Tavuk göğsü — the Ottoman pudding with chicken, milk and cinnamon

In Ottoman cuisine, as also described in cooking encyclopedias, tavuk göğsü was served at the sultans’ court — a milk pudding that, strangely enough, is prepared with chicken meat shredded into fine threads. The taste of the meat disappears completely; what remains is a soft, elastic cream served cold, with ground cinnamon on top.

Ingredients (for 6–8 servings)

• 1 liter milk
• 200 g sugar
• ½ boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 60 g cornstarch (or rice starch)
• 1 tablespoon rose water (optional)
• 1 pinch of salt
• ground cinnamon, for serving

Preparation steps

1. Boil the chicken breast in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes, until well softened. Drain and shred into very fine threads with two forks, then rinse 2–3 times with cold water to remove any meaty taste. Drain well.
2. In a pot, dissolve the starch in a glass of cold milk, then add the remaining milk and the sugar.
3. Add the chicken threads and stir constantly over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook, stirring, for 10–15 minutes, until the mixture thickens like a cream.
4. Add the rose water, stir once and remove from the heat. Pour the pudding into a glass dish or pan rinsed with water.
5. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut into squares and serve with ground cinnamon on top.

Time: 20 min prep; 25 min cooking; 4 hours chilling. Servings: 6–8.