4 Awesome Recipes From The Middle East

Bourekas(4 of 4)

Bourekas are traditionally baked puff pastries, which are served with either spinach, cheese, mushrooms or potatoes. You can add nigella seeds, which are found in supermarkets or can even substitute with black or white sesame seeds.

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions

• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 medium onions, thinly and evenly sliced
• 4 tbsp butter

For the Bourekas

• Plain flour, for sprinkling
• Nigella seeds, to decorate
• A pinch of grated nutmeg
• A pinch of black pepper
• 500g puff pastry
• 4 dried apricots, cut into very small cubes
• 375g ricotta
• 225g mild goat's cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 large egg, beaten

Makes 10 pieces

Preparation

1. To make the caramelized onions, heat the frying pan over medium heat and melt some butter in it. Now add half the onions and sprinkle 1 ½ tsp of salt over them. Now add the remaining onions and the salt. Don’t stir the onions in the first 15 minutes of cooking and leave them alone to caramelize. Then reduce the heat to low and stir it occasionally to prevent the onions from burning. Now cook them until they are a deep brown, rich color and remove them from heat to cool completely.
2. To make the Bourekas, line a baking sheet with baking paper, and then add in the goat’s cheese, dried apricots, ricotta, thyme, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and caramelized onions.
3. Cut the puff pastry in half, and roll one piece out on a lightly floured surface until it’s in a 5 mm-thick sheet. Now take half of the cheese mixture and spread it horizontally across the sheet on the closest end to you. Tightly roll the pasty around cheese into a large log and then repeat this step into a second piece of pastry. Now transfer both the rolls into lined baking sheet and then leave it to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and then remove the rolls from the fridge. Brush the tops with egg, and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Now make slices on top of each roll to make 5 evenly spaced deep slits of 5mm. Now bake until they are golden brown for 35 minutes.
5. Remove the Bourekas from the oven, cut all the way down the slits and then serve.