Seafood

Fish kebabs with lemon, pepper, red onions and bay leaves

By Ozlem Warren on April 22, 2015 in Seafood 17

Healthy, delicious fish kebabs in olive oil, lemon juice and red pepper flakes marinade.

This is such an easy and tasty fish kebab; you can use any firm fleshed fish like cod lion, tuna or salmon. Meaty swordfish, kilic baligi, is traditionally used at home and its firm, chunky flesh really works well in the kebabs. I like to roast extra vegetables by the side to complement the fish kebabs; with some boiled potatoes aside, these fish kebabs make a delicious, impressive meal for entertaining.

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This and many other delicious, healthy Turkish recipes are included in my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland, Signed copies are now 30 % Off for a limited period at this link. It is delivered worldwide including the US.

Brush the left over marinade of olive oil, lemon juice and red pepper flakes over the skewers.

It is worth marinating the fish prior cooking; a simple marinade of olive oil, refreshing lemon juice with a little spicy kick from red pepper flakes flavor the fish kebabs beautifully. I baked my fish kebabs in the oven. You can alternatively cook them over preheated barbecue, oven grill or hot griddle for 6 – 8 minutes, until they are cooked through and lightly browned.

Lovely Fish Kebab image from Ozlem’s Turkish Table cookery book by Sian Irvine Photography

I hope you enjoy these tasty fish kebabs, Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem

5.0 from 3 reviews

Fish kebabs with lemon, pepper, red onions and bay leaves

This is such and easy and tasty fish kebab; a simple marinade of olive oil, refreshing lemon juice with a little spicy kick from red pepper flakes flavor the fish kebabs beautifully. I like to roast extra vegetables by the side to complement the fish kebabs; with some boiled potatoes aside, these fish kebabs make a delicious, impressive meal for entertaining.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish style fish kebabs - Seafood

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 2

Ingredients

350 gr/ 12 oz. skinned, boneless cod lion (or any firm fleshed fish), cut into bite size chunks
1 red onion, quartered and coarsely sliced
2 red pointy (or bell) peppers, deseeded and coarsely sliced
1 lemon, cut into small wedges
5 – 6 fresh bay leaves
2 tbsp. / 30 ml olive oil (for roasting the vegetables)
For the marinade:
30 ml / 2 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 – 2 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Soak wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before using.
Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F
Cut the skinned, boneless cod lion (or your choice of firm fleshed fish) into bite size (about 3 cm/1.2” in.) chunks.
Place the fish in a bowl and stir in the olive oil, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Season the fish with salt and ground black pepper. Gently coat the chunks of the fish with this marinade.
Cover the bowl and set aside for 15 minutes to marinate and for the fish to absorb the flavors.
Place the chopped red onion, red pointy (or bell) pepper and green pepper slices on a baking tray. Drizzle 2 tbsp. olive oil over them. Season with salt, ground black pepper and mix well.
Thread the fish on to the skewers, alternating with a wedge of lemon, red onion slice, red and green pepper slices. Thread one or two bay leaves into each skewer. Brush the kebabs with any leftover marinade.
Place the skewers at one side of your baking tray. Spread the remaining chopped vegetables next to the fish kebab skewers. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Serve the fish kebabs hot with roasted vegetables and a wedge of lemon by the side. Boiled or roasted potatoes also complement the fish kebabs well.

Notes

Soak wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before using.

Poached anchovies or Anchovy Stew with vegetables; Hamsi Buğulama

By Ozlem Warren on April 7, 2014 in Appetizers and Mezes, Regional Signature Dishes; Mains, Sides and Desserts, Seafood 11

Poached anchovies or anchovy stew with vegetables; Hamsi Bugulama

I was delighted to get some fresh anchovy fillets, hamsi, as we call in Turkish at my local market a few weeks ago. This small, oily fish, caught from October in Turkey, is much loved and a big part of the Turkish cuisine, especially at the Black Sea coast. There are many recipes celebrating anchovy at Turkey’s Black Sea region, from fried anchovies, hamsi tava, to anchovies poached in vine leaves, from anchovy bread to hamsi pilavi, delicious rice with pine nuts and currants, encased in anchovy fillets. Anchovy, hamsi lovers apparently even make anchovy jam at the Black Sea region!

Fragrant anchovy rice with pine nuts and currants, Hamsi Pilavi

I simply love poaching this delicious, strongly flavored anchovy fillets with layers of vegetables in a little water and olive oil. This method of cooking is called “bugulama” (steamed) in Turkish cuisine; not only healthy but also delicately brings out the flavors of each component here. Tomatoes, potatoes, onions add a lovely flavor in their own juice and balance strong taste of anchovies. Slices of lemon and parsley also add a delicious, refreshing taste; all in one pot, healthy dish, packed with flavor. Any small fish or fillets of white fish, as well as sardines would also work well in this dish. You may be able to get your anchovies gutted and cleaned by your fishmonger or buy as fillets.

Poached anchovies with vegetables. Hamsi Bugulama

You can enjoy this poached anchovies with vegetables or anchovy stew as a mezze to share, or a main course.

Afiyet olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews

Poached anchovies or Anchovy Stew with vegetables; Hamsi Buğulama

Poached anchovies with vegetables, Hamsi Bugulama, is a specialty from the Black Sea region of Turkey. Tomatoes, potatoes, onions add a lovely flavor in their own juice and balance the strong taste of anchovies. Slices of lemon and parsley also add a delicious,refreshing taste; all in one pot, healthy dish, packed with flavor.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: A seafood specialty with anchovies, from Turkey's Black Sea Region

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

450gr/1 lb. anchovies (or sardines or a fish of your choice), scaled, gutted, head & tail removed
2 medium potatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
3 spring (green) onions, finely chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
45 ml/ 3 tbsp. olive oil
4 fl. oz. / ½ cup water
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Turkish red pepper flakes or chili flakes to taste (optional)

Instructions

Combine the onions, spring onions, parsley and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Knead well with your hands to infuse the spices to the onion; this will also soften them and release their juice.
Parboil (partially cook) the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 5 – 7 minutes then drain the water.
Stir in the parboiled potatoes to the onion mixture and combine well.
Layer the onions and potatoes on a wide, heavy pan.
Lay the anchovy fillets (or the fish of your choice) evenly on top of onions and potatoes.
Next layer the slices of tomatoes and lemon over the fish. Season with salt and ground black pepper to your taste.
Drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil over and pour in the water to the pan.
Cover and start cooking over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Then lower the heat and cook for 15 -20 minutes (depending on the size of the fish), or until fish and vegetables are cooked.
Serve hot with some crusty bread aside if you like.

Baked Prawns with Vegetables and Cheese – Karides Guvec

By Ozlem Warren on November 26, 2013 in Appetizers and Mezes, Seafood 30

Baked prawns with mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, garlic – Karides Guvec

Have you ever tried the baked prawns with tomato, mushroom, peppers, onions and garlic – Karides Guvec, in Turkey? This popular all-in-one pot dish is served in fish restaurants in Turkey as a starter hot mezze and simply irresistible. Raki, Turkish spirit, is a popular and traditional drink to accompany Karides Guvec and seafood in Turkey.

Karides guvec is traditionally cooked in earthenware pot, though ramekin dish works well too.

Traditionally, prawns are cooked here with plenty of vegetables in a one big earthenware pot (or in smaller individual ones), called guvec, which delivers a wonderful flavor. But no worries if you don’t have one; a ramekin dish or a glass baking dish also works very well too. The marriage of baked tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil with prawns is heavenly; all you need is some crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices and a green salad a side. You can serve this easy baked prawns as a starter or as a main course with some plain rice aside; great for sharing with friends and family. You can make the vegetable sauce ahead of time too.

This and many other delicious fish, seafood recipes as well as mezes, savoury pastries, vegetables cooked in olive oil and more are at my Gourmand World Cookbook award winning cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes From My Homeland. You can order a Signed copy at this link, which is now 20 % off for the festive season – it is delivered worldwide. Also, as a new item, Ozlem’s Turkish Table aprons, with Antakya’s celebrated daphne leaves in the embroidered design, are now available to purchase via GB Publishing, at this link, it can be a lovely gift to a foodie, delivered worldwide.

If you live in the US, Canada or Mexico, you can now get hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table with lower shipping rates here.

Karides Guvec- baked prawns with vegetables; a delicious appetizer to share with family and friends.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

225gr/ 8oz fresh raw king prawns, shelled, cleaned and pat dried

225gr/ 8oz chestnut or white mushrooms, wiped cleaned, halved and sliced

1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 green bell pepper (or 2 sivri biber, pointy pepper, if you can get), seeded, quartered and thinly sliced

2 bay leaves (optional)

400gr/14 oz. good quality 1 can of chopped tomatoes

120gr/4 oz. grated cheddar (kasar) or mozzarella, if you prefer a milder taste

3 tbsp./45ml olive oil

2 fl oz./ ¼ cup water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 ml/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, Turkish pul biber or chili flakes

Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Slices of fresh, crusty bread or Turkish flat breads, pide to serve

Shepherd Salad of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, Coban Salata to serve

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, peppers and mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, season with salt (mushrooms especially require generous seasoning) black pepper and red pepper flakes, pul biber. Stir and cook over medium heat for another 4-5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and ¼ cups water, combine well. Simmer over medium to low heat for about 10 minutes, until you get a nice chunky sauce. Check the seasoning of your sauce and add more salt or spices to your taste.

You can bake prawns with the vegetable sauce in a one big pot or in individual dishes.

Stir in the fresh, raw prawns to the sauce and mix well. Spoon this mixture into individual or a one big earthenware pot or ramekin dish or any baking dish you have. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the prawns are just cooked through and the cheese is nicely golden brown on top.

Garnish with chopped parsley over the top and serve hot with slices of crusty bread or Turkish flat breads, pide by the side. Refreshing Shepherd’s Salad of sliced onions, cucumbers and tomatoes, Coban Salata, complements this dish beautifully.

Karides Guvec; Baked prawns with vegetables and cheese, ready to enjoy!