Recipe: Hummus with Turkish pastrami by Karsu
Karsu Dönmez is a multi-talented artist: singer, pianist, presenter, composer, and… chef. She has her own show on 24Kitchen and recently did an internship at the Michelin-starred Turkish restaurant Dede in Ireland. The next step? Her own cookbook: Karsu’s Kitchen, which will be available in stores from 7 March. We’re already allowed to give you a taste.
In Karsu’s Kitchen, you’ll find 75 of her favorite recipes from Turkish cuisine. Take a culinary dream journey through tables laden with mezze and simple, quick meals, from vegetarian dishes to fish and meat. The book is also packed with personal stories about her culinary journey from Istanbul to Hatay (a UNESCO Culinary World Heritage region in Turkey). One of the favorites is this delicious hummus with Turkish pastrami.
There are a few tricks I always use
Karsu: ‘Listen… do not deviate from this recipe! I’ve been searching for the perfect hummus recipe all my life; I even traveled specifically to Lebanon and Jordan for it. Every day and night, I ordered hummus at the best spots and enjoyed it tremendously. I had the most wonderful conversations with ambitious young chefs who often give their hummus a trendy fusion makeover. But the basic hummus naturally remains the same. Hummus is hummus. I think I got it now! There are a few tricks I always use to make the smoothest, softest and creamiest hummus. If your mouth isn’t watering already…
But wait, stop, we’re also making it a little more interesting: we’re adding pastırma, Turkish pastrami. And we’re finishing it with toasted pine nuts and melted butter, because, why not! :D’
How to make hummus with Turkish pastrami
- Strain the chickpeas in a colander. Put them in a bowl and fill it with water; rinse the chickpeas twice this way. Then gently crush the chickpeas so that the skins come loose. Fill the bowl with water again; the skins will now float to the surface. Remove them.
- Put the chickpeas in a food processor, together with the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, ground cumin and salt, and blend for 4 minutes. Then add the ice cubes to cool the mixture slightly and make it creamier. Blend for another 2 minutes and bam: done. Yes, exactly 6 minutes! That’s the secret to my hummus.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Melt the butter in the same pan and fry the pastırma for about 2 minutes. Serve the meat with the butter and pine nuts on top of the hummus.
Title: Karsu’s Kitchen
Author: Karsu Dönmez
Price: €34.99
Publisher: Kosmos Uitgevers
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