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How to make the best of your Turkish Oven

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daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:50

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Message 1 of 17 in Discussion

I have had a turkish oven for more than a year now and i (as i'm sure a lot of you have too) have only used it for heating the house, which does a tremendous job alone. Once in a while i've chucked in a couple of potatoes and they have come out delicious...but as i said, i mostly use it for heating.



So,on a whim, i decided to try and use it for what it was actually designed for...cooking!! Now, i realise that the local Cypriot does this all the time, so therefore this is no suprise whatsoever, but for us ex-pats, who are used to 'real' ovens (i use the word 'real' loosely so as not to come across as patronising) really do not know how to use them, so i thought i'd give it a go, and this is what i did, and how i did it. Please note that everything i did was by simple judement...no measuring, no timing....just simple judgement



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:51

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Message 2 of 17 in Discussion

First of all i got the fire going...primarlily with kindling and a couple of logs. When it got going, i chucked on a bunch of barbequing coals, then left it alone for about a half hour...just so that it was hot, but no flames...(think of it as a mangal)



Now, i have been told not to use the coals in a house fire due to massive smoke inhalation, however, providing you know how to use the oven, you should be able to direct any and all smoke through the flu, but once the coals have heated up, there is very little to none smoke...just like the bbq.



Then i prepped my dinner. As i am only cooking for one, i buy the baby chickens (used to be about 6/7TL now about 10TL) I cut it in half as even though i'm a proper gannet, i still can't finish a whole one. I oiled, salted, and kemik'd it (i even threw on some brown sugar because i quite like a teeny bit of sweetness on my meat) then i chopped a medium sized potato into 4's and cleaned 2 small onions. I put everything into a baking tray (th



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:52

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Message 3 of 17 in Discussion

(this was the hardest thing as i had to go and find a baking tray that would fit the oven...however a small baking tray from a kitchen shop should suffice, i found mine at Lamboussa Market)



Again i oiled and salted everything just as if i was using the 'real' oven. I put the marrowfat peas (i hate garden peas) into a saucepan also some sweetcorn into another saucepan. Then i waited.



I waited until the coals were glowing but not super hot...then i threw in a couple more.



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:53

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Message 4 of 17 in Discussion

Then i put the baking tray directly on top of the metal tub that houses the glowing coals (please make sure you started off with a clean tub so the heat isn't too close to the baking tin) and then closed it. I then put both saucepans on top of the hobs (with lids, in an attempt to save them drying out) Also there was one free hob left to which i utilised by putting another saucepan on containing my dogs food, chicken stomaches, to boil)



I left it for 30 or 40 mins...during which time i chucked on a couple more coals, swished the oil around and basted the chicken...meanwhile having the warmest house in Cyprus!!



Perhaps this is the right time time to tell you that times and temps were made more by lucky guesses than by educated ones.



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:58

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Message 5 of 17 in Discussion

Anyway...the finale....One beautifully cooked chicken, with PERFECT roast potatoes (oniions were slightly burnt, but after removing the outer layer and they were fabulous) plus the sweetcorn and peas,that had been busy simmering on the hob...were slightly dry...so add water for next time)



And the dogs dinner...perfectly boiled...although i admit...to a dog, food is food..but they ate it all!!



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 17:59

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Message 6 of 17 in Discussion

So...with a handful of kindling (zero TL), 2 logs (.05TL) and a quarter bag of coals (2TL) , i was able to cook up an AMAZING barbequed dinner (with all the flavour of a summerting bbq) including vegetables, dogs dinner AND heated up the whole house for next to nothing!! Now THAT IS WHAT I CALL EFFING BRILLIANT!! Why??? Because the only electricity i used (that has had a 25% increase) was only for light!! This i have guesstimated cost me a total of 2.50TL!!







Once again, please let me reitterate, that timings and temperatures were (perhaps) more about lucky guesses...and the oven i used was the squarish one, NOT the single use round one, if you'd like to see the oven i used please let me know and i will happily send you a picture. Happy pundsaving my friends!





DD



Lambousa Gordon


Joined: 03/11/2007
Posts: 1992

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:18

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Message 7 of 17 in Discussion

Hi Daisy,



Is your soba the upright cylindrical type or the squat square type with an "actual" oven opening?



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:21

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Message 8 of 17 in Discussion

The squat square type with the ''actual'' oven...



DD



Lambousa Gordon


Joined: 03/11/2007
Posts: 1992

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:22

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Message 9 of 17 in Discussion

Thanks,



Very informative & helpful.



herindoors


Joined: 13/01/2007
Posts: 138

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:25

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Message 10 of 17 in Discussion

I'd love to see a picture of this wonderful oven any chance of putting it on the site please. Wont ask to see your dinner as already eaten!! Sounded lovely tho........mmmmmm



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:25

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Message 11 of 17 in Discussion

i thought so....





DD



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:30

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Message 12 of 17 in Discussion

Sadly the only pictures i have are on facebook... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150302781980220.566422.669645219&type=1



DD



judyr


Joined: 07/07/2009
Posts: 956

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:32

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Message 13 of 17 in Discussion

Sounds fab! I am a bit confused by the meaning of Turkish oven because I thought these were the mud and stone domed ones that are usually outside. Is yours a bit more like a range? Can you post a picture of your oven so I may understand?



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 18:37

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Message 14 of 17 in Discussion

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150302781980220.566422.669645219&type=1



i believe you can see the type of oven i cooked on here...



DD



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
20/11/2011 20:47

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Message 15 of 17 in Discussion

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150302781980220.566422.669645219&type=1#!/photo.php?fbid=10150302783655220&set=a.10150302781980220.566422.669645219&type=3&theater



DD



daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
21/11/2011 07:34

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Message 16 of 17 in Discussion

But beware...it seems cooking on a turkish oven diminishes ones ability to copy and paste URLS!! I really ought to pay more attention to what i'm typing! If you want a picture of the oven, please send an email to dazzeee3@hotmail.com



DD



philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
21/11/2011 07:44

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Message 17 of 17 in Discussion

msg16, lol.



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