As you know, we at Kitcheninspirations have become obsessed with Turkish recipes because we are planning our trip to Turkey next year. We really want to get the flavour of the country and from what we have sampled, we absolutely LOVE the flavours! This recipe came across my Instagram and I was immediately smitten. It is a perfect sharing meal, the round pan is filled with highly seasoned meat, with each vegetable surrounding the meat in its own quadrant. It is beautiful and perfect for a long dinner party filled with great conversation. The original recipe uses lamb but our guests don’t eat lamb so I substituted pork. You’ll need a fattier meat so that the flavours can develop in the pan juices. I can guarantee that this is absolutely worth the effort. I used my large Paella pan (about 33 cm or 13-inch diameter) and it worked out well but if you have a large, deep-dish pizza pan, it’s more like the original in this video.
Yanyana Tavasi
The recipe is originally from Meliz Cooks
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 45 mL olive oil, divided
- 30 mL Turkish sweet red pepper paste*
- 50 mL milk
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground Aleppo pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 kg boneless lamb or pork shoulder/neck fillet, cut into tiny pieces
- 1 head of garlic (about 10-12 cloves), peeled and left whole
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 bag pearl onions, peeled
- 1 zucchini, chopped into 2 cm pieces
- 1 medium eggplant, chopped into 2 cm pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped into 2cm pieces
- 1 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces
- 2 Bay leaves
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Combine 30 mL olive oil, Turkish sweet red pepper paste, milk, paprika, smoked paprika, and Aleppo pepper flakes in the base of a large medium-high-sized ovenproof pan (similar to a deep dish pizza pan or a paella pan). Add the meat and the whole garlic and massage the spice mix into the meat, allow to marinate while you prep the veg (about 60 minutes or a maximum of 4 hours). Once the meat has marinated, season it with salt and pepper.
- Push the meat into the centre of the pan and place each veg in its own quadrant around the meat (remember, this is a “side by side” dish). Once all of the veg are placed around the meat, brush them with the remaining 15 mL of olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano and place the bay leaves into the meat. Cover the pan with parchment and wrap it tightly with foil and place it into your oven for one hour at 350° F convection (with fan).
- Once the hour has lapsed, remove the pan from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Remove the parchment and foil carefully from the pan and baste the vegetables with the juices from the meat (using a large spoon, press the meat down gently to fill up the spoon with the delicious pan juices and baste). Once you have basted all of the vegetables, return the pan to the 425° F oven for 30 minutes (trying to crisp the veggies a bit).
- Serve with any type of flatbread or lavash or mayasiz bazlama (yeast-free Turkish flatbreads).
*I didn’t have Turkish sweet red pepper paste on hand so I used my Hungarian Sweet Red Pepper Paste. You can bet that it’s on my list for Turkey!
That looks great! I love communal meals.
LikeLike
That looks amazing Eva! Great for sharing and for when you have people over too. And wow going to Turkey is a dream of mine too. How exciting for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I love these discourse too. Sharing a plate is a wonderful way to eat too. So sociable..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eva, we just returned from Greece and Turkey. We spent the majority of our trip in Greece but, on the way home we stopped in Istanbul for 3-days. We had an amazing time! The food, OMG! I came home totally inspired. I was genuinely surprised at the size of Istanbul 18 million people in the city-wow! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you are visiting Istanbul I can share my experience. Fabulous recipe!
Velva
LikeLike
Hi Velva, I would absolutely love your recommendations for top ten things to do! We’re going on a cruise but spending a couple of extra days in Istanbul. Restaurant recommendations would also be appreciated.
LikeLike
This looks terrific!!! My parents loved visiting Turkey—they brought home rugs for all of us!! I can’t wait to hear sbout your trip!!!
LikeLike
Our friends Andy and Mark also brought home carpets, no sure if I need any at the moment but I will keep my eyes open!
LikeLike
We too adore Turkish food. Just bought some spices and meat from a local Turkish supermarket 🙂 This looks mouthwatering, Eva.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
LikeLike
We have a Turkish market in Toronto too but it’s a bit far and traffic is brutal in Toronto. I may break down and try to get there soon.
LikeLike
I’m intrigued by the side-by-side technique used here. Never tried it before but I can see how it works, with the meat lending it savor to each of the surrounding veggies. Sounds like something we’d really like around here!
LikeLike
It’s definitely worth trying, such warming flavours.
LikeLike
This looks wonderful and festive, Eva. Of course, I’d make it with lamb…
LikeLike
Thanks Sharyn. That’s my preference too.
LikeLike