Roast peppers with yoghurt & herbs
Delightful sharing plate or starter inspired by a new discovery in Istanbul's restaurant scene.
We’d taken the long drive to Tarabya, a once grand but now rather sleepy neighbourhood in the northern parts of Istanbul, for a Sunday walk. With a view to the Bosporos exit, northern winds make for fresh air and its distance to the centre means you avoid the crowds. Just what the doctor prescribed after a busy and chaotic week.
But what to do about dinner? Heading back home would take too long – it’s far and we were already hungry. Local options didn’t appear too attractive.
—Let’s drive to Yeniköy, said my partner. There’s a restaurant there that’s supposed to be good. And they’ve good ice cream shops too.
And so it was that we enjoyed a meal at Apartıman Yeniköy.
Modern Turkish food
The last few years has seen an insurgence of places offering up what I like to call modern Turkish food. Dishes, often sharing plates, where the ingredients and flavours are typically Turkish, but the dishes themselves aren’t.
The chefs behind such restaurants have often spent time abroad, where they’ve been inspired to try new things in a market where most people expect (and want) the traditional (a raised eyebrow of disapproval is, sadly, a very common reaction in response to anything done non-traditionally).
Apartıman Yeniköy is such a place, taking inspiration not just from Turkey but also from neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Complete with a menu that included natural wine, a first for me in Turkey!
The stand-out dish of the afternoon was a simple starter of roasted peppers with a yoghurt tahini sauce and spiced oil. So simple, so delicious!
Obviously, I had to try to recreate it home.
I’ve opted for a slightly pared down version, swapping a good extra virgin olive oil and lots of herbs for the spiced oil. The original’s oil was studded with black garlic and paprika, but I’ve kept mine plain. I like both versions, so feel free to experiment with flavouring your oil, if you like.
The yoghurt tahini sauce, though, I’ve kept as I remember it. Yoghurty, with just a touch of tahini – not the other way around, which I’m more used to in similar dishes with Middle Eastern flavours. As it should be. Yoghurt is way more used than tahini in Turkish cuisine. You can even omit the tahini altogether for an even fresher flavour.
I like to enjoy this dish as one of two or three starters, or several sharing plates, when serving a bigger group, though it’ll also work well alongside chicken or a legume based salad. I’ve roasted the peppers, but if you’re lighting up the barbecue, you’ll get an even tastier dish if you grill them.
Starter or side dish | Turkish-inspired | 2–4 servings