FEBRUARY 29 2020 LISTENER 35
they stuff it with walnuts. I’ve
reduced the amount of syrup and
boosted the stuffing with apricots.
It uses the crunchy “string” pastry
called kadayıf, which means there are
interesting texture contrasts between
the inside and the outside.APRICOT AND WALNUT DOLMAS
SUGAR SYRUP
500g sugar
750ml water
¼ lemon
FILLING
250g chopped walnuts
50g dried apricot, finely chopped
PASTRY
50g butter
300ml milk
2 egg yolks
500g chilled fresh kadayıf pastry
(available from speciality food stores
or online at tastegreece.co.nz)
1 litre vegetable oil
DECORATION
2 tbsp chopped walnutsTo make the syrup, put the sugar and
water in a saucepan over medium
heat and bring to the boil. Reduce theBR
EE(^) H
UT
CH
IN
S
S
tuffing and baking pastries is hugely
popular in Turkey, but it’s rare for Turks
to make the basic pastry at home,
because so many shops sell sheets of
yufka (for böreks) and filo (for baklava).
The word yufka meant “thin” in the old
dialect, and that’s exactly why you risk
frustration if you try it at home.
You’ll need at least 42 sheets to make true
baklava. This recipe assumes your baking tray is
what is known as a “quarter pan”, which is 33cm
long, 22cm wide and 2cm deep, so try to find
filo of roughly those dimensions. If your tray is a
different size, however, just cut the filo to fit. Even
with bought pastry, the recipe takes a long time –
there are 42 layers to butter, place and sprinkle. But
the process is satisfying, and it’s fun to get the kids
to help.
TRADITIONAL PISTACHIO BAKLAVA
400g unsalted pistachio kernels
500g ghee or clarified butter (see method on page 36)
375g chilled filo pastry (at least 42 sheets)
600ml cold water
500g caster sugar
juice ¼ lemon
Put the pistachios in a blender and blend into a
coarse powder. Gently melt the ghee in a frying pan
(or microwave for 30 seconds).
Remove the top 12 layers of filo and place
between two damp cloths, then set aside for the top
of the baklava. Divide the remaining filo into two
equal stacks and place each stack between damp
cloths. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the
bottom and sides of a 33cm x 22cm x 2cm baking
tray with the warm ghee.
Place one filo sheet in the tray and lightly brush
with ghee. Add two more layers, brushing with
ghee each time, and then lightly sprinkle 1 tbsp of
pistachios over the third filo layer. (Reserve 2 tbsp
of pistachios to decorate the top.) Repeat the pro-
cess six more times, to make a 21-sheet stack.
Top this layer with a thick, 5mm layer of
pistachios. Continue the layering process – three
sheets, then a light sprinkling of pistachios – four
more times to make a 33-sheet stack. (Any broken
or offcut pieces of filo can be used to make the
middle layer of any trio.) Take the remaining nine
filo layers and continue to stack, brushing between
each sheet with ghee, but not adding pistachios.
Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava seven times
lengthways and six times across to make 42 por-
tions. (The Turkish style is square, but you can also
make rectangular blocks.) Reheat the remaining
ghee and pour it between the cracks, and then set
aside the pastry tray for 20 minutes to rest and
absorb the ghee.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the pastry in the
oven and bake for about 30 minutes,
rotating the tray after 15 minutes to
ensure even baking.
Meanwhile, make the sugar
syrup. Heat the water and sugar in
a saucepan over medium heat. Add
the lemon juice and bring to the boil,
then reduce to a low simmer and
cook for about 20 minutes until the
mixture becomes thick and syrupy,
being careful not to let it caramel-
ise. Check the pastry regularly and
remove it once the top is golden
brown.
Carefully place the baklava tray
over medium heat for 1 minute,
moving the tray around to ensure the
base is evenly heated. Remove from
the heat and pour the hot sugar syrup
over the hot baklava. Leave to rest for
1 hour to absorb the sugar. Decorate
the top with the remaining pistachios
and serve. Leftover baklava can be
kept for four days. Don’t put it in the
fridge, though, as this will ruin the
texture.
Serves 8.
THIS TRADITIONAL DISH is from
Erzurum, in eastern Anatolia, where
Traditional
pistachio
baklava. Left,
apricot and
walnut dolmas.