Bilecik Quail Kebab

Bilecik Quail Kebab is a dish specific to the province of Bilecik. It is prepared by cooking freshly slaughtered quail meat, boiled and coated in sauce, together with boiled vegetables in a clay pot or oven dish, seasoned with various spices.

^{Bilecik Quail Kebab (generated by artificial intelligence)}

The following ingredients are typically used for a two-serving portion of Bilecik quail kebab:

• Raw quail meat on the carcass (240–280 g)
• Onion (1 piece, 200 g)
• Eggplant (1 piece, 150–160 g)
• Hot chili pepper (2 pieces, 150–160 g)
• Paprika pepper (1 piece, 120–140 g)
• Potato (2 pieces, 100–110 g)
• Peeled tomato (1 piece, 100–110 g)
• Butter (45–50 g)
• Pepper paste (25 g)
• Tomato paste (25 g)
• Garlic (10 g)
• Black pepper (2–3 g)
• Salt (2–3 g)
• Red pepper flakes (optional, 2–3 g)
• Oregano (2–3 g)
• Cumin (optional, 1 g)
• Water (400 ml)

^{Bilecik Quail Kebab (generated by artificial intelligence)}

The feathers of the quails are removed and smoked, then carefully washed. They are boiled in 400 ml of water for 8–10 minutes in a pot. The boiled quail meat is cooled for 15–20 minutes. For the sauce, pepper paste, tomato paste, oregano and black pepper are mixed in a bowl to form a paste-like consistency. The cooled quail meat is then immersed in this sauce to ensure full coverage.

The eggplants are cut into cubes of 2.5–3 cm length and left in water for 15–20 minutes to remove bitterness. The potatoes are cut to the same size as the eggplants and soaked in water. The paprika and hot chili peppers are each divided into four pieces. The garlic cloves are peeled. Since quail meat cooks quickly, the vegetables must be pre-boiled. All vegetables are placed in a suitable container and covered with the quail boiling water, then boiled for a maximum of 10 minutes.

A clay pot or oven dish is used for cooking. The bottom of the dish is greased with butter. The boiled and sauce-coated quail meat is placed whole into the dish. The boiled vegetables are arranged alongside the quail meat. Large onion rings are spread over all the components and salt is added. Finally, enough quail boiling water is poured into the dish to cover the ingredients. The prepared dish is baked in an oven at 180 °C for approximately 25 minutes, until the vegetables turn pink.

Bilecik Quail Kebab, has been registered as a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. Monitoring of the product is carried out by a minimum three-member oversight body composed of one expert representative each from the Bilecik Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Bilecik Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, and the Bursa-Eskişehir-Bilecik Development Agency, under the coordination of the Bilecik Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Inspections are conducted annually as well as whenever necessary or upon complaint.