Kazandibi

Ok, so I am disappointed to say that I tried the Turkish Chewy Ice Cream from the book I mentioned in the previous post and, well, it was far from being palatable. There were a couple of things wrong with it: the flavor of the mastic was wayyy too strong and overpowering and the consistency was like thick, gummy soup and did not set in the freezer. I think the latter might have been due to the sugar content; if the sugar content is too high, it interferes with the freezing; it will stay soft, or in this case, loose and like a thick runny paste.
I just left it at that (for now) and decided to experiment with something else on my own.

It's one of my favorite turkish desserts (actually all of the turkish desserts are my favorite but anyway); I don't know if it's the **texture**--thick, smooth and creamy on the tongue, or the comforting milky flavor, or that touch of caramel flavor that you get in every bite... I think it's all of these together that make it, well, one of my favorites.




It is called Kazan Dibi. I believe it means "bottom of kazan" Kazan being a sort of cast iron pan. I still need to confirm that though. It is a milk pudding that is cooked on the stovetop--thickened with a starch--and then baked in a pan to caramelize the bottom (sometimes this is done over the stove-top as well). I guess you can say it's the eastern meditteranean version of creme brulee. It is originally Turkish but has also passed into greek cuisine as well.

I did some research online, came up with some conclusions and put together a recipe. I'm pleased to say it came out very well. The texture was exactly what I was looking for, the flavor was pretty good too. I love it when things turn out well on the first try. I will probably make it again though and play around with it. I encourage you to do so as well.


**the texture reminds me somewhat of the best malabi (will probably be another post) I had... at a restaurant in Tiberias, Israel. And it is because of the mouthfeel that I cannot forget it.**


This kazandibi isn't a basic traditional recipe; I added a couple of things to it, like the mastic and the coconut. I feel like the mastic adds another dimension of flavor, and the coconut perhaps adds a tiny bit of flavor but mostly texture. Feel free to omit any of these, I don't promise the same results though (especially in flavor, texture will be fine).



Kazandibi

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk (2%)*
3/4 cup sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rice flour
A tiny piece of mastic**
1/4 cup coconut (finely shredded, desiccated)

powdered sugar, butter (for pan)



Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a 11x8 inch baking pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
(I used a 10x7 and had a little left over so I poured it into a couple of ramekins to sample but 11x8 should be fine with no leftovers).

Heat the cream, milk, sugar and mastic in a pot until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently.

In the meantime, dissolve the cornstarch and rice flour in a little bit of water (3-4 tbsp is just a guideline, add more as needed), whisk with a fork until it resembles a loose, runny paste (no lumps! to prevent lumps add water gradually).

When the milk mixture comes to a boil, whisk in the starch mixture. Let simmer until thick (stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula)*** about 10-15 minutes (you will see it reduce slightly, by about a 1/4).

Pour into pan and bake about 15 minutes.
(This should be adequate time for it to form a caramelized bottom. If you find that it doesn't, increase your baking time or temperature slightly next time. It will be delicious regardless).

Take out of the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and chill in fridge overnight (it actually tastes better as it sits, so please do so). When ready to serve, cut a piece and serve upside down so that the browned bottom shows, or cut a long strip and roll up (with brown on the outside). Sprinkle with some cinnamon and serve.

Enjoy!


*I used 1:1 ratio of 2% milk to cream because it was what I had on hand so I formulated my recipe accordingly. You could also use 4 cups of whole milk, but there has to be some fat in your mixture, otherwise it will lose it's creaminess.

**Please use a VERY tiny piece. Mastic can be very strong, and if you don't have the acquired taste, you might not enjoy it. If it is very small, you'll taste something there but it won't be too strong or overpowering.

***Do not use a whisk at this stage because the bottom of the pot will also start to brown and caramelize and you don't want to scrape it up and get it in the mixture. Stir gently, with a spoon or spatula.


Sorry I don't have a pic, I'll post one soon!