Spinach & Feta Gözleme

What’s the first thing people think of when they think of Turkish food? Kofte is the first thing for most people, but there’s so much more! Don’t worry, we’re going to keep cooking our way through them and sharing with you here. Gözleme is one of the many great Turkish street foods. (Lahmacun is another that if you haven’t tried from our blog, you should soon!) So good in fact that it has spread from Turkey to the rest of the world. In Australia, there’s a fast food place, called Gözleme King, devoted to making different types of gözleme. This spinach and cheese preparation is a fairly traditional one, but gözleme can contain pretty much anything! In the future we’re definitely going to throw in some sucuk (Turkish sausage). But as is, this dish is amazing. The dough is soft, light, and just a bit crispy on the edges. And it essentially goes without saying that the warm feta brings it all of the flavors together perfectly.

*So speaking of feta… Let’s talk about feta. I know so many people who loooove feta. I’m one of them, obviously. We could form a fan club if y’all want? But here’s the thing, a lot of people I know have only ever had the pre-crumbled, standard grocery store feta. I used to be one of them. As with many other things, when I started dating Selim, my narrowly bounded world of feta expanded. If you think feta only exists in its pre-crumbled form and you love it anyway, please go out and find some block feta in brine. Your world will be changed forever, I promise. (Mine was!) The flavor and texture are so much better – you’ll never go back. Sadly, not all of your standard grocery stores will have feta like this. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods usually do, but if yours doesn’t, try an international grocery store, a halal market, or a Middle Eastern specialty shop. While you’re there, try all the different types of feta and Middle Eastern cheeses, your cheese-world will be forever changed.

We have two go-tos when it comes to making Turkish recipes. The first is Ozcan Ozan’s cookbook that I’ve referenced on here before. But the second is a blog called Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Tonight’s recipe is adapted from there. It is a wonderful resource for all things Turkish food!

Spinach & Feta Gözleme

(Adapted from Ozlem’s Turkish Table)

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil + more for brushing
• 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup water + more
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups (loosely packed) spinach, roughly chopped
• 6oz feta*

Instructions: 

1. Begin by making the dough. Take 1/2 cup of warm water and stir in the pinch of salt and yeast. Allow to sit for a few minutes until it begins to bubble.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast mixture, yogurt, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add additional water by the tablespoon. (I used an additional 2-3 tbsp).  Using your hands, form into a big ball of dough.
3. Once you have a ball of dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes.
4. Divide into 4 similarly sized smaller balls. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for ~30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Pour 2 tsp of olive oil into a pan over medium heat.
6. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions. Sprinkle with the spices and stir.
7. Cook just for 4-5 minutes until soft and fragrant, but not starting to brown.
8. Add the spinach and a couple drops of water to the pan and cover. Leave covered for just a minute or two, until the spinach has wilted just a bit.
9. Remove the lid and stir together well. Allow to cook for another minute or two with the lid off to get rid of any excess moisture.
10. Remove to a bowl on the side. Mix in the feta.
11. Now roll out the dough balls into large, thin, rectangular segments.
12. Divide the mixture from the pan among the dough segments, placing in the middle of each piece of dough. Make sure to leave plenty of room around the edges for folding.
13. Fold the dough around the mixture as pictured. (You want to end up with a little rectangular envelope.) Brush the edges with olive oil to help them stay together.

    

    

    

14. Now, bring a large pan, preferably a griddle one, up to medium heat. [Don’t start until the pan is hot!]
15. Brush both sides of each gözleme with more olive oil. Once pan is hot, place them on the pan. (You can do one at a time or if you’re more confidant in your skills than I am, as many as will comfortably fit in your pan.) Cover the pan and do not touch for three full minutes. At this time, flip to the other side, re-cover, and again, do not touch for three minutes!
16. After this point, you may flip back and forth a few times, cooking another 4-5 minutes until dough is cooking and the outside crisped to your liking.