Leek and Cheese Börek
When I walked into the small bakery in Istanbul, packed with sweet pastries and fruit desserts, I was much more interested in the savory selections. There were platters of carefully stacked slices of börek, which are stuffed pastries with filling sandwiched between layers of phyllo or yufka dough. They can be stuffed with meats, cheese, olives, spinach, or a variety of vegetables and herbs. They are served warm or at room temperature and eaten as a snack or with a salad. I like to make them as an appetizer at dinner parties, cut into small bite-size pieces. This börek is stuffed with leeks, onions, hellim cheese, and fresh mint, but feel free to use other varieties of cheese and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
Börek:
3 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white part thinly sliced and rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped
¼ cup water
2 cups spinach leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces grated hellim cheese
½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
8 ounces phyllo dough, thawed
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon nigella seeds (or black sesame seeds)
Process
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts add the leeks and onion and stir to coat with butter. Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until leeks and onions are soft and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add the water and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the mixture is a golden brown color. Add the spinach leaves and cook for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted. Stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add hellim cheese and mint leaves and stir to combine. Let cool.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9” X 13” pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay the phyllo dough sheets on a work surface and cover with a slightly damp towel to keep them from drying out. Place one sheet of phyllo in the baking dish and lightly brush with olive oil. Top with another sheet of phyllo and lightly brush with olive oil, repeating with 8 more sheets of phyllo for a total of 10 sheets. Spread the leek filling evenly over the dough. Place remaining sheets of phyllo on top of the filling, brushing each with olive oil. Sprinkle top sheet with nigella seeds (or black sesame seeds). Using a sharp knife, cut through the layers into 3” squares, leaving them in place in the pan (this makes it easier to cut after they’re baked). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
