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1
Grind the Mastic and Whisk the Salep
5 minutes
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Grind the chilled mastic tears with 1 teaspoon of the sugar until powdery. Whisk the salep into 100 ml of the cold milk until completely smooth, with no lumps.
If the salep clumps, whisk it into cold milk only — hot milk makes the lumps set at once.
Done when: A smooth, milky liquid with no dry flecks.
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2
Warm the Milk, Cream and Sugar
5 minutes
Medium heat, about 80°C (175°F)
Pour the rest of the milk and the cream into a heavy saucepan, add the sugar and the salt, and warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and steam rises. Do not let it boil.
Stir constantly so the milk does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
Done when: Sugar fully dissolved; the milk is steaming but not bubbling.
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3
Cook the Base Until It Thickens
10 minutes
Low heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Whisk in the salep milk and the ground mastic, then the vanilla. Cook on low heat, stirring all the time, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and stretches in a thick ribbon when you lift the spoon.
The base should thicken like thin custard — if it stays runny, cook 2 minutes longer, still stirring.
Done when: The base coats a spoon and falls in a slow, stretchy ribbon.
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4
Chill the Base Until Cold
4 hours
Fridge temperature, about 4°C (39°F)
Pour the base into a clean bowl, press cling film directly onto the surface, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until completely cold.
The film stops a skin forming on the surface while it chills.
Done when: The base is cold all the way through and thicker than before.
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5
Churn Until Thick and Stretchy
25 minutes
Freezer bowl temperature, about -18°C (0°F)
Churn the cold base in the ice cream maker for about 25 minutes, until it is thick, dense and stretchy. No ice cream maker? Pour it into a shallow freezer container and stir hard with a fork every 30 minutes for 3 hours, pulling and folding it so it stays stretchy.
Stop churning while it is still soft-serve thick — over-churning makes it hard and icy.
Done when: The ice cream is thick, holds its shape on a spoon, and stretches when pulled.
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6
Freeze Firm and Scoop
4 hours
Freezer temperature, about -18°C (0°F)
Pack the dondurma into the chilled container, press film onto the surface, and freeze for at least 4 hours until firm. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping, then serve in small scoops with chopped pistachios.
A warm, dry spoon cuts clean scoops; dip it in hot water between servings.
Done when: Firm but sliceable, and it stretches instead of crumbling when scooped.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve small, dense scoops in chilled bowls, scattered with chopped pistachios — the classic way is plain, so the chew and the faint pine scent of the mastic speak for themselves.
Turkey
50m
