Fava, haydari, lakerda, samphire: balancing meze at a fish dinner, and seasonal meze.
A fish dinner on the Bosphorus begins with meze, before the fish. When the meze trolley arrives at the table, choosing is not easy; there are different plates on the counter every season. We talked with Nermin Akdoğan, who has spent 20 years at the meze counter, about the meze that go best with fish and why.
Balancing meze at a fish dinner
According to Nermin, a fish table should have three kinds of meze: something cooling with yoghurt or cheese, a vegetable or pulse dish in olive oil, and something from the sea. This trio completes the table without overpowering the fish. Very spicy, heavy meze overshadow its delicacy.
The classics
- Fava: a dill-scented purée of dried broad beans. Indispensable at a fish table; its gentle flavour suits every fish.
- Haydari: strained yoghurt, white cheese and mint. It refreshes the palate after oily fish.
- Lakerda: thinly sliced cured bonito from October's catch, served with red onion.
- Samphire: in spring and summer, with garlicky olive oil. Its salty crunch pairs beautifully with fish.
- Cretan dip: cheese, walnut and basil; rich but fresh.
- Octopus salad: lemony, with celery; the meze from the sea.
Seasonal meze
Our meze counter changes with the seasons. In spring there is samphire, wild sea fennel and artichoke; in summer stuffed courgette flowers and smoky aubergine; in autumn lakerda and beetroot; in winter pickles, celeriac and carrot tarator. That is why you will see a 'seasonal' note next to some meze on our menu.
Moderation with hot starters
Fried calamari, shrimp casserole and fried mussels are the favourite hot starters. But they are filling; if more than two arrive before the fish, there is no appetite left for it. For a table of four, two hot starters and four or five cold meze is the measure Nermin recommends.
Bread and greens
Warm village bread with the meze, and rocket, red onion and lemon with the fish, are all you need. In winter we also serve cornbread with anchovy.
If you can't decide, ask your waiter to bring the meze trolley to your table so you can see each plate and choose by taste. Our How Much Fish for the Table? tool also helps you plan quantities of meze and fish.
How many meze to order?
A cold meze plate serves two or three people. For a table of two, three cold meze and one hot starter are usually enough; for six, six or seven cold meze and two or three hot starters. To avoid leftovers, order a little first and call the trolley back later, so less goes to waste and the meze arrive fresh.