HOUMUS AND ANATOLIAN LANDSCAPES
Maksut Askar, Head Chef at neolokal, Istanbul
“I was born in Iskenderun, named after Alexander the Great and close to the city of Antakya. With the many border fluctuations of the area, Antakya has been part of Turkey since 1939 but prior to that it was actually part of Syria and the city of Aleppo. My family has lived in this territory for generations and it was through the borders of the Ottoman Empire that the area became a harbour on the Spice Route, bringing a great many influences to the cuisine of the territory. Eating, and talking about eating, was the daily routine.
‘Houmus and Anatolian Landscapes’ is dish which greatly reflects my childhood and the rich, colourful terroir I was born into. There are still houmus shops in my home town and although the sunny side-up quails egg I chose to serve the dish with represents the sun, it also pays homage to the houmus masters who cook houmus with eggs every single day.”
INGREDIENTS
Makes around 30 portions of houmous
1kg boiled chickpeas
230g double roasted tahini
70ml lemon juice
4g cumin
4g paprika
2g black pepper
2 cloves of garlic
20g salt
220g extra virgin olive oil
450ml vegetable stock
To garnish: chives, curly parsley and dill
RECIPE
Put all the ingredients in a thermomix and puree for 10 minutes at a high speed. Leave to cool down on a tray covered with cling film.
When ready to serve put approx 55g of houmous on the plate, garnish with the chive, curly parsley and dill and serve with sides of your choice. At the restaurant we serve it with a poached quail egg and a range of spices including: beetroot, turmeric, cumin, mint, tarragon, dried ceps, red cabbage, peas, parsley and coriander.