How to make Fatimas’ Turkish Eggs, Zingy Za’atar and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies.

Since Kirsty Senior opened Fatimas in 1995, over one million people have visited the Auckland restaurant known for its Middle Eastern flavours and hangover-preventing pitas. The cookbook – published this month by indie geniuses Beatnik – shares 100 recipes from the Fatimas kitchen, and beyond, all lovingly wrapped in stunning photography that celebrates the ingredients, as well as the people and the neighbourhood that the restaurant calls home. Here are three delicious, and quick, recipes accompanied by images from the book’s photographer, Vanessa Wu.

Our Turkish Eggs: Poached Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt and Spiced Butter

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

The combination of warm spiced butter and cold yoghurt with a poached egg is indulgent and perfect, only made better by smearing it on crunchy buttered sourdough toast. This recipe is essentially a hybrid of our two favourite versions of this dish – Peter Gordon’s Turkish Eggs and the Çilbir Eggs from Honey Bones Café in Grey Lynn. The unique nutty flavour of the butter as it begins to brown makes this a knockout breakfast dish.

For the garlic yoghurt

250g (1 cup) plain yoghurt, at room temperature
½ lemon, juiced
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

For the spiced butter

50g butter
2 tsp sumac
2 tsp Aleppo chilli
2 tsp Zingy Za’atar

For the eggs

8 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar

To serve

1-2 slices toasted sourdough per person
Chopped flat leaf parsley or dill fronds

Bring a large pot of water to the boil for poaching the eggs. In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and garlic. Season and set aside. Heat the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam add the spices. Keep swirling the pan for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside. Divide the yoghurt among 4 warmed, small bowls. 

Add the vinegar to the poaching water. Drop the eggs into the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the eggs for around 4 minutes, depending on the size of the eggs, until the whites are set and the yolk is soft. 

Put 2 drained eggs into each bowl. Give the butter a good stir and spoon over the top. Scatter with the herbs and serve with toast on the side.

A photograph from above of a plate of toasted sourdough bread and a plate of eggs. A pair of hands is tucking into the eggs. Fatimas’ Turkish Eggs. (Photo: Vanessa Wu).
Zingy Za’atar

Makes about 65g (2/3 cup)
Prep time: 15 minutes

Za’atar is an essential Middle Eastern sprinkle which we cook with, like a flavoured salt. Each region has a signature recipe and flavour, but it always has a base of dried herbs, sesame seeds, sumac and salt. It’s the ultimate seasoning and is delicious on fresh tomatoes.

3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 tsp flaky sea salt

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl to combine. Store in an airtight container for 2 months.

The cover of the Fatimas cookbook which has 'Fatimas' in bold green font running down the right edge. There is a black and white photo of the restaurant behind it.The cover of the Fatimas cookbook, by Kirsty Senior and Sophie Gilmour, with photography by Vanessa Wu. Published by Beatnik.
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Makes 12 cookies
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes

Kirsty’s mother taught her how to toast nuts in a small pan until the shells were released when she was a child. When the nuts cooled, she would rub them between her palms, then take the dish outside and blow the shells away. This memory formed the basis for this recipe which we called a ‘grown up cookie’ in recipe development due to its mix of milk and dark chocolate and the inclusion of cinnamon and cardamom.

We love a cookie that is crunchy at the edges and soft in the centre, and after many iterations we think this recipe cracks it every time.

120g butter
160g (1¼ cup) flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp baking soda
pinch salt
80g (½ cup) brown sugar
70g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
60g Whittaker’s milk chocolate
60g Whittaker’s dark chocolate
Sea salt

A photograph of a plate piled with cookies. Fatimas’ chocolate and hazelnut cookies. (Photo: Vanessa Wu).

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

In a saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the butter turns a deep amber colour and develops a nutty aroma. This happens quickly so stay next to the stove. Set aside to cool.

Mix together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Prepare the chocolate. Leave the chocolate as a block. Slice lengthways by shaving the blocks of chocolate using the whole length of the knife. Chop the shavings into ½ cm pieces. Set aside.

Using a cake mixer with the whisk attachment whisk the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar for 2 minutes until a smooth paste forms. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk for 1 minute until combined. With a large spoon fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts, milk and dark chocolate.

Roll the mixture into 12 balls using the palms of your hands. Each cookie will weigh approximately 55g. Slightly flatten with a fork. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. Bake for 12 minutes until golden and crispy at the edges. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the tray to set before transferring to a wire rack.

Fatimas by Kirsty Senior and Sophie Gilmour, with photography by Vanessa Wu ($60, Beatnik) is available to purchase at Unity Books.