Simple Recipe for Kaymak Tikisa – Dried Apricots Stuffed with Yogurt or Kaymak

I recently spent a day in the kitchen with celebrated Turkish gourmet, Engin Akin where, in addition to learning the subtleties of Turkish pilav, I also learned how to make this simple, yet very elegant sweet dish that blends the Ottoman preference for sweet and sour taste combinations.  I will be demonstrating this Turkish dish on the International Culinary stage at Eat!Vancouver this coming weekend.

Ingredients

Dried Turkish Apricots

Sauce

Half a cup of white sugar
Half a cup of water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Filling

Thick Baltic-style plain yogurt (strain thick yogurt for two days, or use kaymak (clotted cream)
One teaspoon of Pekmez  (grape molasses)

How

1. Saute dried apricots in butter, add brandy or water until quite but not very soft.  Remove from heat leaving the lid on the pan.
2. Meanwhile, make the syrup, heating the sugar in water until it has fully dissolved.   Add the lemon juice.  Add the syrup to the apricots and steam the apricots in the syrup for about 5 minutes longer.
3. Remove the apricots and reduce the liquid to a thick but still clear syrup.

Slit each apricot and insert a teaspoonful of thick yogurt or kaymak.  Dip into Pistachio crumbs.  Arrange on a serving plate with the creamy part up.  Pour the syrup over and serve.