Asitane restaurant
Au debut des annees 1990, une famille de gourmets s'insurge contre la pauvrete apparente de la cuisine turque. Las des rebarbatifs kebabs, meze et autres doners, les Durmay se mettent en quete de cette cuisine ottomane nee d'un Empire ayant regne sur trois continents. L'affaire est complexe : quasiment aucune recette n'a ete couchee sur le papier. Il a fallu enqueter pendant des annees. En relisant les chroniques de la Cour des Sultans et les inventaires des reserves du palais, les Durmay ont etabli des listes d'ingredients. Sans proportions ni mode d'emploi, c'etait un cauchemar de cuisinier.
Patiemment, ils ont experimente, goute et reinvente jusqu'a redecouvrir les recettes d'antan. En est issu un menu et le restaurant Asitane qui propose un voyage a travers six siecles d'histoire gastronomique et redonne a la cuisine turque ses lettres de noblesses. Un veritable musee culinaire ou l'on peut deguster notamment une soupe d'amandes ameres et douces et un melon farci a l'agneau servis a Selim 1er en 1539, une rate de mouton preparee au dernier des Califes en 1924 ou encore un gateau de lait au mastic accompagne d'un sirop de rose et pistaches. De quoi festoyer royalement.
Asitane restaurant
In the early 1990s, a family of gourmets protested against the apparent poverty of Turkish cuisine. Tired of kebabs, meze and other doners, the Durmays set out in search of this Ottoman cuisine born of an Empire that had ruled three continents. The case is complex: almost no recipe has been written down. It took years of investigation. By rereading the chronicles of the Court of the Sultans and the inventories of the palace's reserves, the Durmays drew up lists of ingredients. Without proportions or instructions, it was a cook's nightmare.
Patiently, they experimented, tasted and reinvented until they rediscovered the recipes of yesteryear. The result was a menu and the restaurant Asitane, which offers a journey through six centuries of gastronomic history and restores Turkish cuisine to its former glory. A real culinary museum where you can taste a bitter and sweet almond soup and a melon stuffed with lamb served at Selim 1er in 1539, a spleen of sheep prepared at the last of the Caliphs in 1924 or a milk cake with mastic served with a rose and pistachio syrup. Something to celebrate royally.