Today is March 15. Which means that ...
We are celebrating the IDES OF MARCH!!!
Let's take a few minutes to commemorate this very important day! First, we'll read a few lines from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar:" "Caesar:
Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.
Soothsayer:
Beware the ides of March.
Caesar:
What man is that?
Brutus:
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March."
And now, a lovely song! Why not spend some of this day brushing up on the bard's beautiful poetry?
Okay, let's cook:
- A limited amount of spices are used.
- There is a total absence of garlic
- Ingredients are coated with egg (not breadcrumbs) right before frying
- Dough is prepared by adding flour into a mixture of warm water and oil.
I made the dough as per instructions, by adding the flour to warm water and oil. The final result was fantastic. The dough was supple, and smooth, and soft. Lovely! It didn't disappoint after it was cooked. A great tasting dough, that can be used with many different fillings. In Ladino, which is the language of the Sephardic Jews, the name of this recipe is Borekitas de meredjéna.
For the dough:
½ cup olive oil
4
tablespoons butter
½ cup water
3 to 3 ½ cups
all-purpose flour
2 ounces
Greek yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1 teaspoon
sugar
1 egg yolk beaten with a small quantity of water, to use as egg wash
Sesame seeds
for topping
- Place a medium pot over low heat and add the oil, water and butter. Leave on the heat, mixing occasionally until the ingredients are warm and the butter has melted.
- Mix in the sugar and salt.
- Turn off the heat and gradually stir in one cup of the flour.
- Mix in the yoghurt.
- Gradually add the rest of the flour to make a soft, slightly greasy dough. Mix only until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Do not over-mix.
- Gather the dough into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap. Initially, I used a fork for mixing, and then, as more flour was added, I let my hands take over.
- Let the dough rest while preparing the filling.
Make the
filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 eggplants
1 small
onion, diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¾ cups feta
cheese, crumbled
1 egg,
beaten
salt and
pepper to taste
about a tablespoon of breadcrumbs(optional)
- Place the eggplants on a sheet pan and roast them at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until their flesh is soft. Cut them open and scrape out the flesh, then place it in a colander. Squeeze the eggplant flesh with your hands to press out as much excess liquid as possible.
- Chop the eggplant into small pieces and place into a bowl.
- Sauté the onions in the olive oil until they are very soft. Add them to the eggplant, leaving behind any oil that has not cooked off.
- Add the parsley, the salt and pepper, and mix.
- Add the cheese and the egg. Mix everything really well.
- If the filling is too moist, mix in a small quantity of breadcrumbs so that they can absorb the moisture.
- Tear small pieces from the dough and roll them into balls, each the size of a walnut. Roll each ball into a circular shape 3 inches in diameter. No need to use flour when rolling out the dough.
- Place a tablespoon of filling at one end of each circle.
- Then fold the other end over. Press down the edges and decorate them with a fork.
- Place the bourekas one inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Prick them with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Brush them with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds over them. Bake at 375° F for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve hot or at room temperature. Alternately, you can make the bourekas ahead of time. Once they have gone on the baking sheets you can cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them, taking them out and baking them a day or two later.
