Fried Dover Sole (Dil Balığı Kızartması)

My 17 month old twins love this fish. Ever since they were 8 months old, they have been eating this fish. I think the reason is because the fish is so delicate, it is very soft and doesn’t require a lot of chewing. Since this fish falls apart easily I usually sauté it in a pan for them, however I would like a little more texture to the fish so I decided to fry them since it was the family dinner. They actually had several rolls and normally each eats one filet only (they are very thin filets). When the dover sole is rolled up like this it can be fried or baked. I have tried it baked and I didn’t even need to hold it together with a toothpick. Enjoy!

2 lb doversole filets

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sumac

Juice of 1 lemon

For Frying:

1½ cup white flour

4 cups canola oil

In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes and sumac. Add the doversole filets and mix to coat the fish with all the ingredients. Roll each dover sole filet starting from the thicker side of the filet towards the thinner end. Place a toothpick in the middle to keep the roll together. Repeat this and place in a plate that has higher edges so that all the juices from the fish will drain to the middle of the plate. The juices then can be cleaned up with paper towel. Let them rest for 10 minutes so that all the water drains out from the rolls. 

Heat the oil. Coat the doversole rolls in flour and put in the oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve with lemon wedges and rice.

Fried Smelts (Gümüş Balığı Kızartması)

It has been over 20 years since I have had fish this small. I remember eating small fish such as hamsi (anchovy) and izmarit (picarel) when I was small. It has been tempting to buy it when available but since I am the only one who is willing to eat it in the house, I never bought it before. This week when I was shopping I saw the fresh smelts and they looked attractive. I bought them without hesitation. They turned out really good and I satisfied my craving of fried, small fish. Smelts are common in Turkish cooking, but this is my first time cooking them. I think next time I will bake them in the oven in tomato sauce. Enjoy with rice or bulgur pilaf and salad greens.

1 lb smelts

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground black pepper

 For Frying:

1 cup white flour

4 cups canola oil

Wash and drain the smelts. Place the fish in a large bowl and add the salt, red pepper flakes, cumin and the ground black pepper. Mix by hands to make sure all the fish are seasoned well.

 

Heat the oil. Coat the smelts with flour and fry for about 5 minutes or until the fish take a golden color. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve with lemon wedges.

Lobster Sauté (Sotelenmiş Istakoz)

Although I do not cook lobster often, this was the first time I cooked a lobster with spices rather than just steaming. Using ingredients commonly used in Mediterranean cooking, the lobster turned out to be very flavorful and light. It was still tender after being steamed and sautéed in oil.

The sautéed lobster can be a delicious ingredient for a sandwich as well being served as a salad, side dish or main dish. We ate it with rice pilaf and steamed vegetables.

1 whole steamed lobster
2 tbsp white onion
1 garlic clove (chopped)
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp white vinegar
½ tsp salt

Cut whole lobster in half lengthwise and remove meat from the tail and claws of the lobster. A cracker will be needed to remove meat from the claws. Roughly chop the meat. Set aside.

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Sprinkle paprika, black pepper and salt on the oil. Add garlic and onions. Sauté until onions are translucent. Pour vinegar. Add the lobster pieces along with the parsley and sauté for 1 minute. Serve warm or cold with potatoes, rice or bulgur pilaf.

Shrimp in Red Sauce (Salçalı Karides)

Here's a simple and very tasty dish!

1 lb shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
1 ½ tbsp red pepper paste (available at Mediterranean grocery stores)
¼ cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients except the shrimp and olive oil in a bowl. Add shrimp to the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are integrated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Enjoy with rice and salad.

Swordfish Kebab (Kılıçbalığı Kebabı)

Swordfish is perfect for kebabs because of the texture and thickness of the fish. Any type of sauce with olive oil, lemon and spices will go very well with this fish. Enjoy with rice pilaf and salad.

1 1/3 lb swordfish filet
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp red pepper paste
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
2 tbsp chopped shallots

Wash and pat dry fish with paper towel.


Cut the fish filet in bite sized cubes.



Mix all the ingredients except the fish in a large bowl. Add the fish and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.


Slightly grease the skewers and skewer each piece one by one. Leave enough space on the end of the skewer in order to hold it.


Grill on an out door grill or broil in the oven for 10 minutes on each side or until fish is completely cooked. Serve with rice pilaf and salad.

Note: If bamboo skewers are used, they need to be soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling in order to prevent them from burning.

Broiled Jumbo Shrimp (Izgara Karides)

I am back to posting recipes again. This past month I was traveling quite a bit, so between heavy work load and travels I did not get a chance to cook at all. Although I love exploring new and interesting places to eat when we are on vacation, eating out was getting old after a full month which is probably the longest I have gone without cooking in the past five years. Finally this past weekend I had some delicious home cooked meals visiting family which was exactly what I wanted.

I am kind of starting to cook again this week as time permits however more cooking and baking will take place in my kitchen beginning next week which translates to additional delightful Turkish recipes showing up on my blog. As mentioned before, there will be more focus on desserts, cakes and cookies but for now, we will have to settle for this luscious, simple shrimp recipe that my husband and I made together a couple months back. I hope you enjoy it, we sure did.

Note: I tried to attend to comments between travels as much as I could, however I did not have the chance to respond to your e-mails. As soon as I can I will respond to your e-mails. Thanks for understanding.

9 jumbo shrimp
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper paste (pureed kind)
1 tsp thyme
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Clean and divine shrimps and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and marinade over night.

Turn on oven broiler and broil for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with pilaf and vegetables.

Shallow Fried Halibut (Pisi Balığı Kızartması)

Although my preference for cooking fish is grilled or broiled, here is a recipe for shallow fried halibut. I wanted to try a different cooking method for halibut and came up with this recipe. It is extremely simple and of course very tasty. This white flesh fish stays firm through the cooking process and tastes absolutely incredible.

2 halibut filets
2 tbsp white flour
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Lemon or lime wedges (optional)
1 fried green pepper for decoration (optional)
2-3 sprigs parsley for decoration (optional)

Sprinkle the sea salt, black pepper, cayenne and fresh thyme leaves on both sides of the filets.


Sprinkle the flour to create a thin coating on the fish. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook both filets 3-4 minutes on each side. Garnish with lemon/lime wedges, parsley and fried green peppers and serve with rice or bulgur pilaf.

Lobster Tails Turkish Style (Türk Stili Istakoz)

Similar to other seafood, lobsters also need extra attention as to how much they are cooked. When they are cooked too long, the lobster meat has a tendency to be rubbery and tasteless.

The seasoning for these lobsters is Turkish/Mediterranean style, but you may alter it anyway you desire.

4 lobster tails (any size)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt

Wash the lobster tails. Using a sharp knife cut the lobster tails lengthwise from the middle. Cut out the top portion of the shell with kitchen shears or with a knife so that the flesh of the lobster meat is exposed. Be careful not to leave tiny pieces of the shell on the meat.

Sprinkle the lobster meat with salt and paprika. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Broil for about 7-8 minutes. Serve with potatoes or rice and vegetables.

Broiled Oysters (Izgara Istiridye)

My preference for eating oysters is raw; however my husband is not fond of raw oysters and actually not crazy about oysters or any other shelled seafood. Therefore, I usually broil them slightly so both of us would enjoy them.

For those of you, who have never shucked oysters, when shucking oysters, make sure you have a special oyster shucking knife along with a thick towel. The first time I purchased fresh oysters, I had the seafood guy in my market show me how to do it. Even with that, I found it very difficult to shuck oysters. It can be very dangerous if you hand with the knife slips while shucking the oyster. So, be careful.

You may add any other spices prior to broiling as it all depends on a person’s taste. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.


10 oysters
Pinch of salt
½ tsp paprika
½ lemon

Shuck the oysters. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Squeeze lemon on top and broil for 3-4 minutes on the top shelf of the oven broiler. Enjoy as appetizers.

Baked Salmon (Fırında Somon Balığı)

This recipe was inspired by a cookbook that included recipes from Russia, Germany and Eastern Europe. If I recall correctly, the inspiration for this recipe came from the Russian part of the cookbook. The fennel and caraway seeds added an aroma that is out of the ordinary. The fresh dill used for garnishing purposes came out of my herbs in my small balcony.

This simple, yet healthy and delicious meal will keep you very satisfied.

1 lb salmon fillet
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

4-5 sprigs of dill for decoration

Heat your oven to 350º.

Place the salmon fillet on a Pyrex dish. Rub the fish fillet with the ingredients equally on each side. Cover with aluminum foil.

When the oven is ready, bake fish covered for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15-20 minutes uncovered. Place on serving plates and decorate with dill. Enjoy with rice pilaf or potatoes.

Seafood Stew (Deniz Ürünleri Yahnisi)

For almost a year, I have been sitting on some seafood recipes that are not necessarily traditionally Turkish, but may be with Turkish/Mediterranean seasoning. Finally, I got a chance to publish them which will be in a consecutive order. A few more seafood recipes exist in my repertoire that need to be polished. At the same time, here are the ones that are ready to be published.

In addition, I will be busy these days, so I may not respond to your comments or questions immediately. However, I will still be posting new recipes and checking my e-mails and comments as much as I can, since I really enjoy reading them.

Now about the recipe…If you like to indulge in seafood, this is the perfect meal that comprises of different types of seafood in one pot. If you desire, you may add a few other seafood such as scallops or calamari to the recipe. You may also adjust the spices to your liking as it may be too spicy for some. Enjoy with a nice piece of bread or pasta.

1 lb mussels
1 lb clams
1 lb shrimp (cleaned and devined)
¼ cup olive oil
4-5 bay leaves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
Dill for garnishing (optional)

Wash the mussels and clams with cold water thoroughly and discard the opened shells. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Place the mussels and clams with the salt and all the spices. Let them cook for two minutes. Then, add the shrimp, wine and water. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with dill. Enjoy with just bread or pasta.

Turkish Style Seared Scallops (Türk Stili Tavada Tarak)

Seafood in general is enough to get me excited for a meal, especially when accompanied with a fresh, green salad and good bread. Seafood is light, nutritious and delicate which makes it attractive for any meal. Scallops, which I mostly prepare broiled or seared with wine are at the top of my seafood choices.

These particular scallops are prepared in a Turkish/Mediterranean style. The simplicity of the recipe allows me to cook them often. When served with rice pilaf and salad, scallops can make a filling and tasty meal.

6 large scallops
1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme
Juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped parsley for garnishing
4 round slices of lime for garnishing

Rub the scallops with salt. Sprinkle the thyme, paprika, ground black pepper on both sides of the scallops. Keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Place the scallops in the oil. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes until the scallops are golden brown.

Arrange in a plate. Garnish with parsley and lime slices. Serve warm.

Broiled Flounder (Izgara Dil Balığı)

My uncle was the inspiration for the way I cooked this fish. He used to grill a whole flounder for us quite often and it used to turn out so flaky and moist. We always had a salad and fresh bread with it. Since I do not have space for an outdoor grill, as an alternative, I broil. The flesh of flounder is so soft and delicate; you have to pay extra attention when cooking. You may notice that I use the same or similar combination of ingredients (salt, pepper, paprika, olive oil and lemon juice) for marinating poultry, meat and fish. This combination works very well and produces a very Mediterranean taste. Observing my uncle’s grilling, I noticed he used this combination often and I loved the result.

When buying fish he always advised me to purchase wild fish rather than farm raised. Farm raised fish do not get the chance to swim around and eat food from nature. For that reason, they are given antibiotics and pesticides and who knows what else. I am not an expert on this subject, but I religiously follow my uncle’s advice on this. Some wild fish may have mercury, but we try to consume these kinds of fish less.

Another thing that my uncle taught me to pay attention while buying fish is freshness. He only purchased fish that was brought in the market that day and always advised me to do the same. It never occurred to me at that time, any of the information he was sharing would come in handy, but now I am very glad he taught me all these things. There are only a few fish types that I purchase previously frozen, meaning they were frozen before and thawed at the market.

Every week, I make sure to purchase at least one type of fish or seafood since it is so much healthier than meat. So every time I purchase fish, I ask the person behind the seafood counter at the supermarket about the day the fish came in. If the fish I am inquiring about did not come in that day, 95% of the time, I do not buy it. After getting used my questions, the people working behind the seafood counter at the market, graciously told me about the scheduled days for bringing fish to the market. This makes things so much easier!

In my household in Turkey, fish consumption is much higher than chicken or red meat as my father always preached us to eat more fish and less meat. He has a few fisherman acquaintances who inform him about their catches, so our fish at home is just out of the Mediterranean Sea! Grilling fish over wood fire is a favorite way of eating fish at our home, along with poaching and baking.

This particular fish was so large that I had to use a baklava tray for the fish when I cooked it. No serving plate would fit the fish. Add a salad and a glass of wine and you're good to go.


1 whole flounder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil

Prepare a big oven tray. Put the fish inside the tray and rub with the ingredients. Rub half of each ingredient on each side of the fish.



Heat the oven broiler at 500º F. Put the tray on the second top rack and broil each side of the fish for 10 minutes. It may be challenging to turn the big fish once one side is cooked; you may need wide tools to turn it over without breaking it. Enjoy with salad and warm bread.

Thai Style Shrimp with Oyster Mushrooms

A while back I bought a Thai cookbook and got really Thai food frenzy. I purchased any kind of Thai sauces and pastes that I could find in stores without thinking about the recipes I will be making which I admit was not very wise. I was experimenting cooking Thai food at home and my husband was experimenting eating it! He was not very open to different foods before we got married. Now, he loves trying foods from all around the world. Those Thai recipes from the cookbook were really good. I rarely attempted to divert from the cookbook as I was not very familiar with cooking Thai food. Now that I am still left with some sauces and pastes and other stuff, I am creating new dishes employing Thai ingredients. Sometimes they work, sometimes they do not.

This shrimp dish with oyster mushrooms turned out pretty well. Therefore, I am sharing it here. It is simple, yet delicious. I used the oyster mushrooms and the scallions I bought at the farmer's market. The spiciness may be lacking, but I did not have any chilies on hand. Feel free to add them.

1 lb jumbo shrimp
¾-1 lb fresh oyster mushrooms
2 large scallions (chopped)
2 red chilies (optional)
5 leaves of basil (preferably Thai basil)
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp canola oil
Thai ginger peanut sauce
1 tsp salt

Cut the mushroom cluster in a way where each piece will have 3-4 of the mushrooms attached. Chop the chilies if you choose to add some spiciness to the recipe. Salt the shrimp. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large pan. Add the garlic and chilies. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, add the Thai ginger peanut sauce and the fish sauce to the garlic. Stir and add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the shrimp. Add the dried and fresh basil. Stir for 3 minutes and add the scallions. Allow 2 minutes to cook after adding the scallions. Serve with plain rice. Garnish with fresh basil and red chilies if you wish.

Fish Sandwich (Ekmek Arası Balık)

These sandwiches are perfect for a quick, week night dinner after work. Preparation takes less than 30 minutes. You may substitute the bread based on your preference.

2 lemon sole filets
1 baguette bread
1/2 of red onion
½ tsp sumac
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 small cucumber (sliced)
2 roasted long green peppers (peeled & seeds removed)
1/2 avocado (sliced)
½ cup thinly sliced romane lettuce
1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ lime
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

In a large Pyrex dish, place the fillets of fish. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Drizzle the olive oil and squeeze the lime on both sides. Broil each side for 4-5 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, cut the baguette in 3 equal pieces one of which will not be used since we will make only two sandwiches. Cut the middle of the bread pieces lengthwise without detaching the back. Set aside.

Now, it’s time to prepare the onion mixture. Slice the onion thinly. Add the sumac, parsley and a pinch of salt to the onions. Set aside.

Open up the bread and spread mayo on both sides of the bread. On the bottom part of the bread, add the fish; one fillet to each piece. You will need to cut the fish lengthwise since the baguette is thin. I use French baguette since it tastes very similar to Turkish bread. Add the cleaned and peeled peppers; one pepper to each sandwich. Add the onions, sliced avocados and cucumbers and the lettuce to the sandwiches. Cut in half and serve with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes sprinkled with salt.

Spicy Gumbo

Gumbo is a type of soup or stew that originated in Louisiana, but widely cooked in Southern of the United States. It is made out of either seafood or various kinds of sausages as well as bell peppers, celery and bunch of spices including a thickener which is called roux. This dish is usually served over rice. The first time I came across Gumbo was when I went to New Orleans for a business trip a few years back. I first did not like gumbo but after almost moving there I tried gumbo in numerous other places. There was this small restaurant that served incredibly tasty shrimp Po-boys in Baton Rouge. One day, I decided to try the gumbo and that’s where I really enjoyed it.

One Sunday when I felt like cooking something different, so I decided to try gumbo. I created my own gumbo recipe and it was so yummy! My husband also really enjoyed it and he claimed that I made the best gumbo he had ever eaten considering that he had lived in Louisiana for six years. Ok, this was my first time and I am sure that there are chefs and cooks that make gumbos much more delicious. Some people add okra to gumbo, so feel free to play with the ingredients as you may discover something even tastier.

2 lbs shrimp
1 lbs scallops
1 lbs crab claw meat
½ lbs leg of lamb (chopped)
3-4 ribs of celery (chopped finely)
2 ½ onions (chopped finely)
4 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
2 large roasted and peeled tomatoes (diced)
5-6 roasted and peeled green peppers (diced)
2 cans of beer (dark beer preferable)
4 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mace
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp hot sauce
2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup flour
Salt


For Roux

1 cup flour
¾ cup canola oil

Roux Preparation:

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Add the flour slowly while whisking constantly so that there are no lumps in the flour. Do this for about 20 minutes until that mixture thickens and takes a brown color. Preferences may differ on how brown the roux should be. I prefer it medium brown. If you would like to use the roux at a different date, you could cool it and freeze it.



Gumbo Preparation:

Once the roux is ready, add the onions and celery and stir. It may get a little lumpy, but keep mixing them together for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil on the mixture. Most people prefer butter, but since I do not use butter in my cooking, I used olive oil. Add garlic, roasted peppers and the tomatoes. Also feel free to add all the juices that come out from roasting the peppers and tomatoes. In a separate pan, cook the lamb slightly and drain the water that comes out of the meat. Add the lamb to the pot with the roux and vegetables. Add cumin, paprika, mace, celery seeds, thyme, black and cayenne pepper, bay leaves, salt and the hot sauce. Add the chicken broth and the beer and stir well. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes and then cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes on low heat. Add the shrimp, crab claw meat and scallops to the soup. Feel free to add salt to the shrimp and scallops before adding them to the soup. Cook for 5 more minutes after adding the seafood. Garnish with fresh parsley before removing from heat. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve over rice or as a regular soup.