Eer nan
Saddle-shaped boats of soft dough filled with brined cheese, baked with an egg yolk and butter on top.
At the bazaar in Talas the women who sell eer nan keep it in a wide basket under a cloth, and the saddle shape is the first thing you notice. In Orto-Ayyl my chong apa baked it for name days and for the men back from the pastures, and we children fought over the boat whose yolk had set just so. The word eer means saddle, and the loaf really does sit like one.
I made it for the first time in my own Talas kitchen last week, with a fresh cheese from the bazaar and butter from Talas Süt. Aruu shaped hers more like a slipper, and ate it anyway. Tear off the rim, my dear, and dip it into the yolk and the melted cheese.
What you'll need
Good to know
Can I make it ahead?
Make the dough the evening before and leave it covered in the fridge overnight. Bring it out for 30 minutes, then shape and bake as in the recipe.
How long does it keep?
Best eaten warm, within an hour. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge; reheat at 180°C for 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the yolk is set.
Can I freeze it?
Freeze the baked boats without the yolk for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C for 20 minutes, then add a fresh yolk for the last 3 minutes.
What can I use instead?
Feta soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, to draw out the salt, stands in for ak panyr. Mozzarella or suluguni replaces the melting cheese.
Eer nan
Saddle-shaped boats of soft dough filled with brined cheese, baked with an egg yolk and butter on top.
Ingredients
servings- For the dough
- For the filling
Instructions
Method
- Make the dough. Stir the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl, add the warm milk, water and oil, and knead for 8 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
- Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Mix the filling. While the dough rises, stir the crumbled cheese and the grated cheese together in a bowl, and taste the cheese for salt before you add more.
- Divide and roll. Punch the dough down, cut it into 4 equal pieces and roll each into an oval about 25 cm long and 15 cm wide.
- Shape the saddles. Roll the long edges toward the middle to make a rim, then pinch and twist the two ends into points to make a boat. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set the boats on it.
- Fill the boats. Divide the cheese between them, mounding it slightly in the middle. Let them rest for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 220°C.
- Brush and bake. Brush the rims with the beaten egg, then bake for 12 minutes, until the rims are deep golden and the cheese is bubbling.
- Add the yolks. Take the tray out, press a small hollow into the cheese of each boat, slip in one yolk and a slice of butter, and bake for 3 minutes more, until the white of the yolk is just set but the centre is still soft.
- Serve at once. Scatter with dill and bring the boats to the table hot, so everyone can stir the yolk into the cheese and tear off the rim.
With love from my kitchen in Talas,Jibek
