Growing up in a north London Turkish Cypriot household, the next family gathering was never far off. My mum loves nothing more than getting the whole family together and laying on a feast, whether for Bayram holidays, a family birthday or – most of all – for New Year’s Day, which is equivalent to Christmas Day in our culture. It’s not the big occasions that I remember most vividly, however, but the regular weekend get-togethers when all of my uncles and aunts would come round to our house in Southgate, bringing with them numerous cousins.
The kids would all be sent off to play together, while the adults would gather in the kitchen around a table laden with a buffet of freshly cooked traditional dishes. Noise was a permanent – and powerful – presence.
My mother is always sure to serve up certain dishes. And they often seem to involve beef mince. One of my favourites is Cypriot-style fried beef köfte, which owe their delicious crispy exterior to the inclusion of grated potato. Unfortunately, they seem to be everyone else’s favourite too, so competition is always fierce. Köfte rarely make it as far as the dining table. There’s usually a queue of people lingering around the cooker in the hope of grabbing one before everybody else.
In this respect, my status as baby of the family used to act in my favour. I’d sneak up beside my mum at the stove, my curly hair and blue eyes charming her, or some uncle or aunt, into sharing some with me, fresh out of the pan. I’ve recently been replaced as the cutest family member, but as my mum’s regular sous chef, I still get some advance morsels before the hoards descend.
Another staple at these gatherings is a traditional tray-baked pasta dish, not dissimilar to lasagne. My mum will tell you that she makes the best firinda makarna in north London, a claim many of her friends will happily support. Cooked in a round stainless steel sini, which mum brought back from Cyprus, makarna pasta (a cross between macaroni and spaghetti) is layered with beef that’s been cooked with onions and parsley, then topped with a layer of creamy cheese sauce made with halloumi (which we call hellim). This cheese sauce is the crowning glory of Mum’s dish. While others use a loose cheese sauce that seeps through the whole dish, Mum’s is richer and forms an almost-set layer on the top of the dish. Again, not unlike the often coveted crispy top of a good lasagne.
Once everybody has had their fill from the buffet, the leftovers are packed up into portions for each family member to take home with them. Occasionally mum makes a syrup-dipped filled pastry called sütlu börek (to appear later in my Cook Residency) but, more often, platters of fresh fruit, nuts and lokum (Turkish delight) will be brought out to the table. My dad and uncles would start a game of cards as the women shared stories from recent trips to Cyprus and us kids fought sleep to keep playing.
Fried beef köfte
Serves 4 as a main
600g beef mince
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled, finely grated (Cyprus potatoes are best but any white potato will work – squeeze out the excess water before adding to the mix)
1 large egg
150-200g white breadcrumbs from a white crusty loaf (crusts removed)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil
1 Mix all the ingredients except the oil together in a large bowl; knead the mix for around 1 minute.
2 Fill your frying pan around a third of the way up with vegetable oil. Turn the heat on and let the oil gently heat up while you mould the köfte. (Do not overfill your pan with oil – you are looking to fill it up enough for shallow frying. You can also cook the köfte in a deep fat fryer if you have one).
3 Either mould the köfte into short stumpy oval sausages (as is traditional) or small balls. It helps if you have damp hands to do this part.
4 Once the oil is medium-hot, add as many of the köfte as your pan can fit, ensuring you leave about 2cm between them.
5 Once they are a nice dark brown colour, flip over and cook them on the other side. Remove from the pan and drain on a tray lined with kitchen paper.
6 Continue to cook in batches until the mix is used up. Serve warm or cold with either Turkish rice or Cyprus potato chips and a salad.
Firinda makarna
Serves 8-10
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
600g beef mince
½ bunch parsley, large stalks removed and finely chopped
500g long Turkish pasta
For the cheese sauce
2 packets halloumi, finely grated
3 heaped tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg
A large pinch of dried mint
5 heaped tbsp plain flour
1420ml (2.5 pints) whole milk at room temperature
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped onion and cook on a medium heat until it starts to turn golden brown.
2 Add the beef mince and fry until cooked through – about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Take off the heat and put to one side.
3 Bring a very large pot of water up to the boil. Add about 1 tbsp salt. Add the pasta and boil, stirring occasionally until just cooked – this should take around 7-9 minutes. Drain in a large colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
4 In a tray measuring about 26 x 36cm put in half the pasta and sprinkle over a few tbsp of the grated halloumi. Then add all the mince and spread evenly across the tray, followed by the final layer of pasta and another few tbsp of halloumi.
5 Whisk the egg in a small bowl along with the dried mint and put aside.
6 To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large wide saucepan on a medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux and cook until light golden brown. Whisking all the time, add the milk bit by bit, ensuring it is all incorporated and smooth before adding in the next lot. (It’s easier to take the pan off the heat to do this part.)
7 While still whisking on a medium-high heat, add the beaten egg and continue to cook until it starts to boil – don’t stop whisking.
8 Now add the rest of the grated halloumi and incorporate well. Take off the heat. Pour the sauce over the pasta and even out. Bake until the top becomes golden brown – about 30 minutes depending on your oven.
9 Once you have taken it out of the oven, allow it to cool for around 15 minutes before serving, so it doesn’t collapse once you cut into it.
- Next theme Turkish vegetarian: Selin’s meat-free staples, including stuffed cabbage leaves and a Cypriot green leaf stew. Selin Kiazim is a chef based in London. Her first restaurant, Oklava, has just opened in Old Street.
