Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
1
Bury Market advertises itself as “world famous” which may be something of an exaggeration - but it is sufficient of a tourist attraction that they get coach trips. It’s because it’s a “proper” market – and nothing like your expensive, twee farmers markets. There’s a large market hall, open six days a week and lots of outdoor stalls on several days of the week. It’s a place to buy pots and pans and coats your granny would like to wear. And some cracking food stalls – like Chadwick’s Bury Black Puddings (the best there is, IMO). And just down from them , there’s Harry Muffin for classic Northern bakes like wimberry and cheese & onion pies. And good looking pork pies. And Chorley cakes – the shortcrust version of the better known Eccles cake.And a cheese stall with a wide range, including Dewlay’s “Tasty” Lancashire. And that’s just scratching the surface of the food offerings. I could write a long paragraph about the indoor fish and meat stalls. And another on the “deli” stalls in the main market halls – although no-one from round here would call it “deli” - that’ll be the “cooked meat” stalls.
And there’s cafes dotted about. Outdoor market stalls, with a couple of tables and chairs, for you to sit and rest your legs while you sip a mug of builders tea. Then there’s Turkish Gozleme. And gozleme is what they are known for. Think a sort of Turkish calzone affair. The owner (?) takes a piece of dough, rolling it out so thin but reaching dinner plate size. She asks if I’ve had this before. I haven’t. But I tell here I’d read about her gozleme and had driven round from the other side of the metro area to eat it (and buy stuff from the other food stalls). She then piles on the filling – a mix of spinach, mushroom and potato. That’s topped with your choice of mildly spiced lamb or chicken mince and a scattering of feta. It’s then folded over, pressed down and cooked on the flat top. She slices it up so it can be easily eaten with fingers. It’s absolutely bloody delicious. As is the small cup of Turkish coffee that helped it go down.
I’m not sure when we’ll be back but I’ll face a dilemma. Should I have this again, or go for the very good looking chicken shawarma, or the more common pide. Maybe I’ll have one for elevenses and something else for lunch. It’s a dilemma worth having.
For anyone who wants to make gozlemes, this recipe is a favorite in our household.
The blogger recommended that I replace half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour. The whole flour added flavor and the qozlemes made with whole wheat flour browned better.
I wonder if you could cheat and use burrito-size flour tortillas for the outside wrap…
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
6
Tortillas have a different texture to this. But, I suppose that if that’s how it had been done, I wouldnt have known anything different and would have thought it fine. Now that I know what a real one is like, I would adversely notice the difference to a tortilla
Good point - thanks. The concept sort of reminds me of a burrito/quesadilla, but I’m sure I would love the original version as well!
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
8
Considerably chuffed today.
The Good Food Guide is the UK’s premier independent restaurant review website. Prior to last year, it produced a book every year since 1951 but is now digital . I’ve sent reviews to them before anyone had heard of the internet. I sent them the above review for them to consider as one of their new “local gem” category. Weekly email to subscribers just received and my full review is featured. First time that’s happened (extracts have appeared in the book/website before). And I’m very proud to be in a newsletter that also reports on an “Exceptional” Michelin starred restaurant - Sosban and the Old Butchers - which I’ve found it completely impossible to book (it only has four tables). And includes mention of the death of Michel Bourdain, ex head chef at the Connaught Hotel, at the age of 80. Not bad company to be in for a Wednesday morning.
Wow. Made up for you, Mr H, and lovely that’s it’s recognising somewhere down to earth too. I can see the increased Range Rover traffic round Bury market now…
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
13
I have a good sense that there’s a shift in emphasis in the Guide since the new owners and it’s now digital format, particularly with its “local gem” category.
