Name: Volkan Piknik
Address: Kızılay, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Blv. No:20 D:B, Çankaya, Ankara, 06430, TR
Telephone: (0312) 230 03 04
Price range: €€
Rating: 4.7

Türkiye

Turkey

Ankara

Çankaya

Volkan Piknik

Wedges of pumpkin left overnight under a blanket of sugar, then cooked slowly in the syrup they release until they turn translucent and amber, and served cold with crushed walnuts, tahini or a spoon of kaymak: kabak tatlısı is the Turkish winter dessert that needs only two ingredients and a day of patience. It appears when the big grey-green bal kabağı, the honey pumpkin, comes into the markets in late autumn, and it runs through to spring. The dish is home cooking first, a lokanta staple second, and the same idea exists across the Balkans and the Levant. Its cousins in the Turkish repertoire are ayva tatlısı, quince cooked the same way to a deep red, and the candied fruits of Antep; what sets pumpkin apart is that it gives up its own water, so a good one is cooked in almost nothing else.

The pumpkin is peeled, seeded and cut into thick wedges or large cubes, laid in a pot and covered with granulated sugar, roughly a third of the pumpkin's weight, with a few cloves or a cinnamon stick if the cook likes them. It sits overnight; by morning the sugar has drawn out enough liquid to cover the base of the pot. The pot goes on a low heat, lid on at first, and the pumpkin cooks for an hour or more without stirring, only shaken, so the pieces stay whole, until a knife meets no resistance and the syrup has thickened. Some cooks add a spoonful of slaked lime water beforehand, which firms the outside so the wedges hold a glassy skin while the inside turns soft; others finish the pot in the oven to darken the syrup. It is cooled completely before serving and keeps for days in the refrigerator.

A good kabak tatlısı holds its shape on the plate, the pieces whole and glossy, and gives way to a spoon without being mushy. The colour should be a deep orange going to amber, the flesh soft all the way through and sweet without tasting of plain sugar; the pumpkin's own flavour should come through, slightly earthy. Mark down pieces that have collapsed into a purée, a hard or stringy centre, a watery syrup that runs across the plate, and sweetness so heavy that the pumpkin is lost. Walnuts should be fresh and coarsely crushed, tahini unsweetened, kaymak thick and cold. A version with cinnamon or clove is legitimate but should not taste of spice first. Served warm it is acceptable at home and a shortcut in a restaurant, which usually means it was made that afternoon.

Kabak tatlısı

Kabak tatlısı favorim. Altında bulunan krema ve kek ile uyum sağlamış. Kabak tadı çok güzel. Yanında atom adlı içecek de alabilirsiniz. 

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