İskender Kebab

About This Recipe

İskender Kebab was created in 1867 by İskender Efendi in Bursa, Turkey, and remains one of Turkey's most celebrated dishes. It combines the smokiness of döner kebab with the richness of clarified butter and tangy yoghurt — an extraordinary combination of textures and temperatures.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gminced lamb (or beef/lamb mix)
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 tspcoriander
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1 tspsumac
• 2 pide bread or pittabread(torn into pieces and toasted)
• 400 gtomatoes(grated or blended)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspdried red pepper flakes
• 80 gclarified butter (sade yağ)
• 400 gthick Turkish yoghurt (süzme)
• Fresh mint and parsley(to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the döner meat

   Mix minced lamb with spices, salt and pepper. Knead until smooth and sticky. Form into a long cylinder on a skewer or roll into thin slices. Grill over high heat until charred on the outside but juicy inside.

2. 2

   Make the tomato sauce

   Sauté tomato paste in a little butter until darkened. Add grated tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt. Simmer 15 minutes until thick and concentrated.

3. 3

   Toast the bread

   Tear pide bread into bite-sized pieces. Toast in a dry pan until crisp on the edges. Arrange in individual serving dishes or a large platter.

4. 4

   Layer and plate

   Spoon tomato sauce generously over the bread pieces. Slice the cooked döner meat and lay on top. Add a generous dollop of cold yoghurt to one side.

5. 5

   The butter finish

   Heat clarified butter until foaming and just turning brown (noisette). Pour it dramatically over the entire dish — it will sizzle on contact with the yoghurt and tomato sauce.

   This tableside browning of butter is the signature theatrical moment of İskender kebab.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian: replace meat with grilled halloumi and roasted vegetables.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Components can be prepared ahead and assembled to order.

Frequently Asked Questions