In the series "The Magnificent Age", the viewer is attracted, of course, primarily by an intriguing plot based on real events. However, this film also impresses with its luxurious costumes, jewelry and interiors. On top of that, The Magnificent Age is also one of the few modern films that mentions the names of many exotic and simple dishes. So what was the menu for Sultan Suleiman and his family on the show?
Having absorbed many culinary traditions of the Arab countries, the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus, Turkish cuisine has turned out to be unusually rich, bright and rich. At least 5 thousand cooks worked in the Topkapi Palace during the Ottoman era. They prepared food for concubines, servants, eunuchs, guards. But in the TV series "The Magnificent Century" only one cook appears periodically - Sheker-aga. In the film, this master of the kitchen prepared dishes only for Sultan Suleiman himself and his family.
What dishes are mentioned in the series
There was a palace menu in the Ottoman Empire at that time, of course, far from poor and very diverse. Here are just some of the dishes mentioned in The Magnificent Age:
- Almond soup. Its chef Sheker Agha prepares Shehzade Jihangir and Bayazid for the feast of circumcision.
- Quail with pomegranate sauce. The scene in which Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (episode 3) asks Syumbyulya-aga for birds "for the son of Sultan Suleiman" is probably remembered by all fans of the series.
- "Ich Pilav". Pilaf is referenced in several scenes throughout the series.
How to make almond soup
To prepare this dish of Sultan Suleiman from the Magnificent Age, you will need:
- almond milk - 2 tbsp;
- walnuts - 7 pcs;
- dates - 5 pcs;
- banana - 1pc.
Actually the cooking recipe itself is as follows:
Nuts and dates are peeled, crushed and mixed. The peel is removed from the banana, after which it is cut into small cubes. The cubes are placed in a mixture of dates and nuts. If you wish, you can add some red sweet berries to the mass. Then everything is simple - the mixture is laid out on plates and poured with almond milk.
Fried quails: recipe
Sultan Suleiman's menu without this dish, of course, simply cannot be imagined. In addition to the game itself, you will need a piece of butter, peppers, onions, carrots to prepare it. Experienced cooks, including Sheker-aha, do not recommend simply frying quail in a frying pan. In this case, it will come out too dry. To get juicy, tasty game, you first need to fry it, and then bring it to readiness in the oven.
To fry the quail, you should take a cast iron pan with thick walls. The quail itself must be gutted and washed. Next, put oil in the pan, turn on the gas and wait until the last boils. Then the quail is laid. The fire under the pan should be strong enough. In this case, an appetizing crust forms on the carcass, but inside it will remain juicy.
As soon as the quail is fried on one side, it is turned over to the other. After the crust has formed, the bird, together with the frying pan, is placed in the oven, after sprinkling with pepper.
The quail should be baked in the oven for about 15 minutes at a temperature of 200 C. At this time, you can prepare the gravy. To do this, you just need to fry finely chopped onions and grated carrots in butter.
Dish "Ich pilav"
Plov, of course, was very fond of both Sultan Suleiman and his family. The Turkish dish "Ich Pilav" is prepared using not meat, but chicken giblets. For 2 cups of rice, you need about 200 gr. Also, you will need to put 2 tbsp / l of raisins and pine nuts (if any) in the dish. In addition, you will need 3 tbsp. chicken broth, 1 onion, oriental spices to taste and herbs.
"Ich Pilav" is prepared as follows:
- Finely chopped onion and chopped giblets are fried in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes.
- Washed rice is added to the roast and fried a little.
- Broth is poured into the pan and spices, nuts and raisins are added.
Then you need to wait for the broth to boil, turn off the gas and leave the pilaf to "reach" for 30-40 minutes. This dish is served sprinkled with herbs.
