Hot Meze Tabaği Recipe

Prepare and grill halloumi

Slice halloumi into 1 cm (about 1/3 inch) thick slices. Pat dry with paper towel. Brush both sides lightly with 1 tbsp olive oil. Heat a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place halloumi slices in the skillet and fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp edges form. Remove to a serving plate.

Finish and season: While hot, squeeze juice from half a lemon over the halloumi, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.

Pan-fry sucuk

Slice sucuk into 0.5 cm thick rounds. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sucuk slices in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and fry 2–3 minutes per side until browned and a little crisp. Sprinkle smoked paprika over the slices during the last 30 seconds and toss to coat.

Transfer to the serving plate alongside halloumi and garnish with 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

Prepare calamari

Pat the cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles very dry with paper towels. Slice tubes into 1 cm rings. Combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder in a shallow bowl.

Make light batter/coating

Add 1/2 cup cold sparkling water to the flour mix and stir briefly to form a slightly lumpy, thin batter. The texture should cling lightly to the squid; if too thick add a tablespoon more water.

Heat oil and fry

Pour vegetable oil into a heavy pot to a depth of about 5 cm and heat to 180°C (350°F). Dredge calamari rings in the batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully lower into hot oil in small batches to avoid crowding. Fry 1.5–2.5 minutes until pale-golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Season immediately with a little extra salt to taste.

Serve the kalamar hot with lemon wedges.

Make falafel mix

In a food processor combine 400 g drained chickpeas, 1/2 chopped small onion, 30 g parsley, 15 g cilantro (if using), 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Pulse until a coarse, slightly sticky but not pureed mixture forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add 2 tbsp flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder; pulse a few more times to combine. The mixture should hold together when pressed—if too wet add 1 tbsp more flour.

Form and fry falafel

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan or pot to about 175°C (350°F). With wet hands or a spoon, form 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls or slightly flattened patties from the mixture. Fry in batches 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain and keep warm in a low oven if needed.

Tahini sauce

Whisk together 3 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp plain yogurt or water, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. If too thick, thin with a teaspoon or two of water. Taste and adjust salt/lemon.

Serve falafel hot with tahini sauce for dipping.

Arrange components on a warm platter: place mixed salad leaves and halved cherry tomatoes down the center or to one side. Fan grilled halloumi and fried sucuk next to each other, pile golden kalamar and a handful of falafel. Spoon tahini sauce into a small bowl and place on the platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional lemon wedges.

Serve immediately while everything is hot and crispy. Each guest can mix-and-match bites of halloumi, sucuk, kalamar and falafel with salad leaves and tahini.