The one I have been making for as long as I can remember. The Turkish Borek is a go to for dinner parties, light dinners, lunches and it even has a place on the breakfast table. Regularly served in Turkish households, they come in a variation of shapes, sizes and flavours.
I have been making my classic recipe of leek, spinach, feta and parsley for almost a decade. So trust me when I say I have really perfected the recipe. In this recipe however, parsley has been replaced with basil and oh wasn’t that a treat! This borek was literally the best I have ever made and I believe this is because I didn’t just eyeball all the ingredients, I took the time to mindfully add ingredients, taste test as I went along and contemplate/plan through in my head every stage of the process.
I am not ashamed to say that I always buy prepared dough from my local supermarkets or middle eastern stores. In fact this one was less than a pound from my local Arabic store and it was by far the best, flakiest pastry I have ever used, so I will be stocking up on a few of them.
Enough said, one can only hope that you try the recipe for yourself and leave a comment below to let me know what you think of it.
Spinach Basil Feta Borek – Turkish Pastry
Ingredients
For Brushing
Instructions
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Start by frying the leek in butter or oil and once softened, add the spinach and basil followed by the seasoning. Sauté everything together for about 5 minutes until all the vegetables are softened and lightly golden.
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Take the pan off the heat, cut the feta into small cubes or crumble the feta into the mixture and combine with the borek filling.
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Using 2 phyllo sheets at a time, brush the top sheet with luke warm water, place the filling in a straight line along the long side of the sheet and then gently roll close as you you would when making a sushi roll. If the edge doesn't stick then wet the edge with water and roll to seal.
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Gently roll each borek into a swirl, place on a lined baking tray, mix the egg yolk with the oil to make a wash and brush each borek with the egg wash generously. This part is optional, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and place in a preheated oven to bake for 30-40 on 180c electric fan until golden.
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Serve alongside olives and a fresh leafy salad.
