Turkish Pide recipe (Turkish Pizza!)

I've been holidaying in Turkey on and off since I was 9 and it's one of my favourite countries.  I adore the culture, the people, the scenery, the way of life and, of course, the food.  Turkish is considered one of the world's great cuisines, which often comes as a surprise to people who've never been and think it's all kebabs.  In actual fact, it's a vegetarian's paradise, with tons of meat-free dishes all made with the freshest, most delicious local produce.

I've been staying in the Turquoise Coast town Kalkan for the past 6 years (and am lucky enough to be going twice this year - just 3 months until my first trip, eeeeep!).  Kalkan is famous for its food, and while it's nice to eat a gourmet meal in a luxurious harbourside restaurant, sometimes you just want something simple.  This is where pide comes in.   It's the Turkish version of pizza and it's dirt cheap, with prices starting at a couple of pounds in little family-run lokantas.  It's famous for its distinctive 'slipper' shape and is made with a variety of toppings.  It makes a great lunch when shared between two with a big bowl of salad while on holiday, but in the cold, miserable UK weather, it also works as brilliant winter comfort-food.

I don't pretend to be an expert on pide but I've made it many times and while the homemade version will never be the same as those made under the Mediterranean sun by a chef with decades of experience, it's still delicious!  This is my recipe, adapted from several others and tweaked over the years:

Turkish Pide

(Makes 2 large pide)

1 tsp dried yeast

half tsp sugar

75ml warm water

150g strong white flour (plus extra for dusting)

half tsp salt

4tsp olive oil (plus extra for brushing)

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (follow instructions on packet if necessary) and add the sugar.

2. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl then gradually add the yeast and sugar mixture and the olive oil, stirring constantly.

3. Knead the mixture for several minutes until all the ingredients are well-combined and you have a soft dough.

4. Cover the bowl in cling-film and leave somewhere warm for approximately one hour, or until the dough has risen and is at least 50% larger. (I put my bowl on top of a radiator cover so it's warm but not too hot.)

The dough before...

...and after

5. When your dough has risen, pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 7/220C.  Knead the dough for several more minutes then separate into two equal chunks.  Dust your work surface, rolling pin and two baking trays with flour, then roll one piece of dough until you have a long, 'slipper' or 'boat' shape.  Carefully place the pide onto a floured baking tray.  You may find your pide is a really irregular shape so you might want to stretch it and tidy up the shape a little now it's on the tray.  Repeat with the second piece of dough.

6. Add your toppings, leaving a border of approx 2cm of dough all the way round.  Roll/fold these edges up and squeeze all around with your fingers to create a crimped effect.  Brush with a little olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the toppings have cooked and the crust is golden brown.  Cut into slices and enjoy, preferably with an ice-cold bottle of Turkish beer!

The tomato topping

You can always buy pizza topping and use that, but it's really quick, easy and tasty to make your own.  I use the following  recipe:

2tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the onion and garlic.  Cook over a low heat until the onion has softened then add the tomatoes and a pinch of black pepper.  Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated.  You should have a spreadable, rich mixture.

The top topping!

I usually use grated mozzarella as my basic topping then add whatever I have in.  My favourite topping is:

75g grated mozzarella

25g crumbled feta

finely sliced green pepper

finely sliced red onion

I often also add a few halved black olives and sliced mushroom.  My meat-eating boyfriend sometimes adds a few slices of pepperoni or chorizo as well.

  

Glyn's green olive & chorizo version

Glyn's rapidly disappearing pide

Jenny

x

Greek Feta & Spinach Pie

Following on from my Raspberry Cheesecake the other week, made with delicious, in-season raspberries, I thought I'd have a go at baking something else using seasonal produce. 

I often add frozen spinach to curries and things but as spinach is only in season for a few more weeks in the UK, I decided to find a recipe calling for it in its fresh form.  I found this recipe for a Feta and Spinach Greek Pie and gave it a go.  This dish is similar to traditional Spanakopita which, as a veggie, has been a staple dish for me on many Greek island holidays over the years!

It's really easy and the results far exceed the amount of effort put in.  I don't know about you, but that is the perfect kind of baking as far as I'm concerned!  I followed the original recipe fairly closely but adapted it a bit according to the quantities of the ingredients I had in.  

Recipe (serves 4)

200g bag fresh spinach leaves

Half a 270g jar of sundried tomatoes in oil*

100g feta cheese, crumbled

2 medium free-range eggs

Approx. 135g filo pastry sheets

*I used 80g sundried tomatoes (drained weight) but you can add more if you prefer

Loose-bottom cake or flan tin, anything from 20-24cm diameter will work fine

Pre-heat oven to 160C/Gas Mark 4.

1. Put the spinach into a large pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, then cook over a low heat until just wilted. Drain well in a sieve, squeezing excess water out with kitchen towel. Drain the sundried tomatoes, retaining the oil, and roughly chop.  Mix the tomatoes, spinach, eggs and feta together in a bowl. 

2. Carefully unroll the filo pastry. Take a sheet of pastry and brush with one teaspoonful of the sundried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in the cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the sides of the tin. Brush another teaspoonful of oil on another piece of pastry and place in the tin, just a little further round. Keep placing the pastry pieces in the tin until you have roughly three layers.  

3. Pour the filling into the centre, then spread out to ensure an even filling.  Pull the sides of pastry over the filling, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered. Brush with a little more of the tomato oil if needed.

4. Cook for approx 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. 

It turned out much better than I expected, so I think I will stick to the same quantities next time.  I was worried you wouldn't be able to taste the cheese as it didn't look much going into the mixture but considering there's only 25g of feta per serving, it tastes really rich.   All in all, the perfect quick summer meal when served warm with a baby leaf salad!

It would be really easy to adapt to your personal taste and to include whatever you happened to have in.  It's pretty low on calories and fat too, not that you'd know from eating it as it's very tasty and substantial.  I've still got half a pack of pastry in and half the sundried tomatoes so I think I'll be making it again before the end of the week!

Jenny

  x