Stranger Foods

Photograph of Black sea orzo and toasted vermicelli pilaf with haddock.

TurkishBlack sea orzo and toasted vermicelli pilaf with haddock

Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 35 mins

This is a wonderful dish inspired by the Turkish and Tatar cuisines in Dobrogea, where they combine orzo with vermicelli pasta in dishes called botqa. Although most of them are made to accompany meat, I use the recipe with fish.

Source: Danube

Ingredients

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x0.5

15 g unsalted butter
170 g vermicelli pasta
sunflower oil, for frying
500 g leeks, sliced, green tops included
pinch salt
150 g orzo
600 ml well-flavoured, clear fish stock
400 g unsmoked or smoked haddock misshapes, skinned and boned
1 tbsp chopped parsley or fennel herb

Instructions

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Melt the butter in a frying pan (skillet) and cook the vermicelli pasta for until golden, tossing often. Set aside.
Heat a thin layer of oil on the base of a 24 cm sauté pan over a medium heat. Cook the leeks with a generous pinch of salt for until they start to soften and their green colour intensifies. Mix in the orzo and cook for a couple more minutes, then add 150 g of the vermicelli pasta (reserving 20 g for serving) and 500 ml of the stock, reserving 100 ml for when you add the fish. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for until the orzo and pasta are soft. Stir gently a few times to make sure that the rice doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Place the fish on top and tuck it well into the pilaf, then add the rest of the stock. Shake the pan gently, cover and cook for another . The fish is cooked when it looks opaque and you can flake it easily with a fork. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs and reserved vermicelli and serve immediately with a fresh lettuce salad or quick vinegar pickles.

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