Boreks Turkish Appetizers Recipes

BOREKS (TURKISH PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Crumble the feta cheese, then mix feta with the chives (or dill), parsley, and pepper.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Skim off any foam that accumulates.
• Cut the phyllo pastry sheets into 3-inch strips. Take one strip and cover the rest with a clean, damp cloth.
• Brush the first phyllo strip with melted butter, and place a teaspoon of feta/herb mixture on the bottom right corner of the phyllo sheet, about 1/4-inch from the edge.
• Pick up the bottom right corner of the phyllo sheet and fold it up and over the feta/herb mixture so the corner reaches the top edge of the phyllo sheet and forms a triangle. Keep folding the pastry over itself, being careful that the filling remains intact, until you reach the end of the phyllo sheet and have a triangle shaped pastry.
• Repeat steps #5 and #6, using remaining phyllo sheets and feta/herb mixture.
• Lay pastries on a baking sheet, and brush with remaining melted butter. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

BOREKS (TURKISH APPETIZERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, blend the feta and mozzarella cheese with the beaten eggs. Add the chopped herbs, season with pepper and nutmeg and stir well to mix.
• Cut the sheets of pastry into four rectangular strips approximately 3 inches wide. Cover all but one or two strips with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
• Brush on strip of pastry at a time with a little melted butter. Place 1 teaspoon filling at the bottom edge. Fold one corner over the filling to make a triangle shape. Continue folding the pastry over itself until you get to the end of the strip. Keep making triangles until all the mixture is used up.
• Place the boreks on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

TURKISH BOREK

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the peppers, pul biber and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and meat to a bowl and let cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and 1/2 cup of the canola oil. Lay a sheet of yufka on a work surface and brush with the egg mixture; repeat until you have a stack of 2 sheets. Transfer the stack to the baking dish and spread one-third of the beef mixture on top. Repeat the layering twice more with the brushed yufka sheets and beef filling, then end with a stack of brushed yufka.
• Trim the overhanging yufka slightly and tuck it under itself. Brush any remaining egg mixture on top of the borek, top with the nigella sativa seeds and bake until deeply golden on top and sizzling, about 45 minutes. Let the borek rest for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.