Turkish Gozleme
Pancakes with parsley, onion and cheese
A speciality of Turkish village women - this is not a bread you’re likely to find in a bakery, although you might find a lady preparing them to order in the corner of the market square. Although it looks like a large pancake, the method brings it closer to an Indian chapatti. Easy to make, even if few of us can achieve the sleight of hand with the broom handle which seems to the birthright of every Turkish cook.
Makes about 8
100g (4oz) strong bread flour
1/2 tspn salt
1 tblspn olive oil or melted butter
About 5 tblspns warm water
The filling
4-5 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, skinned and finely chopped
A big handful (about 200g) fresh spinach, shredded
1/2 tspn Turkish mild chilli flakes (kirmizi biber), or paprika with a little cayenne
About 100g (4 oz) fresh white cheese, crumbled (could be cottage cheese)
Optional extras for sprinkling:
hard cheese (mature feta-type) grated
parsley, chopped
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Work in the water and oil until you have a nice smooth dough. Knead it some more. Divide into 4 and work each piece into a ball. Cover with a cloth and leave for 20 minutes or so, to rest.
On a floured board with a thin, well floured rolling pin (a broomhandle is the preferred instrument in Turkey) roll each piece out into a very thin disk 12-15cm (5-6”) in diameter.
Heat and lightly grease a heavy frying pan or griddle and slap on one of the disks. Use your fingers to move it about so it blisters and browns. Brush the top with more oil or butter and flip it over.
Sprinkle the cooked side with a quarter of the filling while the underside is cooking. When the underside is done, lift the gozleme onto a piece of greaseproof paper and roll it up into a cone. Continue with the other three, and eat hot, straight from the griddle.
