Plan the iftar table backward from the call to prayer: set the table before the call, have the soup hot at that moment, and place the foods for breaking the fast on the table. Dates, water, olives, cheese, and Ramadan flatbread traditionally come first. In many homes, there is a short break after breaking the fast, and the main course follows. Plan by that day’s call-to-prayer time, not by a fixed clock time.
What sets the iftar table apart from other meals is that the starting time is fixed and the same for everyone. When the call to prayer begins, the whole family sits down at the same time, and no one wants to wait for a dish to finish cooking. So preparations are planned backward from that day’s call-to-prayer time; because the time changes a little each day, the schedule is reviewed anew every day. Set the table before the call, put the plates and glasses in place, and fill the water pitchers. In the minutes before the call, only the soup and bread should remain to be handled in the kitchen.
The first dishes on the table are the foods for breaking the fast, and they are set out before the call to prayer. Place dates, olives, cheese, jam, honey, or clotted cream in small dishes, and fill the water glasses. Traditionally, the fast is broken with dates or water, so place dates and water near each person. Buy or bake the Ramadan flatbread that day, then warm it just before iftar, wrap it in a cloth, and bring it to the table. Take cold dishes out of the refrigerator close to the call to prayer; how long cold food can remain on the table is a separate matter.
Soup is at the center of iftar and should be hot when the call to prayer begins. Cook the soup beforehand, turn the heat to low, and keep it covered; just before the call, heat it until nearly boiling and ladle it into bowls. Lentil soup, ezogelin (a Turkish lentil and bulgur soup), and tarhana (a fermented wheat and yogurt soup) hold well during this wait. For yogurt-based soups with an egg-yolk thickener, such as yayla soup, add the thickener at the last moment because the soup may curdle when reheated. Keep lemon and red pepper flakes ready on the table so no one has to get up.
In many homes, after the fast is broken with light dishes and soup, there is a short break; people pray the evening prayer, brew tea, or simply catch their breath. The main course comes after this break. This arrangement gives the kitchen more time: the main course, rice, and salad are finished while the soup is being eaten, then served hot when the break ends. Cook the rice for the main course, not according to the call to prayer; time its resting period so it finishes at the end of the break. If the menu includes fried food, cook it last and serve it with the main course.
Dessert, often güllaç (a milk-soaked pastry dessert) and syrup-soaked sweets commonly served during Ramadan, usually comes at the end of iftar or later with tea. These desserts can be prepared ahead, reducing the workload in the kitchen on iftar day. Before serving the iftar meal, move any food set aside for suhoor into a separate container; this keeps it from being mixed with food that has been sitting on the table. How to store the reserved food is a separate matter. For a large iftar gathering, start the same routine earlier, because the call to prayer happens at the same time for everyone and cannot be delayed.
Comments (0)
No comments on this tip yet. Be the first to write one.