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Tavuk göğsü
Shredded chicken milk pudding
Tavuk göğsü: the Ottoman palace milk pudding thickened with finely shredded chicken breast
It surprises everyone the first time, but Istanbul's old muhallebici shops still make this silky milk pudding with chicken breast pounded into fine threads, a recipe from the Ottoman palace kitchens. You cannot taste the chicken; it gives the pudding a stretchy, almost chewy body and a pearly look. Serve it cold with a heavy dusting of cinnamon. This dessert contains meat, so it is not vegetarian. Chef's tip: boil the chicken without salt and rinse the shreds several times in cold water; any savoury taste left behind will show in the finished pudding.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 skinless chicken breastabout 150 g
- 5 cups whole milk
- 7 oz caster sugar
- 2 ⅞ oz rice flour
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Simmer 1 skinless chicken breast in unsalted water for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through to 165°F in the thickest part. Drain and cool.
25 minStep 2: Tear the chicken into the thinnest possible threads along the grain, then pound them lightly in a mortar until fluffy. Rinse in three changes of cold water, squeezing each time, and squeeze dry.
15 minStep 3: Whisk 2 ⅞ oz rice flour and 1 oz cornflour into 300 ml of the 5 cups whole milk until smooth.
Step 4: Heat the rest of the milk with 7 oz caster sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat until steaming, then whisk in the starch mixture. Keep whisking for 10 minutes, until thick.
10 minStep 5: Add the chicken threads and beat hard with a wooden spoon for 10–15 minutes over a low heat, until the pudding turns elastic and pulls away in long ribbons. Common mistake: stopping early; the stretch is the whole point.
15 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, pour into a wetted 20 × 30 cm dish and cool, then chill for at least 4 hours. Cut in squares and serve dusted with 2 tsp ground cinnamon.
240 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tavuk göğsü take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of skinless chicken breast?
- Boneless chicken thighs, same weight (a few minutes longer).
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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