Recipe: Chicken Tava information and recipes

CHICKEN TAVA
Chicken tava would be "tavuk tava," which translates to "fried chicken" or "pan chicken," despite the preparation being quite different from what we in the States would call oven fried chicken. Peppers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes are incredibly common ingredients in Turkey, combined in endless ways. If you remembered the name of the village, or the establishment in which you ate, it may be easier to find hints of the regionally specific cooking techniques or extra ingredients that would have made this dish stand out.

What you're describing sounds like a guvec pot, an earthenware dish, usually round or oval and somewhat shallow, commonly used all over that part of the world for slow cooking. In some rural areas, the pots are even buried under ashes outdoors and left overnight to bake.

Traditionally the seasoning is minimal- pepper (chili) paste and tomato paste, salt, red and black pepper, maybe with cumin and/oran addition herb, either thyme or mint. Turkish dishes rarely include more than 3-4 spices. However, the kind of fresh and dried peppers you use in the dish make all the difference! Turkish red pepper, powdered or flaked, is quite different than our cayenne or standard grocery "chili pepper." Many of the translated recipes below when referencing pepper mean urfa pepper, which is NOT a standard pepper. See the following description: "Urfa better (isot) is not simply dried on the sun like many other varieties are: it is both dried and fermented. Urfa peppers are dried partly open partly closed which results in darker color and unique flavor that combines chocolate and raisins with smoky tones. With such a complex flavor profile Urfa pepper is easily the most exciting spice around. I am never too shy to use Urfa pepper in literally anything I make (soups, pasta, salads, meatballs - in particular): it may not have the heat of the red pepper flakes but its richer taste is enough to ask for." (Extract from http://www.deliciousistanbul.com/blog/2013/03/05/7-turkish-spices-worth-hunting-for/)

The same cooking technique and ingredients are used for any protein- lamb, beef, even seafood - and vegetables that are commonly used in addition to tomato and onion include eggplant, potatoes, carrots, okra, and beans. Vegetables that need longer to cook should be placed closer to the bottom of the dish. Cheese is sometimes added on top toward the end of cooking.

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CHICKEN TAVA

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in medium sized cubes
2 cubanelle pepper, cut in medium size pieces
1 (8 oz) pkg mushrooms, cleaned and halved
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tomatoes, finely diced
4 tbsp Biber Salza (Turkish pepper paste)*
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp butter, cut in small pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1.5 cups of shredded semi-soft and mellow flavored cheese (i.e. mozzarella)
SPICE MIX:
1 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbs thyme
1 tbs Aleppo pepper (If you do not have Aleppo pepper you can use crushed pepper)
1/4 tbsp ground cayenne pepper ( optionally if you used Aleppo pepper))

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken with spice mix. Place the chicken in a clay baking dish, add tomatoes, garlic, cubanelle peppers, tomato paste and Biber Sal a (Turkish pepper paste), mix, and add salt to taste. Add mushrooms, butter and sprinkle with olive oil.

Bake for about 45 minutes to 350 degrees F. After 45 minutes removed from oven and sprinkle the cheese if using. Return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes. Dish may be left covered for half an hour after removing from the oven to allow flavors to continue to deepen.

NOTES:
*Pepper Paste: If Turkish pepper paste can't be found in a nearby grocery, make your own- 2-3 red chili peppers, 3 red peppers and if you want to very hot also add 1 or 2 roasted habanero pepper and blend all together with a pinch of salt and 3 tbsp of lemon juice and 2 tbsp olive oil.

VARIATION:
Instead of baking in a one large dish, individual dishes may be used but they must be stoneware/earthenware/clay. Metal, glass, or enamel pots will not produce the same flavor.

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TURKISH CHICKEN TAVA

250 g dark chicken meat, cut in medium sized chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
9 or 10 mixed mushrooms, cleaned, cut in halves
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in medium sized chunks
2 large tomatoes, peeled, sliced
6 or 7 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons red pepper paste, mild-mixed with 2 tbsp water
2 tablespoons butter, cut in small size
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed pepper
salt and pepper

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Saute with olive oil for about 4-5 minutes while stirring in a medium sized pot.

Place mushrooms over the chicken, and then the cubanelle pepers over the mushrooms. Arrange the tomato slices over the top side by side, don't leave empty spaces. Sprinkle crushed pepper paste all over tomatoes. Put the butter pieces over the tomatoes, close the lid. Turn the heat to high first. When the dish starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low heat. Cook for about 1 hr and 30 minutes.

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The following recipes are translated from Turkish, please forgive errors:

CHICKEN TAVA

1.5 kg per bird chicken (boneless this)
1 large onion
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2 bitter green pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili paste
2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
1 medium potato
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Cover the dish with olive oil, allow at least 15 minutes for the fire to warm up the dish.

Chop all vegetables into large cubes. Add chicken to the warming stew pot, cook until lightly browning. Add the peppers and onions. Continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. At this stage, the chicken must have been quite a few water raft.

Stir in tomato paste and remaining vegetables. Add the bay leaves and spices. Close the pot lid. Leave to cook for about 15 minutes in the blazing fire.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C structure.

Saucepan in the oven away from heat. Bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken is very tender. Serve hot in earthenware pots. If desired earth-serve containers whether to take the grate parmesan on them in the oven, you can service the molten sophisticate.

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OVEN FRIED SPICY CHICKEN

4 chicken drumsticks
2 tomatoes
5 villages pepper
1 cup shallots
1 pkg. mushrooms
1 tablespoon k. pepper paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pinch of fresh thyme
5 cloves garlic,
cumin
salt
pepper
vegetable oil
FOR CLOTHING:
3 potatoes
salt
pepper
olive oil

Chicken thighs are dedicating their skin and bones. We chop in chunks. We're robbing the tomatoes and peppers are extracting. Tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms are chop into cubes. Place chicken and vegetables in a bowl and add sauces. We put big chop the garlic. We take fresh thyme leaves. Cumin, salt, and pepper and pour vegetable oil, we mix. We poured the mixture into a greased round glass baking dish. After the wax paper over before we cover with aluminum foil. We bake in a preheated 180 degree C oven. We're robbing the potatoes and chop into cubes. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl, pour the olive oil on top, add salt and pepper, toss, then spread the potatoes on a paper lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated 180 degree C oven. Remove both dishes from the oven, serve the roast chicken with the potatoes on top.

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CHICKEN TAVA "TAVUK TAVA"

half chicken
2 potatoes
2 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
Cumin, black pepper, mint
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Half teaspoon pepper paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
A little salt
1 cup water

Cut the chicken into 6 pieces. Chop other ingredients, add to chicken in dish. Mix spices, salt, oil, and water and pour sauce on top. Bake at 180-200C for 45 minutes-1hour, longer at a lower temperature.

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CHICKEN TAVA "TAVUK TAVA"

2 pieces of chicken breast meat
2 large potatoes
2 small-sized eggplant
2 red peppers
3 green peppers
3 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup olive oil
2 cup of water
Salt, thyme, mint, paprika, cumin

Chicken meat and all vegetables are chopped into cubes. a bowl of chicken paste, olive oil, salt, blended with spices and crushed garlic. Chopped mixed vegetables on a baking tray. Chicken meat is placed beautifully blended. 2 cup of water is added. Is covered with aluminum foil. If you have time, you can refrigerate for 2 hours. 190-degree oven for 50 minutes until cooked. Serve hot.

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"TUVAK TAVA"

1 kg of chicken meat
3 tomatoes
3 pieces of green pepper
1 red pepper capia
2 onions
10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chili paste
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Clean chicken meat. Chop vegetables. Mix with spices, salt to taste. Butter the size of nuts on top. Add water. Cover lidded or use foil, check moist halfway through adding more water if need. Bake 180C for one hour.

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CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT TAVA

1/2 kg eggplant
1/2 kilograms of boneless chicken breast or lamb
5-6 of peppers
1 medium onion
3-4 medium tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon mint
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt to taste

Rob eggplant in a variegated form. Chop them as edible or round shape, let's put salt in the water. Puddings on the other hand, fine, let's cut into long strips. Wash plenty of water, s zd rel the water in the filter. onions and peppers and other materials we put in a big way, doğrayal fried eggplant. By peeling the shell of tomatoes, edible doğrayal.

After preparing all the material in this way, let's prepare a tray large enough materials. Eggplant in salted water, put it into the pan, squeezing between our two hands. Take over all the chopped vegetables and meat that we in the other. Mint, thyme, red pepper flakes, black pepper, vegetable oil, tomato paste, the Let's add crushed garlic and salt. Mix all the ingredients of a good harmanlayal. On the material, put the butter into pieces the size of hazelnuts. Bulunal very little water added in. 220 degrees set in advance, let eggplant pan into the oven.

Eggplant and soften, let's keep meat in the oven until done. Let warmly service.

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TUVAK TAVA

1 kg cubed chicken thigh
5 tomatoes
1 large head garlic
2 red peppers
4 green pepper
10 pinch onion
3 tsp salt
3 tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon pepper paste
2 tablespoons oil
75 grams of butter or margarine
3 tablespoons lemon juice (to hold the chickens)

Wash thoroughly with diced chicken chunks and soak in lemon water for half an hour. Then wash and drain again. Chop tomatoes and peppers into small cubes. Garlic extract half. Extract shallots. The filtered chicken spices, sauces and oils blend well. Stir the vegetables into the marinated chicken and pour into a large shallow baking pan. 75 grams of margarine or butter on the cut. Bake for 1 hour at 185 C. oven which has been heated previously. Chicken prepared pan.