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NAME : ARA – BAŞI (serves 8)
CHAPTER : SOUPS
SOURCE : ÇOMAKLI – YEŞİL YAYLA
COURSE : AFTER THE EVENİNG MEAL
INGREDIENTS
Soup ingredients
1 whole cleaned chicken
2 tbs flour
1 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp hot red chilli flakes
2 tbs butter
1 tsp salt
Batter ingredients
350g flour
2 lt water
1 tsp salt
METHOD
Boiling the chicken
1)Place the whole chicken in a large saucepan. Fill with water till just covering and allow to simmer on a medium heat.
2)Remove the scum forming on the surface of the water before boiling. Simmer the chicken until the meat separates easily from the bone (about one hour) Leave to cool.
Preparing the batter
Place the flour in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat. Stirring constantly, slowly add water to the flour until a thick golden batter forms. After stirring in the salt, pour the batter onto a tray. It should be 1 – 1.5 finger widths thick. Leave to cool.
Preparing the soup
1. Remove the boiled chicken from the pan. Remove the skin and bones. Remove the
meat and place in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan stir 2 spoonfuls of the flour over a medium heat. Stir in the butter.
Dilute the tomato puree, red pepper and salt in a small teaglass of water and add to
the saucepan. After a few stirs add 8 – 10 glasses of the chicken stock and bring to
the boil.
3.Add the shredded chicken to the soup and reduce the heat. Continue simmering for
20 – 30 minutes until slightly thickened.
How to serve
Pour the hot soup into a serving tureen. Make a division in the cooled batter and place the tureen in the middle. Serve.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
1.The soup should be piping hot and the batter cold. With a spoon first scoop up some of the batter then dip into the soup. Eat both together.
2.Ara başı soup is enjoyed during the winter months between mealtimes with friends. It is the main snack between meals and that is why it is called “ara başı” soup (main between) This usuaşlly takes place in the mountain villages.
3.Turkey or wild fowel can be used instead of chicken. In days gone by only wild fowl would have been used in the preparation of this soup.
4.Sometimes a sprig of rosemary is added to the soup.
5.In downtown Antalya stock is used instead of water to prepare the dough which renders the dough softer. And when serving the dough and meat are served separately from the soup.
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