Cigar Borek
Sigara Böreği
Cigar Boreks are an absolute favourite of Turkish children and adults alike. These cigar-shaped pastries will often jazz up a breakfast for guests, and are a popular mezze or side to lunch or dinner. Typically made from yufka – a local fat-free pastry - you can also make Cigar boreks from filo pastry at a pinch. The most common form has a local crumbly cheese with a little chopped parsley inside, but my very favourite is the fetta and spinach borek.
300g fetta, finely crumbled
300g spinach (fresh or frozen)
4 yufka (or use 8 sheets of filo – see below)
olive oil
1. Stir the spinach in a large frypan over medium heat until completely wilted. Drain in a colander, squeezing the spinach to get rid of all excess liquid. Allow to cool.
2. Place the spinach in a large bowl and stir through the crumbled fetta until well combined.
3. Spread a yufka out on the counter and cut into 8 as if you are cutting pizza wedges.
4. Near the ‘crust’ edge of each pizza wedge, place approximately 1 tbsp of spinach/fetta mixture. Roll the pizza wedge from the ‘crust’ edge toward the pointy end twice to enclose the spinach mix. Fold in the edges, pat the tip with water, then continue rolling to the end.
5. After rolling all the yufka into cigar shapes, heat your frypan to medium heat and add a generous amount of oil. When hot, add as many cigar boreks as you can. Fry until golden brown, then turn over to fry on 1 or 2 other sides. The remove. You may need to fry the boreks over a few batches.
6. Serve immediately, or reheat in the oven before serving.
TIP: These boreks freeze beautifully. After frying, allow to cool completely, then place in a zip lock bag and store in the freezer. Just before serving, reheat in an oven at 200C for 5 minutes. No one will ever know.
TO MAKE WITH FILO PASTRY:
If you are in a country that does not sell yufka pastry, you can substitute with filo.
Simply grab 2 pieces of filo, then cut lengthwise into 3 to create 3 long strips, like bandages.
Place the spinach mix on one end, turn over twice to enclose the mix, tuck in the sides and then continue rolling to the end – securing the last bit with water. Then continue as directed.