Kumpir (Loaded Baked Potato)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

Large baking potatoes — 4
Olive oil, for rubbing — 2 tbsp (30 ml)
Butter — 4 tbsp
Grated kaşar or mozzarella cheese — 150 g (1 1/2 cups)
Sweet corn — 4 tbsp
Diced pickles — 4 tbsp
Diced tomato — 4 tbsp
Black olives, chopped — 4 tbsp
Mayonnaise — 4 tbsp
Ketchup or Turkish hot sauce — 4 tbsp
Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Wash and dry the potatoes, prick several times with a fork, and rub with olive oil.
Bake directly on the oven rack or on a tray for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until completely tender when pierced.
Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes, then cut a deep slit lengthwise across the top of each without cutting all the way through.
Fluff and mash the inside with a fork while still hot, then mix in the butter and grated cheese until melted and creamy.
Pile each potato generously with corn, pickles, tomato, olives and any other toppings of your choice.
Finish with a drizzle of mayonnaise and ketchup or hot sauce, and scatter with parsley before serving.

Introduction: Kumpir is a large baked potato split open, mashed inside its skin with butter and cheese, and piled high
with an array of toppings from olives to corn to sausage, famously sold from stalls along the Bosphorus in
Ortaköy, Istanbul.

Cultural Background: Kumpir is a large baked potato split open, mashed inside its skin with butter and cheese, and piled high
with an array of toppings from olives to corn to sausage, famously sold from stalls along the Bosphorus in
Ortaköy, Istanbul.

Tips: Choose large, starchy baking potatoes for the fluffiest interior and enough room for toppings. Mash the butter and cheese in while the potato is still very hot so they melt fully.

Variations: Add diced sucuk or sausage for a heartier version. Offer a range of toppings on the side and let everyone build their own, as is traditional at kumpir stalls. This recipe is already vegetarian; simply omit any meat-based toppings such as sucuk if adding extras.

Storage: Best eaten immediately; the baked potato base can be refrigerated for a day and reheated before topping.

Reheating: Reheat the potato base in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 15–20 minutes, then re-add fresh toppings.

FAQs:

Q: What potato variety works best?

A: Large, starchy baking potatoes like Russets give the fluffiest interior.

Q: Can I microwave the potato instead of baking?

A: You can, though oven-baking gives a better texture and flavour for the classic kumpir experience.

Q: What toppings are most traditional?

A: Corn, pickles, olives, tomato, and a drizzle of mayonnaise and ketchup are classic Ortaköy-style toppings.