Şampiyon Kokoreç ★ 4.2
Şampiyon Kokoreç on Sahne Sokak, the 1962 Beyoğlu kokoreççi keeping its charcoal grill burning past midnight for the Balık Pazarı late-rakı crowd.
Try: Kokoreç sandwich
History
A Greek and Armenian Istanbul tradition rooted in the late Ottoman period, midye dolma is sold by hand-cart sellers across Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Eminönü. The mussels come from the Bosphorus and Marmara, stuffed with pilaf perfumed with cinnamon, allspice, currants and pine nuts and steamed until the shells barely open. The street version remains the canonical one, eaten while standing at the cart with a squeeze of lemon. Most restaurant attempts undersell the spice mix.
Common allergens: Shellfish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 kg black mussels, cleaned and beards pulled
- 200g short-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 medium onion, very finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons currants, soaked in warm water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Salt and black pepper
- 400ml fish stock or water
- 2 lemons, in wedges, to serve
Method
- Toast the pine nuts in olive oil until golden, add onion and soften, then stir in rice, currants, cinnamon and allspice for 2 minutes.
- Add half the stock, cover and cook 12 minutes until the rice is plump but not fully cooked.
- Open each mussel with a small knife, taking care not to detach the shells, then stuff with a teaspoon of rice and close.
- Pack the mussels tightly hinge-down in a pan, add the remaining stock, weight with a plate and steam 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, serve with lemon wedges and a slice of bread.
Tip from the editors. Eat at room temperature, not chilled, so the spice cinnamon notes lift. A squeeze of lemon at the table is structural, not optional.
Where to eat midye dolma (stuffed mussels)
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