of the great food it has to offer!
For those people who are looking for a little background on Turkey, here are a couple of good places to start. The Turkish Odyssey site at http://www.turkishodyssey.com is a great traveller's information site. Lots of information, including maps, general history, and an excellent photo gallery.
The "Focus" site also has a good section on Turkey, including lots of recipes - the main Turkey page is at http://www.focusmm.com.au/~focus/tanamen... and the food page is at http://www.focusmm.com.au/~focus/tr_ye_m... .
If you just want to skip straight to the food, though, here are a couple of good Turkish recipes. These are from Pat Chapman's "Homestyle Middle Eastern Cooking" - they are simple, reliable recipes. And one of them even contains turkey - the bird!
Appetizer: Batter Coated Mussels (Midye Izmiri Tavasi)
40 fresh mussels (always get a few extras in case some are already open and can't be eaten)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon aromatic salt (make this by mixing 1/2 cup of coarse sea salt with 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon and 1 teaspoon finely ground allspice. But only USE one teaspoon of it in this recipe!)
milk
lettuce leaves
4 lemon wedges
In a deep bowl, mix the flours, egg, salt, and enough milk to make a batter the consistency of ketchup. Allow to stand for 20 minutes to blend.
Meanwhile, prepare the mussels. Remember to choose only those that are tightly closed. Scrub them well and remove the beards. Place cleaned mussels in a shallow pan with a little water and heat for a few minutes until they open. Remove the mussels from the shells. Discard any that are still closed.
In a skillet or wok, heat oil to 375 degrees F.
Immerse each mussel into the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Put no more than ten at once into the skillet (this keeps the temperature consistently high and the result crisper). Fry for about 4 minutes, then remove. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Repeat until all the mussels are cooked.
Serve on a bed of lettuce or radicchio with a lemon wedge.
MAIN COURSE: Casseroled Turkey with Chestnuts (Kestanezi Hindi Guvech)
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