Eat your way to Eastern Europe

Whenever I try any new food, if I like it, I try to recreate it at home. Recently, I went to a Georgian restaurant. I had their traditional bread called Kachapuri. Its a lot like Turkish pide. But unlike pide, which has a lot of toppings, kachapuri's main topping is cheese and egg. This bread was so good. One of my most favourite meals in Istanbul was the fish sandwich that they serve from the boats. Recently I recreated both these dishes at home and I was thrilled with the results. You can make these two dishes very easily at home.

Kachapuri

This amount serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

For the dough: 2 cups of flour 1 tsp yeast 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 1 cup warm water

For the filling:

1 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup cream cheese 1/4 cup sour cream or yoghurt 2 eggs 2 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

To make the dough, mix the salt with the flour. In warm water add the sugar and the yeast. Leave it for 5 minutes until a thin layer of foam appears on the surface. Mix the yeast mixture with the flour and knead it into a smooth and soft dough. Add extra water or flour as needed. The dough should be very soft but not too sticky. Once done, put it in an oiled bowl and let it proof in a warm place for one hour. For the filling, mix all the cheese together with the sour cream or yoghurt. Set it aside. After one hour take the dough out and divide it into two equal balls. Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Now roll the dough into an oval shape about 8" long and 6" wide. Roll the sides in and then pinch the longer ends together. It will look more like a boat. Now put half of the filling in the middle. Proceed with the same process with the other ball. Sprinkle some extra mozzarella cheese on top. Bake it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese and the bread starts to turn a little brown. Take it out of the oven and make some space in the middle by shifting a little bit of the cheese to the side with a spoon. Crack one egg in the centre of the bread and return it to the oven. Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the egg is just set. Don't over cook the egg. The yolk must stay runny. Take it out of the oven and brush some butter on the edges of the bread. Add rest of the butter in the middle and serve immediately. The traditional way of eating this bread is to break the egg with a spoon and mix it with the cheese. Then slice it and enjoy. It tastes best when served warm, because the cheese starts to harden as it cools. Note: You can make cottage cheese at home by boiling milk and then by adding vinegar in it. Mix and then strain it well. Use it with other cheese. You can use Dhakai poneer as well. Don't add too much though, as its very salty. Keep your eyes on the bread while baking. The oven temperature varies from oven to oven which make the cooking time different.

Turkish Fish sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

To grill the fish: 4 fillets of mackerel or any firm sea fish you like. But it tastes best with mackerel. 2 tsp zaatar 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cumin powder 1/4 tsp black pepper powder Pinch of red chilli powder 1/2 tsp salt

For the sandwich:

4 ciabattas or 2 baguettes 1 tomato 1 cucumber 1 bunch lettuce Handful cilantro 1 medium sized onion 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp salt Lemon juice, as needed

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, apart from salt, with the fish and leave to marinate for one to two hours in the fridge. Slice the onion. Mix 1/4 cup water, vinegar, sugar and salt together with the onion and let it pickle for a few hours. Slice the tomato and cucumber as you like. To grill the fish, take the fish out of the fridge and mix the salt with it. Heat your griddle pan or a heavy bottom frying pan over medium high heat. Once its hot, brush oil on the griddle. Place the fish and cook for one minute on one side. Flip it over and cook the other side for another minute. Cooking time of the fish will vary according to the size of the fillets. To serve, slice the bread in half. Place the tomato cucumber and the fish. Put the onions on top and drizzle with lemon or lime juice. Serve warm. Note: A crusty bread is best suited for this sandwich. If you can't find crusty bread, then use good quality hotdog buns. Cut them in half and brush the bread all over with olive oil. Toast it well on the outer side too. A crispy bread crust makes it taste much better.  Farzana Romine is a food lover and travel enthusiast whose mission is recreating restaurant quality dishes at home and she invites you to come along for the ride.