Bulgr-w-Chest-art

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Bulgr-w-Chest-art - 4/26/20

"Ottoman-Style Bulghur w/Chestnuts" by Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya.

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I have a reconstruction of an SCA-period Ottoman dish. And your timing is excellent because it was generally served in the Ottoman palaces in the winter. I reconstructed it based on descriptions of the dish. The chief ingredients are bulgur and peeled chestnuts.

Here it is as i served it in a feast composed entirely of SCA-period Ottoman dishes.

Ottoman-Style Bulghur w/Chestnuts

by Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya

This dish is mentioned in a number of menus from the Palace where it was served in autumn and winter. There is no surviving recipe, however. Therefore I reconstructed this based on what i know of how a number of dishes were cooked in the 15th and 16th centuries, and a comparison with modern Turkish recipes. Modern recipes are often seasoned with ingredients such as dill. I feel certain that in the late 15th century and in the 16th century spices such as cinnamon and ginger were used, however.

Urtatim's Version 

Makes 48-60 servings

· 5 finely chopped Onions

· 1 lb. Butter, maybe more or less

· 1 Tb. Salt (may not be needed if using prepared broth)

· 2 tsp. ground Pepper

· 2 tsp. ground Cinnamon

· 2 tsp. ground Ginger

· 2-1/2 quarts Vegetable Broth (i use "Better than Bouillion" - it's tastier and cheaper per serving than cubes or powders)

· 5 cups Bulgur Wheat

· 2-1/2 cups peeled cooked Chestnuts, quartered

1. Gently saute onion in plenty of butter until soft and beginning to color -- or caramelize, if you have the time.  Fortunately the stove at the site had a large flat grill surface, so we cooked all the onions for all the dishes at one time, which was done relatively quickly.

2. Arrange bulgur, chestnuts, and onions evenly in large pans with lids or heavy foil to cover.

3. Heat broth, then pour over bulgur in pans.

4. Sprinkle with pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and stir well to distribute.

5. Cover each dish with foil and let stand about 20 to 30 min. During this time the bulgur will absorb the broth.

6. The added items have a tendency to float to the surface. So stir gently to re-distribute chestnuts and onions before plating and serving.

Modern Variations:

Add chopped dates;

Add soaked currants;

Add toasted pine nuts;

Add cut-up dried apricots;

Mix bulgur with small pasta, such as pre-cooked orzo or broken and soaked fideos (which are derived from Arabic fidawsh);

Season with chopped mint and/or dill and/or scallions.

Since I suspect you aren't serving 60 people as part of a multi-course feast, here's a somewhat reduced form that may make 8 servings as part of a normal meal...

· 1 finely chopped Onion

· 3-1/4 oz. Butter, more or less

· 1/2 tsp. Salt (may not be needed if using prepared broth)

· 1/3 tsp. ground Pepper

· 1/3 tsp. ground Cinnamon

· 1/3 tsp. ground Ginger

· 1/2 quart Vegetable Broth (i use "Better than Bouillion")

· 1 cups Bulgur Wheat

· 1/2 cup peeled, cooked Chestnuts, quartered

Basically follow directions above, using a pan or bowl that will hold about 1 quart since the bulgur will swell as it absorbs the broth.

The spices are based on my analysis of Shrivani's circa 1430 recipes. Ottoman spice use was surprisingly limited.