My Turkish Cryptonite

When I go to Turkey, there is one mezze I cannot pile high enough on my pita. Even better, Murat’s Auntie makes us a large container every time we come, so for the entirety of our trip we have some for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack every day. The delectable dip is a mixture of walnuts, red peppers, and a variety of spices, and I had not tasted anything quite like it until Murat’s aunt sent over her secret sauce during my first visit.

It’s called acuka (ah-joo-KAH) and is very similar to muhammara without the pomegranate syrup (at least the version I am familiar with). I had not realized how prevalent this mezze was throughout Arab nations and in Turkey and hadn’t come across them in the States. Or perhaps I did, and just nothing tasted like the homemade version that'd spoiled me.

As Murat and I neared the end of the homemade jar during my first visit, I mentioned that he should get the recipe from his Auntie. As is typical when on vacation, we forgot to ask before packing up and returning home. On the subsequent visits we were treated with the same gift each time, and I started to more aggressively remind Murat to get the recipe. I had to make this at home. I found the reason for Murat’s reluctance to share the recipe when he finally admitted, “Jacqueline, Teyze doesn’t give away her recipes.” Was it a joke? “But we’re family!” I protested. But her recipes are of such epically secret proportions that family or not, it didn’t matter.

So, I determined that through trial and error, I would figure out how to make acuka myself. I searched many recipes online, and even found out that some call acuka ‘magic sauce’ – ya, it’s that good. A big reason why I may not have run into it so much here is because the main ingredient is pepper paste. While this might be found at Turkish specialty grocers, it’s not exactly easy to get in the US.

So my first task was to figure out how make the pepper paste. Without the paste, there would be no acuka. I combed the internet and watched YouTube tutorials, and realized that traditionally the pepper paste is sun dried in large saucer-like plates on rooftops. Not exactly a viable option for me. But like always, the internet pulled through.
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Using Auntie Saniye’s YouTube channel (at least one auntie was willing to share their secrets!) and the recipes found on A Simple Pantry's, Tanya Zouev’s and The Aegean Delight’s pages, I was able to learn the spices and techniques that go into making acuka. Our kitchen became a test kitchen and experimental acuka lab. Through multiple iterations and taste tests, I feel that we have an almost-authentic homemade Turkish mezze at our fingertips. It’s not quite Murat’s Auntie’s, but in some ways, that’s the fun of it. To keep tweaking the recipe slightly every time, adding notes to my Google Doc, and hoping that one day, it tastes just like Ferser Teyze’s.

The Acuka Recipe:

Step 1 - Make Pepper Paste:

1.  Set oven to broil. Place rack within the top-third of the oven.
2. Place a thin layer of oil on a sheet pan and lay four - five red bell peppers on pan. Broil 5-7 minutes per side, until blackened. Remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely, around 1 hour.
3. Using gloves, peel the skin and remove the seeds from each pepper. Keep the skin and seeds in the first bowl, and put the pepper flesh in a second bowl. Place a sieve over the second bowl and slowly add the peeled skins, seeds, and any water from the bottom of the first bowl into the second. You are straining the liquids into the bowl with the flesh until none remains. Discard remaining solids from the sieve.
4. Blend pepper flesh and liquids in a food processor and puree until smooth.
5. Add mixture to a pot and cook over low heat, stirring every 20-30 minutes, until reduced by half, about 2 hours !)
6. Once paste is complete, add to a jar and top with a generous helping of olive oil.

Step 2 - Make Acuka:
 Ingredients:

• ¾ cup pepper paste
• ½ cup walnuts and a little extra
• Splash EVOO
• Spices:
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes → do ½ teaspoon if serving to tastes that dislike spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon thyme

 
Directions:

1. Chop walnuts in food processor.
2. Mix spices in mortar and pestle until blended and crushed.
3. Combine pepper paste, walnuts, and spice mixture in bowl. Mix until fully smooth and incorporated. Add EVOO during mixing until you reach smooth consistency.