Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt and Rice Soup with Mint)

Ingredients

• 40 g butter
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, very finely chopped
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1¼ l vegetable stock
• 80 g white rice, rinsed
• 500 g plain yogurt, full fat, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Method

1. 1.

   Make the mint butter — Melt the butter in your soup pot over low heat, add the mint and chilli flakes and swirl for about 30 seconds, until the butter is flecked green and smells strongly of mint. Pour it into a small bowl and set aside, then wipe the pot out.

2. 2.

   Simmer the rice in stock — Pour the stock into the same pot, add the rice and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The grains should be very soft and starting to break apart — this soup wants overcooked rice, not al dente.

3. 3.

   Whisk the yogurt base — Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, egg yolk and flour together in a large bowl with 4 tablespoons of cold water until absolutely smooth and about the consistency of pouring cream. The flour and the yolk are what stop the yogurt from splitting later, so beat out every lump now.

4. 4.

   Temper the yogurt — Ladle four ladlefuls of the hot stock into the yogurt one at a time, whisking hard after each, until the bowl feels warm rather than cool. Pour the tempered yogurt back into the pot in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly in one direction.

5. 5.

   Thicken over low heat — Bring the soup back to the faintest tremble over low heat, stirring the whole time with a wooden spoon, and cook for 8-10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the spoon and the raw flour taste has gone. Do not let it reach a rolling boil or the yogurt will curdle.

6. 6.

   Swirl in the mint butter — Season with the salt and black pepper, then ladle into warm bowls and swirl a spoonful of the mint butter over each. Let everyone stir it through at the table so the red butter marbles into the white soup.