Monday 14 May 2012

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks


If you have been reading my posts for a while, you'll have gathered that I've spent over 30 years, (on and off), earning my living wielding a whisk, so it's always a joy to find a new ingredient or learn a new cooking technique. I managed both in one day last week attending a cookery demonstration at Erenler Sofrası Restaurant, at Yarbasan Stone Houses in Ortakent.  I've been on quite a few day courses in attractive surroundings but the view from this kitchen has to be the most glamorous.


I'd seen onion flowers on market stalls but didn't have any idea how to use them and many gardeners think that letting onions go to seed counts as a failure, but thanks to Aslıhan Mutlu, the patron of Erenler Sofrasi, I shall now be waiting for my spring onions to flower before I dig them up. Aslı showed us a simple way to cook artichoke hearts using the whole onion flower.


Put as many artichoke hearts as you can in a single layer in a deep, wide-based pan. Brush with lemon juice to stop them going brown. Roughly chop a bunch each of spring onions, onion flowers and dill and mix in a bowl with half a cup of rice and a handful each of salt and sugar.  Mix with your hand for 5 minutes to make the onion juices run.  Then rinse well and cover the artichoke hearts with the mixture, a cup of water and a cup of good olive oil.  Season, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes then serve either warm or cold.  I'd used sugar and salt to kill the bitterness in onions for a salad but never instead of frying to soften at the beginning of an olive oil dish.  I tried it the next day with a couple of my tried and tested meze recipes and it definitely gives a fresher flavour.  



If cooking isn't your thing, visit the restaurant for the best meze I've tasted on the peninsula or if you're looking for a holiday rental, check out the Yarbasan web site for a collection of high quality, quirky but elegant villas.

http://www.erenler-sofrasi.com/

http://www.yarbasanholidayhomes.com/

8 comments:

  1. Oh lovely. Always on the lookout for new ingredients and recipes. Not sure we've ever seen onion flowers on the markets here but will definitely keep a look out now.

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  2. I learned something new today! I've never seen onion flowers before, but now I am going to keep my eyes open. I didn't even eat onion 3 yrs ago and now I can't get enough of them.

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  3. Wielding a whisk? Love the line. You shall be forever known as the whisk wielder of Bodrum!

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  4. Learned something new here.....I have chives that have chive flowers on them right now, and I told my husband not to rip them off. B/c they looked so pretty..... But now I just might find a recipe and use them in something, for I have a lot of them blooming at the moment.thanks for sharing your recipe.
    Love, love mezes.....I usually just make a meal out of them. They are good aren't they????

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  5. Thanks for a new seasonal recipe. The arrival of artichoke hearts is one of our favorite spring things and now we'll look out for the onion flowers.

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  6. Are onion flowers the same as chives? I know chives do eventually flower with lovely purple flowers. Recipe looks great!

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  7. All onions and chives flower eventually and all can be cooked.

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