This dish is a part of the treasure trove of the cuisine of Anatonia, from the long, narrow Fertile Crescent of Turkey. Rich with pistachio nuts, the region’s pride, and lively with the local herbs and spices, this dish —and the cuisine it comes from—is a mix of the hearty and the ethereal.
Although included in the side-dish, this dish easily makes a meal, with a crisp green salad alongside. It is also an ideal accompaniment to the Pistachio- and Pepper-Stuffed Lamb Fillet.
Makes 6 servings
2 pounds (1 kg) whole-milk yogurt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large garlic clove, minced
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (1 kg) small waxy or new potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon clarified butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (55 g) pistachios
Mint Oil (Chapter The Basics) for garnish
Note: Don’t try to substitute low-fat or nonfat yogurt; neither will work. The point of the clarified butter here is its nutty flavor and high burn point. If you don’t have clarified butter, use regular butter and watch it carefully, as it will brown more quickly than clarified butter.
Ingredients:
1. Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl and let it drain for about 4 hours. The yogurt will be quite thick, about the consistency of soft cream cheese. Transfer the yogurt to a medium saucepan. Whisk in the egg, flour, and garlic and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the yogurt mixture is boiling gently and cook until the mixture thickens and the flavor of the flour is gone, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
2. Place a steamer over medium-high heat and, when the water is boiling, place the potatoes in the steamer, cover, and steam the potatoes until they are tender through, about 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. If they aren’t small, cut them into 1½-inch (4-cm) chunks.
3. Melt the clarified butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to melt, add the saffron and stir. Cook the saffron until it begins to sizzle and smell like heaven, then add the onion and stir. Cook until the onions soften at the edges, about 8 minutes, then add the potatoes and stir them into the onion. Season with salt and continue cooking, stirring and shaking the pan often, until the onion is thoroughly softened and the potatoes begin to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Add the yogurt sauce to the potatoes, stir, then add the pistachios and stir them into the sauce. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan, until all the ingredients are combined thoroughly and heated through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4. To serve, either evenly divide the potatoes among six warmed plates and drizzle with equal amounts of mint oil or pass the potatoes and the mint oil separately.
