The Rize Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry records this Hamsi Köftesi recipe from Çamlıhemşin. Its regional formula uses one kilogram of salted anchovies, four slices of stale bread, three eggs, half a cup of cornmeal, parsley and black pepper. The anchovies are soaked overnight, deboned, chopped and fried as walnut-size patties.
Hamsi Köftesi — Recipe Card
Black Sea Anchovy Patties with Cornmeal and Parsley
Makes 6 servings · Makes about 18 small patties, serving 6 as a main course or shared plate.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Hamsi Köftesi
Desalt the anchovies
Put the salted anchovies in a nonreactive bowl, cover with 2 litres/8⅓ cups cold water and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Change the water two or three times. Drain and taste a tiny cooked piece; soak 1–2 hours longer if it remains aggressively salty.
Clean and chop
Remove heads, backbones and any remaining fins. Rinse very briefly, drain thoroughly and squeeze dry in a clean towel. Chop the anchovy flesh finely but leave visible small pieces.
Prepare the bread
Crumble the stale bread into fine crumbs. If it is very hard, dampen it with a spoonful of water, wait 2 minutes and squeeze completely dry.
Mix the patties
Combine anchovies, bread crumbs, eggs, cornmeal, parsley and black pepper. Knead just until the mixture holds together, then rest for 10 minutes so the cornmeal and bread absorb moisture.
Shape a test patty
Form one walnut-size portion into a patty about 5 cm/2 in wide and 1.5 cm/⅝ in thick. Fry it in a teaspoon of oil, taste and add up to 2 g salt to the remaining mixture only if necessary.
Shape and fry
Shape about 18 patties. Heat 5 mm/¼ in oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry without crowding for 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden, firm in the center and at least 63°C/145°F. Cook in batches and adjust the heat to prevent scorching.
Drain and serve
Transfer to a rack or paper-lined tray and rest for 2 minutes. Serve hot while the cornmeal crust is crisp and the chopped anchovy interior remains moist.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-anchovy-patties-hamsi-koftesi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Salted anchovies
The Çamlıhemşin source specifically uses salted hamsi and an overnight soak. Soaking time varies with the cure, so judge salt only with a small cooked sample.
Fresh anchovy variation
If salted Black Sea anchovies are unavailable, use 900 g/2 lb cleaned fresh anchovies, skip the soak and start with 5 g/1 tsp salt. This is a practical variation, not the recorded salted-fish method.
Texture
Do not purée the fish. Finely chopped pieces give Hamsi Köftesi its distinctive moist, flaky center rather than a smooth commercial fish-cake texture.
Heat level
No added chili. Black pepper supplies gentle warmth. A chili version would be a household variation, not the recorded Çamlıhemşin formula.
Dietary and allergens
Contains fish, egg and wheat. Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free, but the stale bread makes the base recipe unsuitable for a gluten-free label.
Food safety
Keep the fish refrigerated during soaking and preparation. Fry until the patties reach 63°C/145°F and the egg-bound center is fully set.
How to store and reheat Hamsi Köftesi
Refrigerate cooked patties within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at 4°C/40°F or below. Use within 3 days. Reheat in a 190°C/375°F oven or air fryer until crisp and 74°C/165°F throughout. Freeze cooked patties between sheets of parchment for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Hamsi Köftesi: questions and answers
Are these made with fresh or salted anchovies?
The recorded Çamlıhemşin version uses salted anchovies soaked overnight. Fresh anchovies can make a practical variation with added salt.
Why is my mixture loose?
The fish or bread is probably too wet. Squeeze both dry, rest the mixture for 10 minutes and add 1 tablespoon cornmeal only if it still cannot hold a small patty.
Can I bake the patties?
Pan-frying is the recorded method. For a lighter variation, brush with oil and bake at 220°C/425°F, turning once, until browned and 63°C/145°F inside.
Can I prepare the mixture ahead?
Because it contains raw egg and fish, shape and cook it promptly. If necessary, refrigerate the mixed filling for no more than 4 hours before frying.
