Iskender Sosu (Turkish Tomato-Butter Sauce)
Prep 15 min Total 15 min
Iskender Sosu (Turkish Tomato-Butter Sauce) - kvalifood.com
The sauce for iskender kebab, from Bursa in northwestern Turkey. A simple tomato sauce enriched with butter, then sizzling melted butter drizzled over the plated dish just before serving. The sauce should taste of tomato and butter, not spices.
Makes ca. 300 ml (4 servings)
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 240 g grated fresh tomato (about 2 medium tomatoes, grated, skins discarded)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tsp sugar
- 120 ml hot water (if needed)
For serving
- 3-4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted until sizzling
Directions
Melt butter with olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add tomato paste and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells fragrant.
Add grated tomato, salt, black pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes until thickened and the oil begins to separate on the surface.
If too thick, add hot water a little at a time. The sauce should cling to bread but be thin enough to soak in.
To serve: pour sauce generously over pide bread and sliced meat. Drizzle sizzling melted butter over the top just before bringing to the table.
Notes
Grate tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater – the skin stays behind in your hand.
Traditional Bursa style uses lamb tail fat instead of butter for both the sauce and the finishing drizzle.
The classic sauce is not spicy. A pinch of pul biber can be added for mild heat, but it is not traditional.
See Also
Cacik (Turkish Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce)
Muhammara (Turkish Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
Tarator (Turkish Walnut and Bread Sauce)
Biber Salcasi (Turkish Red Pepper Paste)
