A bulgur shell moulded thin around spiced lamb and walnut, then fried or boiled. In Gaziantep the shell is worked so fine that the filling shows through when you cut it open.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
İçli köfte is made across the southeast, but Gaziantep judges it on the thinness of the shell. Fine bulgur is kneaded with semolina and water until it becomes plastic enough to shape over one finger, and the wall is worked down almost to translucency before the filling goes in. That filling is minced lamb cooked with onion, pepper paste and, in the Antep version, plenty of walnut. The shaped köfte are then deep fried until the shell blisters. Çulcuoğlu is known for a version with a crisp outside and a heavy walnut middle, and home cooks still make them in batches for freezing.
Common allergens: Gluten, Nuts
Tip from the editors. Keep a bowl of warm water beside you and wet your hands constantly. Dry hands crack the shell every time.
Çulcuoğlu Et Lokantası is the esnaf lokanta of the Gaziantep bazaar, serving kebab, pide and bottomless soup to coppersmiths and shoppers alike.
Order: Kuşbaşı kebab with firik pilav and the free soup refill.
Tip: Complimentary fruit and soup arrive unasked. Do not over-order the starters.
Evirgeç Mantı Evi plates home cooking on Atatürk Bulvarı, and Gaziantep mantı with yoghurt is one of the cheaper sit-down meals in the centre.
Try: Antep mantısı
Tip: Check the daily board before ordering. The listed menu runs wider than the day's cooking.
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