Lammbörek

Directions

1. 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.

2. 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.
3. Cook this mixture for another 4 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
4. 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.
5. Once all the lamb is browned, mix it thoroughly with the pine nut mixture. Leave this to cool completely.
6. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
7. 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.
8. Add the remaining 20g (0.7 oz) of melted butter to a clean cast-iron pan, roughly 20cm (8 inches) in diameter.
9. 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.
10. Add a quarter of the lamb mixture to the edge closest to you, then roll it over on itself to create a sausage shape.
11. Place that “sausage” into the greased cast-iron pan, then repeat three more times until the coil completely fills the pan.
12. Brush the top with any leftover yoghurt mixture from the filo, then sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and flaky salt.
13. Place the börek into the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
14. Let the börek rest for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve.