Cypriot Desserts

I don’t know if any of you have been watching the X-factor……huh, who am I kidding?  Who isn’t watching the X-factor is more like it!  I know it doesn’t have a whole lot to do with food but boy can that Leona sing.  Blimey, if she doesn’t win that thing then there’s something seriously wrong with the British audiences and more so the voters.  This is my pledge to you all, do the right thing and vote Leona, she’s a winner outright and deserves that X-factor crown.

Back to the world of food and I’m just about to start a new post at Waltham Forest College as a Lecturer of Cooking.  This is all very exciting and I am already having delusions of grandeur at the thought of being head chef and having my little underlings doing what I say.  Seriously though, the course I will be teaching is a brilliant one and any of you budding chefs out there should certainly consider it.  It’s called the Open College Network (OCN) and consists of three modules which you can flexibly complete to suit you.  It’s a level 2 course and runs on a Tuesday from 9.30am to 4.30pm.  If you want to make enquiries then you should go to www.waltham.ac.uk or call the college on 020 8501 8501.

Another course at the college is the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) Intermediate Course.  The perfect course for all you wine lovers.  I’m on it at the moment as this is the first opportunity I’ve had in my busy schedule to do it.  It’s brilliantly taught by my friend, Roland Williams and offers a fascinating insight into the world of wine and spirits including fermentation processes and the right grape variety.  The best bit of course is the tasting.  I never actually drunk at all until this course and I have to be honest, I’m not a regular wine sipper.  However, being able to choose the right wine and also appreciating good quality wine makes it all worthwhile.  Plus, just think how impressed all your friends will be when you wow them with your knowledge.  To find out more about the course contact the college on the details above.

This week’s recipe, Samisi, is a delightful variation on borek.  It has a deliciously sweet, semolina centre much like muhallebi, encased in a light pastry square.  This is then fried and sprinkled with icing sugar to create this soft, tidy little morsel.  I would also like to dedicate the recipe to a reader of mine who has sent me the loveliest emails and has been waiting with baited breath (for ages, sorry!) for the recipe.  Nurten Özdoğru, this one’s for you darlin’.

You will need:

For the dough:

650g Plain flour for the dough and some extra for the rolling out.  Turkish hamur un or strong flour.

Water and a pinch of salt.

For the filling:

100g Semolina – fine or medium coarseness

2 pints full fat milk (none of that semi-skimmed rubbish please)

60g caster sugar

Preparation:

For the filling, prepare much like muhallebi.  Put the semolina and sugar in a large deep saucepan and pour over the milk.  Bring to the boil over a medium heat stirring all the time.  Then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  Pour into a large tepsi or baking tray.  Set aside to cool and set slightly. 

For the pastry: Using this amount of flour will probably make 40 böreks or more.  Put the flour and salt in a bowl and making a well in the centre.  Add cold water to the flour and keep mixing with your hands until you form a soft but not sticky dough.  Have about 500ml of water to hand but only pour a little at a time to form the dough.  If you add too much water then add a little more flour. 

Now break off about a quarter of the dough and leave the rest covered with a tea towel so it doesn’t dry out.  First knead the dough on a smooth flat surface.  Form the dough into a round shape and roll to about 5 inches round.  Make sure you keep sprinkling on lots of flour as you perform the next process so the dough does not stick to itself or the oklavı (long thin rolling pin).  Take the end of the dough and fold over the stick, fold inwards under the stick and then roll the dough forward so you are actually rolling the dough over itself.  The best way to do this is to start with your hands in the middle of the stick and as you roll forward bring your hands out to the ends of the stick then back again to open out the dough.   

Keep sprinkling on flour as you go.  You will see the dough getting thinner and larger.  Do this until the dough is about 22 inches (56 cm) in size and A4 paper thin.

Cut the muhallebi into small square pieces and place in rows of about 1 and a half to 2 inches apart.  Only do this on one half of the dough.  Once half of the dough is covered with small square heaps of mixture then fold over the other half of the dough to cover them and using the edge of your hand push down gently in between the spaces of the mixture.  Now take a saucer or pastry cutter and cut in between the heaps of mixture.  You should have squareish parcels rather than round ones.  Place the böreks on a tea towel until they are ready to be cooked, don’t let them touch each other or they will stick together.  When you’re ready heat about 4 fingers high of sunflower oil in a pan on a medium heat.  When the oil is hot enough, if you throw in a tiny piece of bread it bubbles and immediately rises to the top, you can throw in about 3 böreks at a time.  As soon as the böreks hit the oil they will puff out and turn golden almost immediately.  Do not overcook them.  As soon as 5 seconds passes, turn the börek over to do the other side.  Both sides of the börek should be a very light honey golden colour.  Once all the borek are done leave to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.  Liberally (bol bol) sprinkle icing sugar over the böreks and serve.  They are best eaten the same day.  Deliciously finger lickin’ stuff.