Hamsi Kuşu Recipe
Hamsi kuşu can be translated as anchovy bird. It takes its name from its shape similar to a bird's body. Hamsi kuşu is a recipe that I intended to share last year, but I never got the chance to share. The fact that it is a recipe that has many varieties and is controversial is also responsible for the fact that it took so long.
I touched on this issue in detail in the hamsi kofte recipe I shared before. In some places, hamsi kofte are called hamsi kuşu. As a Thracian, I am one of the people who has the least say in this matter. But ultimately, I had to make a decision to share the recipe, and with this recipe, I thought that this was the one that resembled the bird most in shape and made a decision.
The shape of the hamsi kuşu looks very aesthetic and at the same time quite appetizing. But frankly, the filling ingredients do not sound that appetizing to those who have never tasted the dish before. I had a lot of prejudices, especially about cheese. The significant amount of cheese I used in my first hamsi kuşu experiment showed that I was quite right about this. In my opinion, cheese doesn't really go well with anchovies. So while I was finalizing my recipe, I decided to use a little cheese so that noone can ask "Why isn't there any cheese in this?" but would never overpower the taste.
Is the Onion in the Hamsi Kuşu Cooked?
This was what worried me the most when trying hamsi kuşu for the first time. Even though the onion is rubbed with salt and softened before preparing it, in my opinion, the onion still needs to be cooked. Since anchovy is a fish that cooks in a very short time, I wasn't sure if this time would be long enough for the onions to cook. But not using too high a heat and letting the fish cook slowly gave the onions enough time to cook. So, if I were to give just one tip about hamsi kuşu, it would be to cook them at a slightly higher temperature than the middle. For example, my stove has a maximum temperature of 9 degrees and I cooked the hamsi kuşu at degree 6.
In addition, it is worth underlining the necessity of chopping the onions very finely and thoroughly in order not to leave all the work to cooking. I've seen people use spring onions and dried onions together in some recipes. I used only spring onion because I thought it was more suitable for this recipe due to its tenderness. I got very good results. If you cannot find spring onions, you can of course use dried onions, but I can only recommend you to do this if you really have to.
Can Hamsi Kuşu Be Cooked in the Oven or Airfryer?
There is no technical reason why hamsi kuşu cannot be cooked in the oven or airfryer, but there will be a difference like the difference between french fries and baked potatoes.
In addition, this situation can be disturbing as it is covered in corn flour and the corn flour will not stick to the anchovy because it will be completely covered in oil and flour will spill while eating.
Enjoy your meal...
Hamsi Kuşu Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1 kg anchovy fish,
- 2 medium-thick spring onions,
- 1 handful of chopped parsley,
- 1 heaping tablespoon of corn flour,
- 2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese,
- Salt,
- Black pepper,
- 1 cup corn flour for coating,
- 400 ml oil for frying.
Preparation
- Remove the heads and bones of the anchovies,
- Finely chop the onions,
- Add salt to them and rub them with your hands until they become soft,
- Add corn flour, cheese, parsley and black pepper and mix,
- Arrange three anchovies in your palm, one on top of the other,
- Put enough stuffing in the middle to fill it,
- Close it towards the middle, put another anchovy on top and squeeze it,
- Coat the hamsi kuşu with corn flour,
- Stuff the remaining anchovies in the same way and coat them in corn flour,
- Heat the oil in a sauce pan,
- Add the anchovies, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook slowly (without turning the heat too high and causing them to brown immediately),
- Remove the fried hamsi kuşus into a strainer.
Enjoy your meal...