Fırınlanmış Mücver
Fırınlanmış Mücver·(fuh-ruhn-lahn-mush mooj-vair)
Meze & Muhabbet (The Evening Table)
There is a distinct, undeniable memory attached to the smell of hot olive oil, melting feta, and an ungodly amount of fresh dill. For generations, Turkish matriarchs stood over sizzling pans of oil, frying individual zucchini fritters to golden perfection. Today, those same grandmothers simply bake the whole glorious mess in a glass dish. This weeknight iteration sacrifices none of the soul—it is just as rich, bright, and aggressively herbaceous. Serve it hot alongside a heavy dollop of ice-cold garlic yogurt, and it is exactly what home tastes like.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously oil a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
A glass dish (like a borcam) is the traditional vessel of choice in the Turkish home kitchen.
Toss the grated zucchini with the kosher salt in a colander and let it sit for 20 minutes.
This is the "püf noktası", the grandmother's absolute mandate: you must aggressively extract the water. After resting, grab handfuls of the zucchini and wring them out over the sink like a wet towel until they form dry, fibrous balls.
Ingredients
- zucchini4 med
- kosher salt1 tsp
- eggs3 large
- brined feta cheese1 cup
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- fresh dill1/2 bunch
- scallions4 med
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/4 bunch
- fresh mint1/4 bunch
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- baking powder1 1/2 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- Aleppo pepper1 tsp
- sesame seeds1 tsp
- nigella seeds1 tsp
Method
- 01
In a small bowl, aggressively whisk the eggs, olive oil, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper until frothy.
Whisk the flour and baking powder into this egg mixture to form a smooth, thick paste, which prevents unseemly flour lumps in the final batter.
- 02
In a large mixing bowl, combine the thoroughly wrung-out zucchini, crumbled feta, dill, scallions, parsley, and mint.
Fold the egg-flour slurry into the vegetable mixture until everything is heavily coated and cohesive.
- 03
Transfer the batter to the prepared glass dish, smooth into an even layer, and scatter the sesame and nigella seeds across the top.
Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and the edges pull away from the glass.
- 04
Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit entirely undisturbed for 15 minutes.
Patience is a virtue here; cutting it too soon will result in a messy collapse, but a brief rest allows the internal structure to set into perfectly sliceable squares.
Notes
Do not compromise on the dill.
The soul of a proper Turkish mücver relies on the pungent, anise-like hit of fresh dill; dried dill is entirely unacceptable here.
Serve it with cold garlic yogurt.
A hot slice of baked mücver practically demands the sharp, cold contrast of garlicky yogurt to recreate the true meze table experience.
A note on cheese.
Authentic beyaz peynir is fantastic if you can find it at a Middle Eastern market, but a high-quality, creamy feta packed in brine works perfectly.
From Cook Turkish in America.