Turkish(ish) Delights

I turned Master on to the joys of Turkish food - the pleasures of meat simply seasoned and expertly grilled, the tantalizing assortment of appetite-teasing salads and accompaniments. We had tentative plans to celebrate my birthday with dinner at the kebab house, but ended up going out for Thai instead. Which was fine with me, and my moo yang nam tok (spicy grilled pork salad) was fiery and little short of sensational. But I recognized a shared craving, and so I took it upon myself to bring the Turkish - or at least my interpretation of it - to us.

Okay, so maybe I just wanted to keep chicken thighs exciting for myself. Master buys them in such large quantities, and it can be a challenge to find new ways to serve them up. My choice of marinades - yogurt, garlic, ginger, paprika, mint, lemon juice - made these seem like an ideal anchor for a plate of Turkish delights: taze fasulye - fresh green beans cooked "à la Turk" with onions, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and sugar; and a kisir, or bulgur wheat tabouli, with tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint.

I took liberties, using coarse bulgur instead of fine, and adding ribbons of purple basil to the beans. Was it authentic Turkish? Not particularly. Was it delightful? Absolutely. The chicken could have marinated longer - always an issue on Friday nights - but the yogurt still had its desired tenderizing effect and the spices, though subtle, came through in broiling. Master has been snacking on raw cherry tomatoes by the bushel, so I knew the combination with the green beans would appeal. The kisir provided cooling, herb-y and lemon-y contrast, and went very well with the mingled poultry and vegetable pan juices. A meal fit for a pasha, if not a caliph, I have to say.