Öcce – Turkish herb fritters

Light and delightful fritters from South-Eastern Turkey.

When I took my late editor to my favourite meyhane (seafood restaurant) around this time last year, it wasn’t the seafood that blew her away the most. It was a deceivingly simple fritter, made with plenty of Aegean wild herbs, served with an even simpler side of plain yoghurt. It may not sound like an amazing dish, but some dishes need to be tasted to be understood. Herb fritters are certainly in that category.

I’ve eaten various versions of it over the years. Once called öcce is closely associated with Gaziantep and Hatay, so after returning from my trip there, I decided to try my hand at them at home, for the first time. It will certainly not be the last!

I’ll admit, though, that I needed a few attempts to get it just right. You need the right balance between herbs and onions, and the method needs to encourage lightness and a delicious bite. I settled for a recipe that closely follows that of Refika Birgül.

A few tips to help you succeed

As with any fritter, the key is getting your batter just right. It should have as much of your main ingredients as possible. Only enough eggs and flour to bind – we’re not making omelettes or pancakes. A flavouring that is both careful and brave, lest even deep fried vegetables turn boring very quickly. And you need to get your cooking method right.