SPINACH & FETA BOREK

A dill and chilli-flavoured spinach and feta filling, wrapped in filo pastry and cooked to delicious, golden-brown crunchiness - fresh, spicy, wholesome, and utterly satisfying.

PHOTO RECIPE   TEXT-ONLY RECIPE 

Feeding our passion for filo pastry, feta cheese, and spinach, see also SPINACH & FETA FILO PIE, this Borek, spiced with dill and chilli, drizzled with lemon juice, and accompanied by fresh yogurt, takes our favourite trio to a new level.

Borek (also known as Börek, and Burek, amongst other names) is a family of pastries made with thin, flaky sheets of dough, that are filled with spiced ground meat, or cheese, spinach, or potatoes.

Originating from the former Ottoman Empire, Borek is made with Yufka or Brik pastry, created from unleavened dough that is rolled and stretched until very thin, similar to filo pastry but a bit thicker and softer. These delicate dough sheets are filled with spiced ground meats, or spinach, vegetables, or potatoes, and are baked, deep-fried, or pan-cooked. Borek comes in a variety of shapes and sizes: as pie, round, rolled into spirals, as well as in small, individual forms like triangles, squares, or 'cigars'.

Borek can be served as a light meal, a dinner party starter, as part of a brunch, or party appetizer. It can be prepared in advance and baked later, or baked and frozen for future use.

The dish is easy and fast to make: the ingredients are chopped and combined into a filling. The dough and filling are layered in a frying pan and then cooked on the stovetop until the filling is cooked, and the pastry is crunchy and golden-brown.

The original dish uses Yufka dough, which is briefly immersed in a mixture of milk and oil before being placed in the pan. I cannot get hold of Yufka, but the recipe works perfectly well with filo pastry; however, instead of immersing the sheets in the milky oil, which makes filo soggy and difficult to handle, it's best to use a pastry brush to apply the milk and oil mixture once the sheets are in the pan.

REFERENCES:

Wikipedia: BÖREK

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How to prepare:

SPINACH & FETA BOREK

A dill and chilli-flavoured spinach and feta filling, wrapped in filo pastry and cooked to delicious, golden-brown crunchiness - fresh, spicy, wholesome, and utterly satisfying.

Jump to TEXT-ONLY RECIPE

Recipe based on: 'Turkish Borek', from 'Turkish Delights with Allegra McEvedy'

INGREDIENTS: 

Serves 2 as a small main course, or 6 as an appetizer

• 125g filo pastry (fresh, or frozen and completely defrosted)

• 100g fresh baby spinach

• 1 spring onion

• Handful of dill

• 1 big green (mild) chilli

• 100g Feta cheese

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tablespoons milk

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Optional: lemon slices and Greek yogurt to serve

  
  

Also: a medium-sized non-stick frying pan

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Gather all the ingredients:

   
   

   If using frozen filo pastry, allow it to defrost completely inside the sealed package before use.

   Note: Filo pastry is very thin and dries out rapidly. After removing it from the package, keep the sheets between damp kitchen towels to prevent them from drying. During assembly of the Borek, remove one sheet at a time as needed, keeping the remaining sheets covered.

   
   

2. Make the filling:
   

   Wash and thoroughly dry 100g of spinach leaves using a salad spinner or by gently patting them dry with paper towels. Roughly chop the dried leaves and add them to a large bowl.

   
   

   Add 1 spring onion, sliced into rings, including the dark green part.

   
   

   Add a handful of chopped dill.

   
   

   Slice 1 mild green chilli in half lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds (or leave them in if you like it very spicy). Cut the chilli halves into thin strips, then dice them finely and add them to the bowl.

   
   

   Crumble 100g of feta cheese into the bowl. Season the filling with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt (careful, the feta is already salty). Mix well.
   

   

   

   
   
   

   

   
   

3. Prepare the milky oil: combine 1 tablespoon of oil with 4 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl and whisk together.

4. Assemble the Borek: Create the first layer of dough: Coat the bottom and sides of the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place 2 sheets of filo pastry in the pan, overlapping them slightly lengthwise and letting them hang over the edges. Brush the pastry inside the pan with the milky oil (avoid coating the overhanging dough sheets as they will soften and disintegrate). Cut a pastry sheet in half, lay one half inside the pan and brush it with the milky oil. Lay the other half on top and brush again.

   
   

   Add half of the filling: Add half of the filling to the pan, and distribute it evenly, then flatten and gently press it, ensuring it reaches the edges of the pan, then smooth the surface.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Add a second layer of dough: Cover the filling with 4 more filo sheet halves, brushing each with the milky oil.

   Add the rest of the filling: Evenly distribute the remaining filling and smooth the surface.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Add additional layers of dough: Add additional layers of filo pastry sheets, cut in half, over the filling, brushing each layer with the milky oil.

   Close the Borek: Fold the overhanging filo sheets over the top, brushing each piece with the milky oil after folding it over, and smoothing it out. Brush the finished top layer with the remaining milky oil to create a smooth finish.

   Round the edges: Use a large knife, palette knife, or the back of a large spoon to draw in the edges to create a neatly rounded finish.
   

   

   
   
   

5. Cook the Borek: Cook the Borek on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it is nicely browned on the bottom, then flip it over. To do this: use oven gloves to avoid burns, place a large flat plate on the pan, hold it securely, then carefully but quickly flip the pan together with the plate. Slide the Borek back into the pan and cook it for another 5-7 minutes until browned on the other side.

   
   

   It can be a bit tricky to determine when the Borek is nicely browned, so if uncertain, flip it a few times to check its doneness. The first flip is difficult because the Borek is still rather soft, but as it begins to fry and set, it becomes firmer and easier to flip.

   
   

   Make sure the heat is low enough so that the cheese melts and the spinach cooks before the outside browns too much.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   

   
   

6. Serve: Cut the Borek into wedges and serve it with a couple of lemon slices and plain yogurt on the side.

   
   

   

   
   

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TEXT-ONLY RECIPE

SPINACH, FETA & DILL BOREK

A dill and chilli-flavoured spinach and feta filling, wrapped in filo pastry and cooked to delicious, golden-brown crunchiness - fresh, spicy, wholesome, and utterly satisfying.

Jump to PHOTO RECIPE  

Recipe based on: 'Turkish Borek', from 'Turkish Delights with Allegra McEvedy'

INGREDIENTS: 

Serves 2 as a small main course, or 6 as an appetizer

• 125g filo pastry (fresh, or frozen and completely defrosted)

• 100g fresh baby spinach

• 1 spring onion

• Handful of dill

• 1 big green (mild) chilli

• 100g Feta cheese

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 tablespoons milk

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Optional: lemon slices and Greek yogurt to serve

  
  

Also: a medium-sized non-stick frying pan

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Gather all the ingredients:

   
   

   If using frozen filo pastry, allow it to defrost completely inside the sealed package before use.

   Note: Filo pastry is very thin and dries out rapidly. After removing it from the package, keep the sheets between damp kitchen towels to prevent them from drying. During assembly of the Borek, remove one sheet at a time as needed, keeping the remaining sheets covered.

   
   

2. Make the filling:
   

   Wash and thoroughly dry 100g of spinach leaves using a salad spinner or by gently patting them dry with paper towels. Roughly chop the dried leaves and add them to a large bowl.

   
   

   Add 1 spring onion, sliced into rings, including the dark green part.

   
   

   Add a handful of chopped dill.

   
   

   Slice 1 mild green chilli in half lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds (or leave them in if you like it very spicy). Cut the chilli halves into thin strips, then dice them finely and add them to the bowl.

   
   

   Crumble 100g of feta cheese into the bowl.Season the filling with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt (careful, the feta is already salty). Mix well.

   
   

3. Prepare the milky oil: combine 1 tablespoon of oil with 4 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl and whisk together.

4. Assemble the Borek:   Create the first layer of dough: Coat the bottom and sides of the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place 2 sheets of filo pastry in the pan, overlapping them slightly lengthwise and letting them hang over the edges. Brush the pastry inside the pan with the milky oil (avoid coating the overhanging dough sheets as they will soften and disintegrate). Cut a pastry sheet in half, lay one half inside the pan and brush it with the milky oil. Lay the other half on top and brush again.

   
   

   Add half of the filling: Add half of the filling to the pan, and distribute it evenly, then flatten and gently press it, ensuring it reaches the edges of the pan, then smooth the surface.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Add a second layer of dough: Cover the filling with 4 more filo sheet halves, brushing each with the milky oil.

   
   

   Add the rest of the filling: Evenly distribute the remaining filling and smooth the surface.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Add additional layers of dough: Add additional layers of filo pastry sheets, cut in half, over the filling, brushing each layer with the milky oil.
   

   Close the Borek: Fold the overhanging filo sheets over the top, brushing each piece with the milky oil after folding it over, and smoothing it out. Brush the finished top layer with the remaining milky oil to create a smooth finish.
   

   Round the edges: Use a large knife, palette knife, or the back of a large spoon to draw in the edges to create a neatly rounded finish.

   

   
   
   

5. Cook the Borek: Cook the Borek on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it is nicely browned on the bottom, then flip it over. To do this: use oven gloves to avoid burns, place a large flat plate on the pan, hold it securely, then carefully but quickly flip the pan together with the plate. Slide the Borek back into the pan and cook it for another 5-7 minutes until browned on the other side.

   
   

   It can be a bit tricky to determine when the Borek is nicely browned, so if uncertain, flip it a few times to check its doneness. The first flip is difficult because the Borek is still rather soft, but as it begins to fry and set, it becomes firmer and easier to flip.

   
   

   Make sure the heat is low enough so that the cheese melts and the spinach cooks before the outside browns too much.

   
   
   

   
   
   

   

   
   

6. Serve: Cut the Borek into wedges and serve it with a couple of lemon slices and plain yogurt on the side.