Winter Menu 2007 - 2008
Ottoman Haritage - Delicacies from the Palace
Ottoman cuisine is a buried treasure, the heritage of a great empire which lasted for 700 years...
A synthesis of Central Asian, Anatolian, Middle Eastern and Balkan flavors. Unfortunately, very few recipes from this rich cuisine have survived due to a tradition which demanded that cooks guilds keep their recipes and cooking techniques secret. Here at Asitane, we have made it our mission to reintroduce authentic Ottoman cooking to the world. Since 1991, dedicated staff have hunted down lost tastes with academic zeal. We have consulted a variety of sources, including the budget ledgers of the three main palace kitchens - Topkapı, Edirne and Dolmabahçe- and the memoirs of foreign diplomats and visitors to try and recreate authentic Ottoman cuisine. It is with great pleasure that we offer you long-forgotten dishes which we have revived based on documents that lay in palace archives for 500 years. The dishes marked ( * ) on the menu are prepared from these historic resources and prepared using original ingredients and cooking methods. At Asitane, we strive to provide our guests with an authentic dining experience that does justice to the splendors of the Imperial kitchens. We are delighted to welcome you to our restaurant, where our hospitable and experienced staff will treat you to an unforgettable feast.
Bon appetit!

For download pdf version of the renewed Asitane Winter Menu please click here.

Soups
Almond Soup*
A light almond broth flavoured with grated coconut
Soup of Scorpion Fish*
Lentil Soup with homemade noodles*

Cold Appetizers
Bosphorus Platter
An assortment of smoked fish, shrimp and caviar
Assorted Turkish Cheese Platter
Combination of traditional feta, pelt-bag, stick and smoked cheeses
Beans with Tahini dressing
Root Spinach Cooked in Olive Oil*
Cabbage Rolls with Mussels*
Stuffed Vine Leaves with Sour Cherries
White Bean Spread with Cinnamon*
Creamed Broad beans, seasoned with dill and olive oil
Circassian Style Chicken
Shredded chicken meat with walnuts and spices
Eggplant / Courgette "Bayildi"
Eggplant or courgette with caramelized onions
Seasons Vegetables

Salads
Shepherd's Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
House Green Salad with Herbs
Shredded Cabbage and Carrot Salad

Warm Appetizers
Grilled Circassian Cheese with Oyster Mushrooms
Chard "Dolma"*
A blend of rice, cracked wheat, onions and spices wrapped in a chard leaf served with yoghurt
"Arefe" Patties*
Fried cracked wheat rolls stuffed with minced lamb,almonds, pistachios, currants, and spices
Beyza be Cihet-i Börek-i Makiyan*
Puff pastry with chicken and eggs
Hassa Bourek*
Fine sheet of flat-bread stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese, green olives, walnuts, yogurt, scallions, and tarragon.

Rice and Pasta
Dane-i Sarı*
Saffron rice with chickpeas
"Kadirga" Pilaf
Rice with almonds, pistachios, and currants topped with bechamel sauce and cooked in a casserole.
Rice with Aubergines*
Restiyye*
Homemade vermicelli sprinkled with cheese, finely chopped walnuts, and parsley
Spinach "Piruhi"
Spinach "Piruhi"

Main Courses
Veal in Apple Sauce*
Veal seasoned with cinnamon and black pepper served in an aromatic apple sauce.
Fillet of Beef a la Sultan
Strip of beef sirloin rolled with nuts and spices, grilled and served with "Pastirma".
Mutanjene*
Diced lamb with dried apricots, raisins, honey, and amonds baked slowly in an earthen ware casserole.
Lamb Chuck with Plums*
Tender lamb chuck slow cooked with apricots and plums
Stuffed Quince*
Oven baked quince stuffed with minced lamb, veal, rice, pine nuts, and currants
Goose Kebab*
Shredded goose meat rolled with rice in a sheet of pastry and baked
Kirde Kebab
Diced lamb and vegetables on flat bread croutons with yogurt
Lamb Shank with Eggplant "Begendi"
Baked lamb shank on a bed of pureed eggplant, served in a pastry bowl
Nirbach*
Diced lamb, meatball, carrot stew flavored with coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and pomegranade syrup,
served with crushed walnuts.
Chicken Kebab*
Marinated and grilled chicken pieces seasoned with cinnamon on a bed of pureed eggplant
Mahmudiyye - Honey Chicken*
Spring chicken stewed with almonds, dried apricots, grapes and flavoured with honey and cinnamon

Seafood
Red Mullet en Papillotte
Parcel of red mullet with vegetables and gummastic
Sombalığı Külbastı*
Salmon with "Tarator" Sauce

Desserts
Pudding with Fruit Jelly
Pine-mastic infused pudding served with almonds, pistachio, seasonal fruits in a rose-water syrup
Pumpkin and Fig Delight served with Clotted Cream
Quince Delight Quince with cloves in syrup, served with clotted cream
Ice Cream
Seasonal Fruit Platter