Lamb Börek is a traditional Turkish dish made with layers of filo pastry filled with a mixture of lamb mince, onions, pine nuts, currants, and spices. It's baked until golden brown and crispy, then served sliced and warm - stunning!
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Category
Lunch
Servings
8
Prep time
45 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Lamb Börek is a traditional Turkish dish made with layers of filo pastry filled with a mixture of lamb mince, onions, pine nuts, currants, and spices. It's baked until golden brown and crispy, then served sliced and warm - stunning!
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) lamb mince
- 2 brown onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
- 60g (2 oz) currants
- 100g (3.5 oz) pine nuts
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tin crushed tomatoes
- 100g (3.5 oz) yoghurt
- 1 egg
- 100g (3.5 oz) melted butter
- 1 packet filo pastry, defrosted
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Directions
Place a frying pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions start to become translucent.
- Next, add the crushed garlic, pine nuts, currants, and all the spices. Stir well and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes.
- Cook this mixture for another 4 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Place the pan back on high heat. In batches, add the lamb mince, seasoning well with salt each time. Cook until the lamb has a nice colour on the outside. Once browned, remove from the frying pan and set aside with the pine nut and onion mixture.
- Once all the lamb is browned, mix it thoroughly with the pine nut mixture. Leave this to cool completely.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- In a small bowl, combine 100g (3.5 oz) of yoghurt, 1 egg, and 80g (2.8 oz) of melted butter. Use a fork to mix well.
- Add the remaining 20g (0.7 oz) of melted butter to a clean cast-iron pan, roughly 20cm (8 inches) in diameter.
- To assemble the börek: Take 2 sheets of filo pastry and brush the top one with the egg-yoghurt mixture. Add 1 more sheet of filo on top of the ones already covered in yoghurt, and once it’s on top, brush with the same mixture. Repeat this until you have 5 layers of filo, with the top 4 brushed with the yoghurt mixture.
- Add a quarter of the lamb mixture to the edge closest to you, then roll it over on itself to create a sausage shape.
- Place that “sausage” into the greased cast-iron pan, then repeat three more times until the coil completely fills the pan.
- Brush the top with any leftover yoghurt mixture from the filo, then sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and flaky salt.
- Place the börek into the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Let the börek rest for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve.