1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,680 MAEVE O'MEARA: This week, The Chefs' Line features a cuisine 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,280 that's rich, varied and honed by the centuries-old Ottoman Empire - 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:10,760 Turkish. 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,240 This is what makes simple food great. 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,720 Executive chef Somer Sivrioglu and his Turkish chefs' line 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,240 delivered dish after exceptional dish to the pass, 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,200 leaving the home cooks quaking in their boots. 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,560 These prawns are raw. 9 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,120 Tonight I visit one of Sydney's latest additions 10 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,480 to its restaurant scene, Anason, 11 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,480 which showcases Turkey 12 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,320 and the flavour combinations Somer is known for. 13 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,040 It's a breakthrough dish for me. 14 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,480 Isn't it wonderful how a certain spice or taste of food 15 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,200 can transport you across the world? 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,040 Executive chef Somer Sivrioglu has designed his Turkish restaurant, 17 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,640 Anason, to replicate a beautiful, bustling restaurant in Istanbul. 18 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,160 For Somer, it isn't just a restaurant, it isn't just food. 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,120 It's his memories, heritage and home. 20 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,520 Somer brings his own culinary flair to Sydney's newest dining district, 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:16,360 Barangaroo, showcasing the complexity and variety of Turkish food. 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,920 A lot of people associate Turkish food with late night greasy kebabs 23 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:22,640 after a big drinking session. 24 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,120 It is a lot more than that. 25 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,760 Turkish cuisine is an immense and delicious world 26 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:31,360 full of flavours that range from its eastern borders with Asia 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,440 and its cosmopolitan heart in Istanbul. 28 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,440 Somer! Good to see you, Maeve! 29 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,520 Oh! Beautiful, isn't it? Thank you. Thanks for coming. 30 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,040 This is... this is your ode to your homeland, isn't it? 31 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,280 It is. I mean, it is the new home for us. 32 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:47,520 So you've already had Efendy restaurant 33 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,560 and then Anason is the seaside version. 34 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,600 It is. I mean, it's my... it's my 'hood, you know, Istanbul. 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,560 Efendy is Anatolian roots of Turkish food that we are celebrating, 36 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,200 and in here, in Anason, 37 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,600 we're celebrating the urban food of Istanbul. 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,040 So coming to Anason, what do... what do diners expect to taste? 39 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,400 So you would generally start with small cold mezzes. 40 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,040 Sharing. It's all about sharing, our food culture. 41 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:14,840 Fresh simit and bread. 42 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,000 And then you would move onto, like, prawn dishes, octopus, scallops. 43 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,640 It is celebrating the Australian produce 44 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,240 with our own unique touch of Istanbul style... 45 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:26,920 ..style culinary arts. 46 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,920 A keen member of Somer's chefs' line is station chef Inal. 47 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:33,400 Born and raised in Turkey, 48 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,760 he brings a wealth of baking experience to the kitchen. 49 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,280 Our station chef Inal is another young talent 50 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,320 and he is an amazing chef. 51 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,120 And Inal brings that finesse into the kitchen 52 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,240 and he uses his skills to take it up a notch 53 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,280 from our traditional Turkish food. 54 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:51,760 Inal's challenge this week 55 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,680 was to produce Istanbul's favourite street snack, simit. 56 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,640 Although a simple style bake, the technique required 57 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,480 to produce this classic is extremely specialised. 58 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,120 Inal showed great expertise, but for some of the home cooks, 59 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,680 getting to grips with the finer details was a struggle. 60 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,560 MELISSA LEONG: The simit's not gonna be simit. 61 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,800 It's gonna be too doughy and that's not the desired effect. 62 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,080 Inal's talent and skill shone through 63 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,320 as he delivered the star of the show. 64 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,800 This? This is textbook simit. 65 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,000 Right down to the braiding and the sesame crusting. 66 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,240 And look at this. It's fluffy and soft. 67 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,440 This is what makes simple food great. 68 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:37,960 So, Inal, you blitzed the studio with your simit the other night. 69 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,640 Yeah. Fantastic. Fantastic. 70 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,320 Do you enjoy it? 71 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,040 Yeah, there is so much fun... yeah, when I do this. 72 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,720 Somer, for you it was important to have simit in your restaurants 73 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:51,200 in Australia, wasn't it? 74 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,920 Very much so because it is the ultimate street snack in Turkey 75 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,160 and anyone who has been to Turkey will know about the simit carts 76 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,240 where you can get that, off the... you know, off the street, 77 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:03,720 have it while you are walking 78 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,200 and it's something that I really wanted to bring to Australia. 79 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,920 So it's a ring of dough encrusted with sesame seeds, 80 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,760 but it's got an added, wonderful flavour. 81 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:14,880 Definitely. 82 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:16,560 So you dunk it into the grape molasses, 83 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,080 then cover it with the sesame 84 00:04:19,280 --> 00:04:21,600 and it just gives all that beautiful tastes. 85 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,040 And sesame is so good for you. Yeah, exactly. 86 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:25,560 And you can just have it by itself 87 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,880 or you can have it like we're gonna show a bit later 88 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,600 with the basic... like the atom, with the yoghurt and chillies. 89 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,680 So we've got a master in training here? 90 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:35,160 Very much so. 91 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,440 What we know in Australia as Turkish bread doesn't exist in Turkey! 92 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,240 So in my opinion, simit is more like the real Turkish bread 93 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,240 and hopefully one day we'll introduce that all around Australia. 94 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,280 Wow. Beautiful, Somer. 95 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,160 Somer, your breakfast! 96 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,320 You've done this before! Oh! 97 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,000 Eaten as a snack or with sweet and savoury accompaniments, 98 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:59,880 simit is also an essential part of a Turkish breakfast. 99 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,160 Oh, mmm! 100 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,320 Hot... but beautiful! 101 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,840 Lovely. Soft on the inside. 102 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,800 So crunchy on the outside. Mmm. 103 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,280 Somer's interpretation of flavour combinations and ancient traditions 104 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,200 has put a new spin on some Turkish classics and culinary techniques. 105 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,960 This is one dish that has been brought by the Turkey tribe 106 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,120 when they came to Anatolia on the saddles of their horses. 107 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:29,600 Ah... 108 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,160 So they would put pieces of beef under the saddles of the horses... 109 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:34,720 With the spicing? 110 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:36,720 ..with the spicing just to dry it. 111 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,440 So it's like a jerky for them 112 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,920 so it will just last them throughout the trip 113 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,000 and they can just have a bit of it and that's the pastirma tradition. 114 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,880 This traditional curing technique can also be applied to fish. 115 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,040 This one is salmon pastirma. 116 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,640 So is that a salt and sugar mix? 117 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:55,840 Salt, sugar and carrots. And carrots? 118 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:57,600 And carrots. Why do you use carrots? 119 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,280 Carrots, it just helps to preserve the colour of the salmon 120 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,760 and also absorbs the moisture. 121 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,440 And it's just a day to cure? 122 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,000 Yeah, it's only a day to cure. 123 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,560 So we are going to just put this into the fridge 124 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,920 and it will get all the moisture out of the salmon and then we'll cut it. 125 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,000 After a day curing, the next step 126 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:19,440 is to skin and coat the salmon in a spice mix known as cemen. 127 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,480 So in this cemen mixture, we've got fenugreek, garlic, cumin, 128 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:25,720 smoked paprika to give that smoky flavour. 129 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,880 Beautiful! And hot cayenne pepper. 130 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,800 Smells like fenugreek. It is, isn't it? It's really strong. 131 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,560 It's a classic pastirma smell. Yeah, yeah. 132 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,120 Once coated, the salmon is rested for 24 hours in a chiller 133 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,040 to absorb the marinade, then thinly sliced. 134 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,840 Wow. That is so beautiful. 135 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,320 So that comes to room temperature... 136 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:46,920 Yeah, by the time you plate it up, 137 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,400 it will come to room temperature in five minutes. 138 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,480 The curing of the salmon is the hero of this dish. 139 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,200 All that's required to enhance the flavour 140 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,240 is the addition of some simple, fresh ingredients. 141 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,640 So if you did it at home, freezing it allows you to slice with a knife? 142 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:04,120 Yeah, you can definitely slice. 143 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:05,800 One of your prettiest dishes, I think. 144 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,760 I love the look of this dish. Yeah. 145 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,280 Baby cucumbers. Beautiful. 146 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:11,920 This type of chilli... Bit of chillies. 147 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,080 The long, red chillies. Yeah. 148 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:19,000 Summer pickles with the red onions and obviously with a bit of dill 149 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,120 because dill and salmon are the best friends. 150 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,000 They are. That looks so beautiful. 151 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,520 And to finish it off with a bit of chilli oil. 152 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,760 Oh, chilli oil! 153 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,480 So this is a salmon pastirma. Wow. Bring on summer! 154 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:34,840 Looks beautiful. 155 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:36,640 Cheers, chef! 156 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,200 Oh, wow! 157 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,600 That's great, isn't it? 158 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:43,560 So you can still taste the pastirma. 159 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,680 Lovely and spiced. Beautiful fish. 160 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,280 But you can still taste the salmon. 161 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,840 You can still taste the salmon 162 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,560 and the chilli oil just gives it that mmm warmth. 163 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,120 It's actually something that you eat and the flavours build up. 164 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,120 Exactly, yeah, yeah. Wow! I love this dish. 165 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:00,960 One of your best, Somer! Thank you, Maeve. 166 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:06,000 Coming up, Anason's sous-chef Ozge shows me a delicious mezze dish. 167 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,840 That is delicious. It's just a lovely, mellow chilli flavour. 168 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,400 MAEVE O'MEARA: Anason is Sydney's little taste of Istanbul 169 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,920 and home to a chefs' line steeped in heritage and passion. 170 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,440 Sous-chef Ozge is a welcome addition to this kitchen. 171 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,560 I met Ozge through the Australian consul in Turkey. 172 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,200 Her work ethic was amazing. You could feel it straightaway. 173 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,760 Ozge as a chef is very detail-orientated. 174 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,480 She is definitely the most systematic chef that I have, 175 00:08:36,680 --> 00:08:39,480 including myself, and she really wanted to come and work with us. 176 00:08:39,680 --> 00:08:41,760 This week, in the Chefs' Line kitchen, 177 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,960 sous-chef Ozge had to cook a dish that epitomises Turkish cuisine. 178 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,800 We want your version of imam bayildi. 179 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,040 But she didn't always know how to make this well-known favourite. 180 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,640 One of my favourite memory about this dish 181 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,320 is the first day I came here, 182 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,480 worked with Somer in the kitchen, he asked me... 183 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:05,480 ..the first question he asked me is, "How do you cook imam bayildi?" 184 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,880 And I said, "I fry it." It's the wrong answer. 185 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,600 You can't fry eggplants for the imam bayildi. 186 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,560 You have to do the classical version like in the pan 187 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,760 with all the ingredients and olive oil braising. 188 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:22,440 I said, "OK, but I love the frying version of it!" (LAUGHS) 189 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,480 Ozge drew on her heritage and all she's learned from head chef Somer 190 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:30,000 and delivered the perfect version of this Turkish classic. 191 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:31,520 Beautiful. 192 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,080 Gosh, I love when you can just see flavour. 193 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,120 I love this dish so much. 194 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,000 Almost cooked from the soul, like I can taste it. 195 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,080 The best plate on the pass is... 196 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,480 ..the classic striped imam bayildi. 197 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:59,080 (APPLAUSE) 198 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,720 Today, Ozge is going to show me a simple yet elegant dish 199 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,080 that's a real favourite at Anason - atom. 200 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,200 Oh, doesn't that look beautiful? 201 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:12,720 And tell me, is it a special yoghurt that you use to strain? 202 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:17,280 No. Just regular pot set yoghurt. We get it from Auburn. 203 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,440 Yeah, the Turkish suburb of Sydney. Yeah. 204 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,440 So, my grandmother used to mix it. (BOTH LAUGH) 205 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,600 Yeah, this is all mixed. 206 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,560 Wow. That is hard work. 207 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,960 Yeah, next step is we burn the butter. 208 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:33,960 Burn the butter with the chillies. Yes. 209 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,760 So tell me, burnt butter I know in the Italian and the French world, 210 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,040 but it's also part of the Turkish technique. 211 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,320 Yeah, we usually use this burnt butter 212 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,920 with all these Turkish dishes with the yoghurt. 213 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:49,400 Ahh! 214 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,520 They always put burned butter on top of yoghurt 215 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,280 in every dish, like manti. 216 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,000 And you're really burning it! 217 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:57,760 Yeah, really burning it. Yeah! 218 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 That's beautiful. It goes lovely orange. Yeah. 219 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,800 And tell me, these fresh chillies are a Turkish chilli? 220 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,320 These are called sometimes breakfast peppers. 221 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:07,920 Breakfast peppers. Yeah. 222 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,400 They're not too hot, are they? No. If you want, you can try. 223 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,600 OK, here we are. Uh-huh. They are really sweet. 224 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,040 Some of them may be... Ah! 225 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,400 (LAUGHS) They're OK, right? No, it's delicious. 226 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,680 It's got that lovely... It's a sort of green capsicum flavour. 227 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,200 Now I'll add the green peppers. 228 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,240 This dish is all about texture. 229 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:27,880 To keep the green chillies firm, 230 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,640 Ozge just warms them through in the butter. 231 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,280 That's such a great smell, that butter, isn't it? Yeah. 232 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,680 Whoo! Yum! Look at that. 233 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,600 Tell me, do you eat atom at home 234 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,320 or is it more something you'd have in a meyhane, a mezze style? 235 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,120 I never do it at home. You wouldn't make it at home? 236 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,600 But it should be some dish like mezze. 237 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:56,920 It should be special for the occasions. 238 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,640 Oh, that oil is such a lovely colour. 239 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,480 Mmm. Too hot? 240 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:07,280 That is delicious. 241 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:12,440 Creamy. Little bit hot, but it's just a lovely, mellow, chilli flavour. 242 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,520 Thank you, Ozge, for joining us. 243 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,320 Thank you. I hope you enjoyed it. Very much. 244 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,280 Coming up, I taste a dish that changes my opinion. 245 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:22,040 Well, well. 246 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,680 I haven't eaten veal liver in... I don't know how long. 247 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,600 MAEVE O'MEARA: I'm at Turkish restaurant Anason 248 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,200 in Sydney's Barangaroo. 249 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,480 Executive chef Somer Sivrioglu's restaurant 250 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:39,760 evokes the concept of the meyhanes of Istanbul. 251 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,840 In here we are trying to harness as much as Istanbul 252 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,320 we can fit into a small restaurant, 253 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:48,040 but it's quite hard because there's so much influences 254 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:49,560 and so much to draw from, 255 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,480 so we limit ourselves into more the drinking food of mezzes 256 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:56,520 and then showcasing some of the beautiful produce 257 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,000 that we can find in Australia 258 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,320 and putting our Turkish techniques onto it. 259 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,000 The authenticity of the food 260 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,880 comes down to the experience and heritage of Somer's chefs' line. 261 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,800 All my team that have been with me at the chefs' line, 262 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,120 my sous-chef Ozge, my section chef Inal, 263 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,000 and my apprentice chef Cagin, they're all Turkish. 264 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:17,760 And they share your vision, don't they? 265 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,720 Oh, yeah. I mean, it's just that we have to have that match... 266 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,120 ..because it is very difficult to work and create something 267 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,760 as exquisite as this without having the support of your team. 268 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,920 The newest member of the team is apprentice, Cagin, 269 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,680 who's worked at Anason for only four months. 270 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,800 I like Turkish cuisine because it's between Asia and Europe 271 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,440 and you can find familiar dishes from around the world. 272 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,600 We have lots of history in Anatolia and lots of races living there. 273 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:49,680 That's why I love Turkish cuisine. 274 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:51,520 For Cagin, the Chefs' Line kitchen 275 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,080 was his first taste of competitive cooking 276 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:55,800 and it was all eyes on him 277 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,960 as he cooked the classic kataifi prawns with walnut muhammara. 278 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:04,600 Yes, Chef. 279 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,720 In normal life, at restaurant, if he is in the kitchen, 280 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,640 he most of the time watches me, so I am used to it, 281 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,160 but my first time in a competition, my legs were shaking really badly. 282 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:16,640 It's hard. 283 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,560 However, the home cooks were also feeling the pressure. 284 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,960 The griddle pan didn't heat up in time. I did feel time pressure. 285 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,600 That's a lot of elements to achieve in one hour. 286 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,720 Five minutes to go before you need your plates on the pass. 287 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:30,200 These prawns are raw. 288 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:31,760 But when it came to the crunch, 289 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,960 Cagin's combination of flavours and attention to detail won the day. 290 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,560 That is great. It's got acidity. It's got spice. 291 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:41,360 And those bits of pomegranate, 292 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:45,000 those pops of sweetness, really quite delicious. 293 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,680 SOMER: The only issue for Cagin now, he will regret winning that 294 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,760 because he will be the one wrapping the prawns, 295 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:52,520 and we sell them by the truckloads. 296 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,560 Maeve, this is Cagin, our extraordinary apprentice chef. 297 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,080 Extraordinary! Yeah. 298 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,520 And he has been great for us for Chefs' Line. 299 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,760 And how was it being on the Chefs' Line? 300 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:07,520 It was so hard for me because when you get so much excited, 301 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,200 you can't think about too much. 302 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,320 Yeah, I forgot what I'm going to do during the show. 303 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,240 Yeah. (LAUGHS) 304 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,640 Did you cook in Turkey before coming? 305 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:23,280 Yes. I have one year experience in Turkey and three months in London. 306 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,000 That's all the experience I have. 307 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,160 Cagin is a machine. He works really hard. He pushes for it. 308 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:30,760 And he has a beautiful heart 309 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:34,440 that he wants to, like, showcase the Turkish food like we want to. 310 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:36,520 Tell me, what are you gonna cook now, Somer? 311 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,880 So what we're gonna do is we're gonna make veal liver. 312 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,960 It's rested in milk overnight to get that, you know, to keep that colour. 313 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,040 Historically, the most renowned butchers in Turkey were from Albania, 314 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,200 hence the name of this dish, Albanian liver. 315 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,840 For me, offal is not one of my favourite things 316 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,240 but, you know, I'm ready to be dazzled. 317 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,800 Let's see. Let's see if we can convince you. Oh. 318 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,200 We're just cutting it into the slices now 319 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:04,440 and we're gonna flash fry it together with the potatoes. 320 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:09,040 So one of the first things we do is we coat the liver in flour. 321 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,280 I've never seen that as a way of coating something 322 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,560 and then getting the excess flour off. 323 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,880 So these are cubed potatoes? 324 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,800 These are just cubed potatoes. Ah, lovely. 325 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,440 Obviously we start with the potatoes 326 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,760 because it takes longer for them to fry. 327 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,840 And then we're gonna add the liver 328 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:30,840 and cook it for two, three minutes. 329 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,680 Oh, wow! So it is really quick. It is, yeah. 330 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,120 Then we add a bit of liver into it. 331 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:38,920 So the secret is, keep it moving. 332 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:40,680 You sear it, the liver. Sear it. 333 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,480 Salt... 334 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,280 And now add the butter just to give it... to finish. 335 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,080 A key seasoning to this dish is the herb mix za'atar. 336 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:53,760 I love za'atar, so this is a mixture of wild thyme, sesame and sumac. 337 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,440 Finally, a sprinkling of parsley and a splash of lemon. 338 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,600 And our dish is ready. 339 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:01,760 Great, you can just plate it up. 340 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,440 Well done, Cagin. 341 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,520 Veal liver, compared to the more commonly used lamb liver, 342 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,080 is milder and more subtle in flavour. 343 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,880 Well, well. 344 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,840 I haven't eaten veal liver in... I don't know how long. 345 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:17,800 That's actually lovely. 346 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,760 Oh, good to hear! (LAUGHS) It's delicious, yeah. 347 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,600 I love za'atar and sumac any time. 348 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,240 And actually, for me, I haven't loved liver, 349 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,320 but I think this is really delicious. 350 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,080 I think there's so much flavour with it. 351 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:33,640 I love the onion with it too. 352 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:35,320 Yeah, it just cuts through it, doesn't it? 353 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:39,400 Mmm. Mmm. It's a breakthrough dish for me. 354 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,040 Happy to be having another convert. (LAUGHS) 355 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,120 Coming up, chef Somer cooks Turkey's favourite slow-cooked lamb. 356 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:50,080 Has lamb always been the main meat that you'd eat in Turkey? 357 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,160 MAEVE O'MEARA: Executive chef Somer Sivrioglu 358 00:17:57,360 --> 00:18:01,200 opened his second Turkish restaurant, Anason, just over a year ago 359 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,320 and is humbled at the reception he's received here in Australia. 360 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,160 Australia gave me everything that I dreamed of. 361 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:10,400 My family isn't here, and I'm quite lucky 362 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,520 that it has been so receptive of my own culture as well. 363 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,920 Celebrating my own culture, so I want to give more and more 364 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:20,200 and show what real Turkish food is about. 365 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,920 This week saw the professionals beat the home cooks 366 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:24,960 one food fight after another. 367 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,320 MELISSA LEONG: Congratulations, apprentice chef Cagin. 368 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,960 DAN HONG: And congratulations, station chef Inal. 369 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,280 Congratulations, sous-chef Ozge. 370 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:34,600 You had the best plate on the pass. 371 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,800 Head chef Somer witnessed his entire team win each of their battles 372 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,640 and even this giant among chefs felt the pressure. 373 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,800 Are you worried about home cook Clinton at all? 374 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,720 I mean, it is the final. He's been cooking the past three nights. 375 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,640 This is your first time in the kitchen. 376 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,640 I am slightly, especially that I'm still doing my meat, 377 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,560 so I think he's been the smart one so far. 378 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,800 But home cook Clinton took a gamble while cooking his version of kofte 379 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,800 and decided against one vital ingredient. 380 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,200 My kofte's obviously the hero. I'm worried about it. 381 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,280 There was not enough binding agent within the actual kofte itself. 382 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,640 Meanwhile, at the other end of the kitchen, 383 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,240 executive chef Somer had other ideas. 384 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:13,000 I'm going to add a bit more breadcrumbs to it 385 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:14,600 to hold it all together. 386 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,040 Chef Somer delivered a firm favourite 387 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,840 which made it a clean sweep for the professionals. 388 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,480 MARK OLIVE: Oh, I love this chargrilling on the outside here. 389 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,160 It's really firm. Very, very firm. 390 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,400 That looks really good. 391 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,280 Well done, Chef Somer. 392 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,240 Feeling relieved now. 393 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,840 Today, chef Somer is cooking tender slow-cooked lamb. 394 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,760 I'm going to make a lamb shoulder in the traditional tandoor style, 395 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,680 so we're gonna cook it for four hours in our saj oven. 396 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:46,320 Normally, the tandoor is a clay oven. 397 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,680 Traditional times it was buried under the ground. 398 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:51,800 So similar to the Indian tandoor? 399 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,200 Very much so. Similar, yeah. We have the exact same thing. 400 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,480 First step to the perfect roast lamb 401 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,040 is to rub it in pomegranate molasses and salt. 402 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,000 So pomegranate molasses we often think of as a salad dressing, 403 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:08,600 but to see it used as a coating for lamb before you seal it is fantastic. 404 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,000 Pomegranate molasses is one of the best basting agents for lamb 405 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,760 for even for fish and chicken. 406 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,520 I love using it because it just crisps up the skin. 407 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,960 Next the lamb needs to be seared to seal in the flavour. 408 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,440 Somer, has lamb always been the main meat that you'd eat in Turkey? 409 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,320 We use it, like, we use it in the mince form, 410 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,120 we use it in the whole form like we do baking like that, 411 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,840 we make kebabs from it, we use the best cuts, 412 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,800 the fillets for the skewers for the shish. 413 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,680 So we use every part of the animal 414 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,000 and there's a huge offal culture as well. 415 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:46,160 Somer then adds onions, celery, rosemary and beef stock to the pan. 416 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:49,000 One of the hardest things in Australia being a Turkish restaurant 417 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,640 is you try to represent a good version of all of those things - 418 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,120 like the lamb, the simit, the baklava. 419 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:56,800 But in reality, in Turkey, 420 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,720 those people do that one thing and they've been doing it, 421 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:02,440 for, some of them, more than a hundred years. 422 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,600 So that is a big challenge for us 423 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,280 to represent that truly and fairly in one restaurant. 424 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,360 I think you're doing it pretty well. Oh, thank you. 425 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,560 Then it's slow cooked in the oven for many hours. 426 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,800 I cannot wait to taste this later! 427 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,680 It's been a real treat experiencing the passion 428 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,520 Somer and his chefs' line bring to this Turkish jewel 429 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,200 in the heart of Sydney. 430 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,000 Anason really does deliver Istanbul on a plate. 431 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,360 It's been great to be with you today, Somer, 432 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,280 and to see behind the scenes at Anason. 433 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,680 Some fantastic recipes. Thank you. 434 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,480 And your heart and soul in this restaurant team. 435 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,840 Thank you. Very nice to have you. Wow! Thank you! 436 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:41,760 This is your five-hour lamb? 437 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:43,880 This is the lamb shoulder that we've been cooking. 438 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,920 Oh, sensational. It's everything, isn't it? 439 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:50,080 Oh, that lamb was so tender. Ooh! 440 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,760 Za'atar on the outside with some fresh herbs, 441 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,720 and then we have the yoghurt 442 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,640 and under it we have some freekeh to go with it. 443 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,320 The shoulder really lends itself to this sort of cooking, doesn't it? 444 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,120 It's amazing. I mean, I love shoulder. 445 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:03,640 Mmm. Oh! 446 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,400 Mmm. 447 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,920 I think you can taste in every bite in every dish, 448 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:15,520 is dedication to your homeland. 449 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,280 Your heritage, your home, your memories. 450 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,040 They're all here on the plate. 451 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,120 Thank you so much, Somer, for having us here today. 452 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,600 Thank you and I'm so happy to share my passion, 453 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,320 share my culture through food in here with you and everyone else. 454 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,240 There is one more thing we have to do at the end of the Turkish meal 455 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,520 and that's to have rakia together. 456 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,040 Oh. Wouldn't say no. 457 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,240 Serefe. Serefe. 458 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,480 Tastes like Anason. (LAUGHS) Thank you. 459 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,800 Next time, the flavour is all things Italian. 460 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,240 My take on that tiramisu just might not fly. 461 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:54,600 It's not a tiramisu. It's a trifle. 462 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,120 WOMAN: I think my polenta's too salty. 463 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:57,680 It just melts in your mouth. 464 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,440 There's four new home cooks. 465 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,160 These are some of the best home cooks we've seen so far. 466 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:03,720 There's a whole lot of passion... 467 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:04,960 Boiling - yay! 468 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,680 The rock star of the Italian steak world! 469 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:09,800 ..and restaurant Osteria Oggi proves 470 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,520 you don't need to be Italian to cook great food. 471 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,240 It's made for the sophisticated palate.