Destination
Antalya
The story
Kokoreç is Turkey's most-loved late-night offal dish and one of the country's most-shared street foods. Lamb intestines are cleaned thoroughly and wrapped around a rotisserie skewer along with sweetbreads, heart and lung meat, all seasoned with dried oregano, salt and Aleppo pepper. The whole assembly rotates over hot charcoal for a couple of hours until the outside is dark charred and crackly and the inside is meltingly tender. Chopped fine on a hot griddle with tomato and green pepper, seasoned with more oregano and cumin, and served either piled onto a plate with warm bread on the side, or stuffed into a soft Turkish roll as a sandwich. Sold at every Turkish city late-night grill stand from 10pm to 4am, popular with after-drinks crowds.
Method
If using pre-made frozen kokoreç, thaw completely. Rub all over with the marinade ingredients. Rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
Rotisserie method (traditional): thread onto a rotisserie skewer, cook over charcoal 90 minutes turning constantly. Oven method (practical): place on a rack in a roasting tin, cook at 200C for 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until the outside is deep golden and crackly. Grill method: cook on a hot charcoal grill 45 minutes turning frequently.
Rest the cooked kokoreç 10 minutes on a wooden board.
Have onion, tomato, green pepper, garlic, extra oregano, Aleppo pepper, cumin and salt ready in small bowls near the stove.
Chop the cooked kokoreç very fine with a heavy cleaver on a wooden board (about 5mm dice). This chopping is the classical Turkish preparation and is not optional.
Warm 3 tbsp oil in a wide heavy pan or on a large griddle over high heat. Add the chopped kokoreç. Cook 3 minutes stirring, letting the pieces catch on the pan and crisp further.
Add onion, tomato, green pepper, garlic, oregano, Aleppo pepper, cumin and salt. Toss for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the mixture is aromatic and glossy.
Warm the bread rolls briefly. Split and stuff generously with the hot kokoreç. Top with chopped parsley, sliced tomato and cucumber, pickled peppers. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and cold beer or ayran.
Tips
- Buy pre-wrapped kokoreç. Cleaning intestines and wrapping them properly is a butcher's project. Any Turkish grocer sells frozen kokoreç ready to cook.
- The chop-and-griddle finish is essential. This is what makes Turkish kokoreç different from Greek kokoretsi. Do not skip.
- Oregano is the flavour marker. Turkish dried oregano (kekik) has a specifically strong minty note. Sold at any Turkish grocer.
- Late-night dish. Kokoreç is not a lunch food. Serve it at 10pm on a Friday, with cold beer and a group of friends.
More recipes
View all
Tantuni lamb served over torn flatbread with a layer of thick garlic yogurt and a drizzle of paprika butter. Adana's rich take on the Mersin classic.
Diced lamb stir-fried hard on a saç with tomato, onion, sumac and parsley, wrapped in a thin lavash with pickled peppers and lemon. Mersin's late-night street wrap.
Hand-minced lamb pounded with red pepper paste, cumin and salt, pressed onto flat metal skewers and grilled over charcoal. The signature kebab of southern Turkey.
Paper-thin flatbread topped with a spiced mince of lamb, tomato, onion, red pepper paste and parsley, baked at high heat until the edges crisp. Turkey's most-shared street pizza.
Slow-cooked lamb shin over rice in a fierce garlic and Aleppo pepper broth, served at dawn from the specialist Gaziantep beyran shops that open only for breakfast.
Tiny hand-pinched lamb dumplings, boiled and served under a mountain of garlic yogurt with a drizzle of paprika butter. Central Anatolia's Sunday-lunch labour of love.