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Chicken egg fried rice
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Chicken egg fried rice

The best fried rice starts with cold, day-old rice, so the grains stay separate and toast in the wok instead of turning mushy. A great way to use up leftover rice and odds and ends of vegetables.

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SenfeierEggs in mustard sauce

Senfeier is a dish many people who grew up in Berlin, Saxony or anywhere in the old East remember from school canteens and Friday suppers: halved hard-boiled eggs in a smooth, pale mustard sauce, with boiled or mashed potatoes to soak it up. It is cheap, fast and comforting, and the sauce is a simple butter-and-flour roux loosened with stock and milk, then sharpened with two kinds of mustard. A common mistake is boiling the sauce hard after the mustard goes in, which makes it taste flat and grainy; add it off the heat. Chef's tip: a spoon of the gherkin pickling liquid at the end lifts the whole sauce.

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SenfgurkenMustard pickled cucumber

Senfgurken are the big, pale golden chunks of peeled cucumber that German families put up in late summer, when the fat yellow-skinned 'Schmorgurken' are cheap at markets from Brandenburg to the Rhineland. Pickled in sweet vinegar with mustard seeds, dill and onion, they are served through the winter with cold cuts, cheese boards, potato salad or a plate of fried eggs and potatoes. Unlike gherkins they are soft-crunchy and mellow. The mistake is skipping the overnight salting, which leaves the cucumbers watery so they dilute the vinegar and spoil sooner. Chef's tip: scrape out every bit of the seedy core with a teaspoon; it is what turns soft and slimy in the jar.

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Verdinas con mariscoGreen beans with prawns and clams

Verdinas are small, pale-green dried beans grown around Llanes in eastern Asturias, prized for their thin skins and buttery texture; seaside restaurants there pair them with whatever shellfish came in that morning. It is a newer dish than fabada, lighter and greener, often eaten in summer on the terraces above the harbour. If you can't find verdinas, French flageolet beans are the nearest match. Chef's tip: make a quick stock from the prawn shells and heads; it gives the beans far more flavour than plain water.

120 minSpanishFishGluten free
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Zeytinyağlı barbunyaBorlotti beans in olive oil

In Istanbul meyhanes and lokanta counters, the zeytinyağlı dishes are the cold olive-oil vegetables served at room temperature, and barbunya is one of the summer favourites when fresh borlotti appear in their speckled pink pods. The beans are braised slowly with onion, carrot, tomato and a little sugar until creamy, then left to cool in their glossy sauce and finished with parsley and lemon. Serve with crusty bread as a meze or a light lunch. Chef's tip: add the salt only once the beans are tender; salting at the start keeps the skins tough.

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Versunkener ApfelkuchenSunken apple sponge

Versunkener Apfelkuchen, the sunken apple cake, is the quickest cake in the German home repertoire, made on autumn weekends when the first Boskoop and Elstar apples come in from the orchards of the Altes Land near Hamburg and Lake Constance. Peeled apple halves are scored like a fan and pressed into a rich lemon sponge, which rises up around them as it bakes until they seem to sink in. Children love it still warm with whipped cream. A common mistake is cutting the scores too deep, so the apples fall apart; cut about two-thirds of the way through. Chef's tip: brush the apples with apricot jam the moment the cake comes out of the oven; it gives a shiny bakery glaze and keeps them from drying.

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Sequência de camarãoPrawn feast in several styles

Around the Lagoa da Conceição and the old fishing village of Santo Antônio de Lisboa, Florianópolis restaurants serve sequência de camarão, a parade of prawn dishes that keeps arriving until you give up: prawns fried in garlic oil, crisp breaded prawns, a light prawn stew with tomato and coconut milk, and pirão made from the shells, with rice and salad. This home version brings the four together for a long lunch. Prawns must be very fresh and kept cold, and every batch is cooked only until pink and opaque right through. The usual mistake is cooking all the prawns at once and serving them lukewarm; the sequence works because each dish arrives hot. Make the stew and pirão first and keep them warm, then fry at the last minute. Chef's tip: buy shell-on prawns and simmer the heads and shells for the pirão; it gives the whole meal its sea flavour.

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SericaiaCinnamon baked egg custard

Sericaia is the pride of Elvas, on the Spanish border, and of Alentejo convent baking: a light custard of eggs, milk and sugar lifted with beaten whites, spooned into a clay dish, dusted with cinnamon and baked until it puffs and splits into deep cracks. It is always served with Elvas plums in syrup, whose sharpness cuts the sweetness; any good plums poached in syrup will do. It is a Sunday and festive dessert across the region. A common mistake is spreading the mixture smooth: drop it in large spoonfuls so it bakes into the craggy, cracked top that defines it. Chef's tip: cook the yolk custard until really thick before folding in the whites; a thin custard collapses in the oven.

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Sfakiani pitaCheese pancakes with honey

Shepherds in the mountains of Sfakia, on Crete's wild south coast, made these with what they had on hand: flour, oil, a ball of fresh cheese and the thyme honey from their hives. A soft dough is wrapped around the cheese, rolled out as thin as a plate and cooked in a dry pan, then eaten hot with honey running over it, for breakfast or as a late sweet with Greek coffee. Village cooks often add a splash of raki to the dough; here lemon juice does the same job and keeps it alcohol-free. The cheese is fresh mizithra, or use ricotta, which is usually rennet-free. Common mistake: cooking over too high a heat, which scorches the outside before the thin layer of cheese inside warms through. Chef's tip: roll from the centre outwards and give the disc a quarter turn each time so the cheese spreads evenly to the edge.

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SfougatoCourgette and cheese oven omelette

Sfougato means 'sponge', which is just how this island oven omelette looks when it comes out puffed and golden; in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese it's the summer answer to too many courgettes. Grated courgette, spring onion and mint are softened in olive oil, mixed with eggs and cheese and baked, then cut into squares for lunch with bread and tomatoes or packed for a day at the beach. Kefalotyri and feta are usually made with animal rennet, so use vegetarian versions if you need to. Common mistake: leaving the courgettes wet, which gives a watery, rubbery omelette. Chef's tip: let the softened vegetables cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs so they don't scramble at the edges.

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ShaabiyatCream-filled filo triangles in syrup

Shaabiyat is one of the jewels of Aleppo's pastry shops, made in huge trays for weddings and for Eid visits: buttery filo folded into triangles around a cool, thick milk cream, baked until golden and shatteringly crisp, then splashed with syrup and topped with ground pistachio. The cream stays cool and soft inside the crackling layers. Serve within a few hours of baking. Common mistake: letting the filo dry out while you work — keep the sheets under a damp tea towel. Chef's tip: syrup must be cold and the pastry hot when they meet, so it soaks in without making the layers soggy.

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Shai bil maramiyaSage tea

Offer a guest tea in a Palestinian home and it will most likely come in small glasses, sweet, strong and fragrant with maramiya, the soft-leaved sage that grows on every terrace and is said to settle the stomach after a heavy meal. In winter the leaves are dried; in spring they are picked fresh. Common mistake: boiling the sage with the tea, which brings out a medicinal bitterness; it goes in after the heat is off. Chef's tip: bruise the sage leaves between your fingers before dropping them in, and let them steep only 2–3 minutes.

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ShakriyehLamb shanks in yoghurt sauce

In Damascus, shakriyeh is festive food, cooked for Eid and for welcoming guests because its creamy white sauce is considered a sign of good luck. Lamb on the bone is simmered until tender, then finished in yoghurt that has been stabilised and cooked down into a smooth, tangy sauce with garlic and dried mint. It is spooned over vermicelli rice and eaten piping hot. Common mistake: adding yoghurt straight from the fridge into boiling stock — it splits; cook the yoghurt separately first and stir in one direction. Chef's tip: keep half a cup of the meat broth to thin the sauce at the end — it should flow like single cream.

135 minSyrianMeatGluten free
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ShámbarWheat, bean and smoked pork soup

Mondays in Trujillo mean shámbar: market stalls and huariques across the city put out pots of this thick, smoky soup of cracked wheat, chickpeas, broad beans, peas and canary beans, cooked with smoked ham hock, pork ribs and pork skin, then stirred through with a fried paste of ají panca and garlic and a handful of mint. It is earthy, porky and rib-sticking, and each bowl gets a scoop of crunchy cancha just before eating. Soak the beans and the wheat overnight. People often cook everything together from the start, and the peas turn to mush before the chickpeas soften; cook the hardest pulses first. Chef's tip: toast the wheat in a dry pan before soaking it; it gives the soup a nutty depth the locals look for.

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ShanklishAged yoghurt cheese balls

Up in the mountain villages of northern Lebanon and around Tartus on the Syrian coast, families once made shanklish at the end of summer to keep milk through the winter. This home version starts from strained yoghurt (labneh), seasoned and dried into firm balls, then coated in za'atar and Aleppo pepper for a tangy, crumbly cheese with a herby crust. Crumble it over chopped tomato and onion, drown it in olive oil and eat it with bread for breakfast or as mezze. Because it is made from labneh rather than rennet cheese, it is fully vegetarian. Common mistake: rolling the balls while the labneh is still soft; it must be firm enough to hold a thumbprint. Chef's tip: dry the balls uncovered in the fridge for two extra days if you like a sharper, more crumbly cheese.

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Sharbat-e albalooSour cherry syrup drink

In early summer, when sour cherries arrive from the orchards around Karaj and Mashhad, families make a big batch of sharbat-e albaloo, the deep ruby syrup that is mixed with iced water for guests through the hot months. It is sweet, sharp and very refreshing, and the cooked cherries left over are not wasted: they go into albaloo polo, the cherry rice. A splash of the syrup also goes over shaved ice or yogurt. Chef's tip: stop cooking as soon as the syrup coats a spoon thinly; overcooked syrup loses its fresh cherry flavour and tastes of jam.

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Sharbat-e beh limooQuince and lime syrup drink

Quince and lime syrup is an old-fashioned Persian cooler, the drink grandmothers in Isfahan and Tehran bring out on hot afternoons, said to settle the stomach and cool the body. Grated quince simmered in syrup turns from cream to a soft rosy amber and gives a floral, almost honeyed scent; fresh lime juice cuts through the sweetness. Diluted with iced water, it is lovely after a heavy meal of rice and stew. Chef's tip: cook the grated quince gently for the full time; the colour only turns pink after long, slow simmering.

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Sharbat-e khakshirIced rosewater drink with seeds

Khakshir are the tiny reddish seeds of flixweed, and in Yazd, Kashan and across the hot centre of Iran a glass of khakshir sharbat is what people drink on scorching summer afternoons and to break the fast on long Ramadan days. The seeds swell slightly and float through sweet iced water perfumed with rosewater, giving a gentle crunch; some add a squeeze of lime or a little sour cherry syrup. Find khakshir at Iranian grocers. Chef's tip: rinse the seeds in several changes of water and pour off anything that floats; dust and grit come away with it.

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Vieiras á galegaBaked scallops with onion and crumbs

In the Rías Baixas, scallops come into season in winter, and at Christmas many Galician families start dinner with a tray of them baked in their shells. Each one sits under a sweet onion sofrito with paprika, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden. Some cooks add cured ham or white wine; this version keeps it simple. Throw away any scallops with cracked shells, and any open ones that don't close when tapped. A common mistake is baking them too long, which makes them rubbery; they need only 8–10 minutes. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to open and clean them, and keep the deep half of each shell for baking.

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Viennese GugelhupfLemon and raisin ring cake

In Vienna the Gugelhupf is the Sunday cake of home bakers, set out on the table for afternoon Jause with coffee, and every family has its own fluted copper or ceramic mould. Unlike the yeasted ring cakes of Alsace and southern Germany, the everyday Viennese one is a Rührgugelhupf, a buttery sponge lifted with whisked egg whites, scented with lemon and studded with plump raisins. It is tender, light and keeps moist for several days under a cake dome. A common mistake is a badly greased mould; every ridge needs butter and flour or the cake tears as it comes out. Chef's tip: soak the raisins in hot water for 15 minutes, dry them and toss them in a spoon of flour so they don't sink.

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Viennese KaisersemmelCrisp star-topped rolls

No Viennese breakfast is complete without a Kaisersemmel: a light, hollow-crusted white roll with a pinwheel of five curved segments on top, split and spread with butter and apricot jam or filled with Leberkäse at a market stand. The crust should shatter and the inside be soft and airy. The star is traditionally knotted by hand, though a stamp works too. A common mistake is skipping the overnight cold dough, which leaves the rolls bland and pale. Chef's tip: prove the shaped rolls upside down, star side down, on a floured cloth, then flip them just before baking; the pattern stays sharp instead of puffing shut.

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Zeytinyağlı kerevizCeleriac braised in olive oil

When celeriac fills the Kadıköy market stalls in winter, Istanbul home cooks braise thick slices of it in olive oil with orange juice, carrots and baby onions, then serve it cold the next day as a starter. The root turns silky and sweet, the orange gives it a bright, almost marmalade edge, and a little dill keeps it fresh. It sits happily on a meze table or alongside a bowl of lentil soup. Chef's tip: drop the cut celeriac straight into lemon water, otherwise it greys within minutes and never looks as good on the plate.

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Shirini-ye zabanCaramelised puff pastry tongues

Shirini-ye zaban, tongue pastries, are the long, glossy puff-pastry ovals in every Iranian confectioner's window, from Tabriz to Kerman, and a fixture on the tray of sweets served to Nowruz visitors. The pastry is rolled out on sugar so it caramelises into a crisp, shiny, flaky finger. This version uses good bought all-butter puff pastry, as many home bakers do; check the label for butter rather than lard to keep it vegetarian. Chef's tip: chill the shaped tongues for 15 minutes before baking so the layers rise high instead of melting flat.

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Shish barakLamb dumplings in garlic yoghurt

Shish barak is a labour of love that Lebanese grandmothers turn into a family afternoon: everyone sits round the table pinching hundreds of tiny dumplings filled with spiced lamb and onion. The dumplings are baked until lightly golden, then dropped into hot yoghurt sauce, and the bowl is finished with garlic and coriander fried in butter. It is rich, tangy and deeply comforting, served on its own or with plain rice. Common mistake: rolling the dough thick — it should be thin enough to see the board through, or the dumplings turn stodgy. Chef's tip: baking the dumplings before they go into the sauce sets their shape and adds a toasty flavour; you can freeze them at this stage.

115 minLebaneseMeat
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Sholeh MashhadiWheat, bean and lamb porridge

Sholeh Mashhadi is cooked in huge pots in Mashhad, the shrine city of Khorasan, and handed out to pilgrims and neighbours as nazri (a votive offering), especially during the month of Muharram. Wheat, rice, lentils, mung beans, chickpeas and lamb are cooked for hours with onion and spices, then beaten with a wooden paddle until everything melts into one thick, stretchy porridge, topped with fried onion, mint oil and a dusting of cinnamon. A home pot is smaller but follows the same rhythm. A common mistake is leaving it unstirred towards the end; the grains catch and burn, so stir and scrape the base every 10 minutes once it thickens. Chef's tip: cook the lamb on the bone first and shred it; the broth from the bones gives the porridge its body.

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VincisgrassiBaked lasagne with meat ragù

Macerata, in the hills of the Marche, claims vincisgrassi as its own, and families still bake a tray for Sunday lunch, Christmas and Carnival. It is richer than the lasagne most people know: thin egg pasta sheets layered with a slow ragù of pork, veal and chicken livers, a nutmeg-scented béchamel and plenty of parmigiano, baked until the top is crusted and golden. Many cooks splash in white wine and a little Marsala; this version uses dry white wine, with an alcohol-free swap in the ingredient list, and the chicken livers are optional if you'd rather leave them out. Serve it in modest squares, followed by a crisp green salad. Chef's tip: make the ragù the day before and assemble cold, so the layers set firmly and slice cleanly.

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Shorbat freekehSmoked green wheat soup

When the sunset call to prayer ends the Ramadan fast in Amman, the first spoonfuls are very often shorbat freekeh, a nourishing broth thickened with cracked green wheat that was roasted in the field while still young. The smoke from that roasting gives the soup its distinctive, almost barbecue-like depth, while chicken, cinnamon and cardamom keep it gentle on an empty stomach. It is followed by dates, salad and the main dish. The usual mistake is not picking over and rinsing the freekeh, which can hold tiny stones and chaff. Chef's tip: toast the rinsed freekeh in butter for a couple of minutes before adding the broth; it brings out the smokiness.

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ShrakPaper-thin saj flatbread

In Bedouin camps around Wadi Rum and Ma'an, shrak is baked fresh for every meal: dough stretched thinner than a handkerchief, flung over a domed iron saj above the fire and lifted off seconds later, soft and blistered. It is the bread that lines the mansaf platter and wraps grilled meat, and it is torn for galayet and labneh at breakfast. At home an upturned wok over a gas flame stands in for the saj. The common mistake is rolling the dough on a dry surface; it tears, so oil your hands and worktop instead and stretch the dough over the backs of your hands like a pizza maker. Chef's tip: rest the dough balls a full 30 minutes, well oiled and covered; relaxed gluten stretches to near see-through without fighting back.

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ShulbatoBulgur with aubergine and courgette

Shulbato is a summer pot from the villages of the West Bank and Galilee, made when the garden overflows: coarse bulgur cooked with aubergine, courgette, peppers, tomato and plenty of onion until the wheat is fluffy and stained red. It is eaten warm or cool on hot days with a bowl of yoghurt or a cucumber salad, and it is also a fasting dish for Christian families. Common mistake: using fine bulgur, which turns mushy; it needs the coarse grade. Chef's tip: let the vegetables catch and brown a little before adding the wheat; that slight char is the flavour of the dish.

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BüryanSlow-roasted lamb

In Siirt, büryan is eaten for breakfast: whole sides of young lamb hang for hours in a deep clay pit oven sealed with mud, and by early morning the meat is falling apart with crackling skin, served on thin bread with nothing but salt. This home version uses a bone-in shoulder roasted low and slow, sealed under foil to trap the steam as the pit does, then blasted at the end for the crisp outside. It needs no marinade beyond salt; the flavour is all lamb. Common mistake: lifting the foil to check; every peek lets the steam out and dries the meat. Chef's tip: pull it apart with two forks at the table and pile it straight onto warm lavaş to catch the juices.

280 minTurkishMeat
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SıkmaCheese and herb rolled flatbread

At village markets in the hills behind the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, women sit at a convex sac griddle rolling out paper-thin dough, cooking it in seconds and 'squeezing' (sıkmak) it around a filling of white cheese and herbs. You eat it rolled up and still hot, with ayran. It is the simplest snack there is and easily done in a large frying pan. Beyaz peynir is often made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one if needed. Chef's tip: roll the dough as thin as you can and cook it fast on a very hot, dry pan; slow cooking makes it brittle instead of soft and foldable.

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Silesian StreuselkuchenCrumble-topped yeast cake

Streuselkuchen came west with families from Silesia, where a tray of it was baked for every wedding and church fair, and it is now sold in every German bakery. The point is the crumble: big, buttery, vanilla-scented lumps sitting almost as thick as the soft yeast base underneath. It is served plain with coffee in the afternoon, often a day old, when the streusel has gone crisp and the base slightly chewy. A common mistake is rubbing the streusel to fine sand; it should be squeezed into clumps the size of hazelnuts. Chef's tip: use cold, cubed butter and chill the finished streusel for 20 minutes before scattering it, so the lumps keep their shape in the oven.

120 minGermanBaking
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ŞıllıkWalnut crepes in lemon syrup

Şıllık is a home sweet of Şanlıurfa, made for guests and special Fridays: lacy crepes cooked on a hot sac or flat pan, filled with sugared walnuts, rolled up and doused in syrup until soft and sticky. Rich with butter and cut into short logs, it is eaten warm with a tiny cup of bitter mırra coffee to balance the sweetness. The batter should be as thin as single cream; thick batter gives rubbery pancakes. Chef's tip: syrup and crepes should be at different temperatures, so pour cooled syrup over the warm rolls, which drink it up without falling apart.

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Virado à paulistaBeans, pork chop and sausage plate

Monday in São Paulo means virado à paulista: the city's lunch counters and botequins have served it as the prato do dia at the start of the week for generations. The plate goes back to the bandeirantes' travel food, and today it is a feast of pork: beans cooked down and thickened with cassava flour into a soft tutu, a pork chop, a grilled pork sausage, a crackling of torresmo if you like, a fried egg, garlicky collard greens, rice and fried banana. It is hearty, salty and sweet in turns. A common mistake is serving the pork chop well past done and dry; a whole pork chop is safe at 63 °C with a 3-minute rest, and juicy at that point. Some restaurants bread the banana; frying it plain keeps the plate gluten free. Chef's tip: cook the beans with a little bacon and let them sit for a few minutes after adding the farinha; it keeps thickening as it stands.

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Simit kebabıBulgur and lamb mince skewers

In Gaziantep 'simit' means fine bulgur, not the sesame ring, and the city's kebab grills knead it into spicy lamb mince before shaping long flat skewers over charcoal. The bulgur soaks up the juices, so the kebab is tender inside with a crisp, charred crust. Serve on lavaş or thin flatbread with grilled tomatoes, peppers and a heap of sumac onions. Knead the mixture for a full ten minutes; under-kneaded meat falls off the skewer. Chef's tip: chill the shaped skewers for 30 minutes before grilling so they keep their shape over the heat.

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Sinop mantısıOpen beef dumplings with yoghurt

Sinop's mantı are not the tiny sealed parcels of Kayseri but larger squares pinched at the corners, filled with spiced beef mince and served in a deep plate with garlic yoghurt, crushed walnuts and a sizzling spoon of chilli butter. In the port town they are a cold-weather lunch, and the walnuts are what make them Sinop's own. Common mistake: boiling them too hard so they burst; keep the water at a lively simmer and cook until the filling is firm and reaches 71 °C. Chef's tip: let the dough rest a full 30 minutes; a relaxed dough rolls thin without springing back and the dumplings cook evenly.

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Sir ghelyehFried green garlic with eggs

In early spring, when the rice fields of Gilan are still wet and the markets of Rasht fill with bundles of green garlic, families make sir ghelyeh: young garlic stems and leaves fried slowly with herbs and turmeric, then set with eggs. It is a quick lunch with kateh rice, eaten with a pickle on the side, and it smells of the whole season. The common mistake is frying the green garlic on a high heat, which burns the edges and leaves it bitter instead of sweet. Out of season, use the swap in the ingredients. Chef's tip: a small splash of verjuice or lemon juice just before the eggs go in lifts the whole pan.

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Sir torshiGarlic pickled in vinegar

Along the Caspian coast in Gilan and Mazandaran, almost every larder has a jar of sir torshi tucked at the back, and the older it is the prouder the cook. Whole heads of garlic sit in vinegar for months, sometimes seven years, until the cloves turn amber, then nearly black, and lose all their harshness; they become soft, sweet-sour and almost jammy. A clove or two goes on the side of a plate of rice and khoresh, mirza ghasemi or a bowl of ash. Chef's tip: use firm, dry, mature garlic with tight skins; fresh green garlic goes slimy instead of mellow.

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VollkornbrotSeeded whole-rye loaf

Vollkornbrot is the dense, seedy tin loaf of northern Germany, from Hamburg to Bremen, sliced thin and eaten for breakfast or packed for work in a lunchbox with cheese, cucumber or a smear of quark. It is almost all whole rye: cracked grains, rye meal and a mix of sunflower seeds, linseed and sesame, all soaked overnight so the bread stays moist for a week. There is no shaping and no kneading, which makes it easier than it looks. A common mistake is cutting it warm, which leaves the knife and the slices gummy. Chef's tip: let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out and wrap it in a tea towel overnight; the crust softens slightly and the crumb sets evenly.

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VyssinadaSour cherry drink

Before fizzy drinks arrived, a tall glass of vyssinada was what you ordered in a Volos or Larissa kafeneio on an August afternoon: sour cherry syrup topped with iced water, sweet and sharp and bright red. Families in Thessaly still make a cordial from the summer cherry crop and keep the bottles in the fridge for weeks. Common mistake: squashing the cherries too hard through the sieve, which clouds the syrup — let the juice drip. Chef's tip: top with sparkling water and a squeeze of lemon for a lighter, livelier glass.

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Vyssino glykoSour cherry spoon sweet

In the mountain villages of Pelion, above Volos, every pantry holds jars of spoon sweets, and the sour cherry one is the jewel: whole stoned cherries in a thick, ruby syrup, offered to visitors on a tiny plate with a glass of cold water. It also spoons beautifully over Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream, and the syrup makes vyssinada, a summer drink. Common mistake: boiling too long, which shrivels the cherries and turns the syrup to toffee — test it on a cold saucer. Chef's tip: macerate the stoned cherries in sugar overnight; they release their juice and stay plump.

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Sobrassada amb melToasted bread with sausage and honey

Sweet and salty sobrassada toast is the snack Mallorcan bars put out with a cold drink, and it often closes a winter meal at home. Sobrassada is the island's soft, spreadable cured sausage of pork and paprika. This contains pork. Spread on country bread, warmed until it melts and sizzles, and finished with a thread of honey, it takes five minutes. Sobrassada is a raw cured meat, so eaten unheated it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; this recipe grills it until piping hot. Chef's tip: spread it thinly right to the edges, so it crisps instead of pooling in the middle.

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Soda farlsGriddled soda bread

Soda farls are the griddle bread of Northern Ireland, cooked on a flat pan rather than baked, and split and fried in the Ulster fry or eaten warm with butter and jam. Plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk make a quick, light dough that is shaped into a round and cut into four farls. Chef's tip: get the griddle hot before the dough is mixed; the soda starts working as soon as the buttermilk goes in.

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SofritoVeal in garlic and vinegar sauce

Not to be confused with the Spanish base sauce, Corfu's sofrito is a dish of thinly sliced veal or young beef, floured and browned, then gently simmered in a sharp, pale sauce of garlic, vinegar and parsley until tender. Corfiot tavernas serve it with creamy mashed potato or rice to soak up the garlicky juices, especially on Sundays and name days. Some cooks add white wine; this version uses only vinegar and stock, so it's alcohol-free. Common mistake: letting the garlic brown, which makes the sauce bitter — it should stay pale. Chef's tip: flatten the slices with a rolling pin so they cook evenly and soak up the sauce.

75 minGreekMeat
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SohanSaffron pistachio brittle

Pilgrims leaving the shrine city of Qom carry home round tins of sohan, and boxes of it are passed around at Nowruz visits all over Iran. It is a buttery, snapping brittle flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rosewater, built on sprouted wheat flour, which gives a gentle malty sweetness, and studded with slivered pistachios and almonds. Each disc shatters and then melts. Chef's tip: have every nut and flavouring measured beside the stove before you start; the last stage moves fast and the sugar won't wait.

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Soldaditos de PavíaBattered salt cod fingers

Madrid's old taverns near Puerta del Sol have fried these golden fingers of salt cod for well over a century, and they are still eaten standing at the bar with a small glass of something cold. Legend says the orange-red strip of pepper recalls the uniforms of soldiers in a Pavía regiment. The cod is soaked for two days to remove the salt, then fried until hot through, so it is fully cooked. Chef's tip: use cold sparkling water in the batter for a lighter, crunchier coat.

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Sole normandeSole with mussels in cider cream

Sole normande was born in the fish restaurants of the Normandy coast, from Dieppe to Honfleur, where the catch, the local cream and cider met on one plate; Paris chefs later made it a grand-restaurant classic. Folded sole fillets are gently poached in cider and fish stock, then served under a silky, ivory cream sauce made from the poaching liquid and mussel juices, with mussels, pink prawns and button mushrooms around them. It is delicate and rich, best with plain boiled potatoes or rice to soak up the sauce. It uses dry cider or white wine; the notes give an alcohol-free option. Chef's tip: plaice or lemon sole fillets work perfectly well and cost far less than Dover sole.

55 minFrenchFishGluten free
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Zeytinyağlı taze baklaBroad beans in olive oil

In April, when the first tender broad beans arrive in İzmir's markets, Aegean cooks braise them whole, pods and all, with onion, dill and olive oil, and serve them cold under a blanket of garlic yoghurt. The pods turn silky and slightly sweet, nothing like the tough shells of older beans. It is one of the true markers of spring on the coast. Chef's tip: rub the pods with lemon and a little flour before cooking; it keeps them green and stops them blackening as they braise.

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Sopa de beldroegasPurslane and potato soup

Purslane grows wild between the rows of Alentejo vegetable gardens in summer, and country cooks pick it for this lemony, slightly peppery soup: potatoes and purslane simmered with garlic and olive oil, then finished with eggs poached in the broth and slices of fresh goat's cheese that soften in the heat. It is served over bread, as so many Alentejo soups are. The fresh cheese is usually made with animal rennet; choose a soft goat's cheese or ricotta made with vegetarian rennet if you need to. If you can't find purslane, watercress or spinach make a fair stand-in. Chef's tip: add the cheese only in the last minute, so it warms and softens but doesn't melt away.

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Sopa de caçãoDogfish soup with bread

Far from the sea, the Alentejo still has a fish soup it calls its own: firm dogfish simmered in a broth heavy with garlic and fresh coriander, thickened slightly with flour and sharpened with vinegar, then poured over bread. Families make it on Fridays and in Lent, and some village restaurants serve it every week. Dogfish and other small sharks are overfished in many waters; buy it only from a certified source, or use monkfish, a firm and sustainable white fish. A common mistake is boiling the fish hard, which makes it stringy; let it poach gently. Chef's tip: add the vinegar only at the very end, off the heat, so its sharpness stays fresh.

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Sopa de capelettiMeat pasta in chicken broth

Winter nights in Bento Gonçalves, Caxias do Sul and the wine valleys of the Serra Gaúcha call for sopa de capeletti, the Italian immigrants' soup that is still served at the start of every big Sunday lunch at galeterias and family tables. Small hats of fresh egg pasta, filled with chicken, Parmesan and nutmeg, are cooked in a clear, golden, deeply savoury chicken broth and finished with more grated cheese. It is light but nourishing, and the broth should taste concentrated enough to stand on its own. The trap people fall into is boiling the broth hard, which turns it cloudy and greasy; keep it at a lazy simmer. You can freeze the shaped capeletti on a floured tray and cook them from frozen. Chef's tip: roll the dough until you can just see the shadow of your hand through it; thick capeletti turn stodgy in the soup.

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Sopa de castanhasChestnut and bean soup

Before potatoes reached the high plateaus of Trás-os-Montes, chestnuts were the staple, and in villages around Bragança and Vinhais this thick soup is still made in November, when the magusto festivals roast the new crop. Farm versions are cooked with a piece of cured pork; this one is meat-free, built on dried or cooked chestnuts, white beans, onion and a little rice, finished with olive oil. It is sweet, nutty and filling enough for supper. Chef's tip: mash a third of the chestnuts into the broth to thicken it and leave the rest in pieces.

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Sopa de espárragos triguerosWild asparagus and bread soup

In March and April people across Extremadura walk the field margins and olive groves picking thin, bitter wild asparagus, and much of the haul goes into this soup. The spears are fried with garlic and smoky pimentón de la Vera, simmered with water, thickened with thin slices of stale bread, and an egg is poached in the pot for each person. It is a country supper for chilly spring evenings. Thin green asparagus from the shops works well. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before adding the paprika, so it doesn't scorch.

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Sopa de feijão verdeGreen bean and potato soup

From June to September, Minho kitchen gardens are heavy with runner and flat beans, and this soup is what most families make with them, served as the first course of an ordinary weekday lunch. A smooth base of potato, onion and carrot is puréed, then the beans, cut into thin diagonal slivers, are simmered in it until just tender. It is thick, mild and comforting, finished with a thread of olive oil. A common mistake is adding the green beans with the potatoes; they turn grey and soft, so add them only for the last few minutes. Chef's tip: slice the beans very thinly on a slant, as Minho cooks do, so they cook evenly and every spoonful gets some.

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Sopa de grão com espinafresChickpea and spinach soup

This is everyday food in the villages of the Beira interior, where chickpeas are a winter store-cupboard standby and a big pot of soup starts most lunches and suppers. Part of the chickpeas are blended with potato and onion for a creamy base, the rest left whole, and fresh spinach is stirred in at the end. It is filling, cheap and ready in under an hour. A common mistake is boiling the spinach in the soup for too long; add it at the end and cook it only until it wilts. Chef's tip: add the spinach only at the last minute, as long cooking turns it grey and bitter.

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