Partly out of laziness, partly out of convenience, Turkish restaurants outside Turkey have made swordfish on skewers a clichéd dish, but they’re not doing their country any favours. Charcoal works best with an oily fish that doesn’t dry out as easily as swordfish, so inevitably most swordfish skewers turn out dry and overcooked.

Putting something on a skewer doesn’t make it Turkish. What does is the right application of techniques and flavourings to a fresh ingredient. Sol