Traditional Turkish Kumpir with Butter and Kasar Cheese

Name: Traditional Turkish Kumpir with Butter and Kasar Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 4 pcs potatoes; 80 g butter; 150 g cheese; salt; black pepper; 100 g corn; 50 g olives; 2 pcs frankfurters; 50 g pickled cucumbers; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Eduard LáskaNationalTurkish Cuisine x se líbilo

Kumpir is a Turkish street food built on a giant baked potato that is split open after baking, its flesh whipped with butter and grated kasar cheese into a fluffy mash. Into the hot potato you then pile whatever you fancy, from corn and olives to sausages and pickled vegetables, mayonnaise and ketchup. It makes a genuinely filling portion for lunch or dinner that everyone puts together their own way. The most famous kumpir is sold by street vendors in the Ortaköy district of Istanbul.

Příprava: 10min

Vaření: 1h 10min

CELKOVÝ ČAS: 1h 20min

Step by step process

Preparing the potatoes

1
For the kumpir, preheat the oven to 200 °C, wash the potatoes thoroughly, dry them and prick all over with a fork so steam escapes and they turn fluffy inside.
2
Place the potatoes on a lined baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes until they are completely soft. A skewer should pass through without resistance.
3
Slice the sausages into rounds and fry them in a dry pan until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Assembling and serving

4
Take the cooked potatoes out of the oven. Holding each one with a cloth, cut lengthwise (not all the way through). Squeeze the sides gently so the potato opens up like a book.
5
Add a knob of butter to the centre of each potato and let it melt. Using a fork, mash the inside together with the melted butter into a fluffy mass.
TIP:
Serve the warm mashed potatoes. Gradually incorporate the fat (oil or butter) and gently whisk to a creamy texture. Do not whisk too much to avoid lumps. For extra smoothness, pass the potatoes through a fine sieve.
6
Add the grated kasar cheese and stir until it has melted and is well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
7
Fill the potatoes with toppings of your choice: corn, olives, fried sausage slices, pickled cucumbers and a drizzle of mayonnaise. Serve immediately.