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Alacati borek recipe

Alacati borek recipe

15 ratings

Fresh from his latest cookbook, Turkish Delights, chef and food writer John Gregory-Smith, shares this beautiful alacati borek recipe, which is a spin on the traditional Turkish sigara boregi (pastry rolls filled with cheese). Made with tender lamb, spices, soft cheese and light filo pastry, this beautiful snack is perfect for sharing. See method

  • Serves 12 (makes 12)
  • 15 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
  • 124 calories / serving
  • Healthy

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 220g (7 1/2oz) lamb mince
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • handful parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 250g (8oz) ricotta cheese
  • 4 filo sheets, cut into squares
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • Greek yogurt, to serve
If you don't have red onions, try using white, brown or spring onions

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    520kj
    124kcal     6%

  • Fat

    7g 10%

  • Saturates

    3g 15%

  • Sugars

    1g 1%

  • Salt

    0.3g 5%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 9.5g Protein 7.3g Fibre 0.6g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the lamb and onion for 2-3 minutes, until the lamb is just cooked through.
  2. Add the garlic and fry for 10 seconds. Remove from the heat and tip into a bowl. Add the parsley, pepper, chilli flakes, ricotta and a pinch of salt; mix.
  3. Take a square of filo, brush the sides with egg wash and fold into a triangle. Put a walnut-sized piece of filling 2.5cm (1in) from one of the corners, then keep folding into smaller triangles, brushing with egg wash, to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  4. Place on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash and scatter over the nigella seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve with Greek yogurt.

Tip: If you have any leftover lamb mixture, use it to make stuffed aubergines: cut in half and roast until soft. Scoop out the flesh and fill the shells with lamb. Bake for 20 minutes.

See more Turkish recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

This is a recipe extract from Turkish Delights, photographed by Martin Poole

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