Bourekas are the Middle East’s own version of British pasties: pastry-wrapped parcels of utter deliciousness found in bakeries, cafes and street food markets across the region from Turkey to Yemen.
The simple, fragrant fig jam in this recipe contrasts beautifully with fresh, salty feta cheese, creamy ricotta and flaky pastry, together creating a moor-ish combination that works well as a light lunch, a supper party starter or as part of a summer party buffet or Mezze feast.
Bourekas are best served warm but can be reheated in a hot oven (covered with foil) for 15 minutes.
Ingredients (makes 12 Bourekas)
For the fig jam:
250g fresh, ripe figs, washed and chopped
60g granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom or allspice
2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice (or water)
For the Bourekas:
1 x 500g block of all-butter puff pastry
150g Ricotta
100g feta cheese
1 egg, beaten
Sesame and/or nigella seeds, for sprinkling
Method
Combine all the ingredients for the fig jam together in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer (uncovered, and stirring occasionally) for 20-25 minutes or until the figs are soft and the jam has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and set to one side to cool. Meanwhile, crumble the feta into the ricotta and stir well to combine.
Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to just less than the thickness of a £1 coin and use a suitably-sized saucer to stamp out 12 equally-sized circles approx. 10cm in diameter, rerolling offcuts to use up all the pastry. Spread each pastry circle with a layer of fig jam to within 1cm of the edges, then top half of each one with the cheese mixture. Glaze the edges with beaten egg and carefully lift the jam-spread half of the pastry over the cheese mixture to create a neat, pasty-shaped parcel, pressing the edges together with a fork to form a seal as you go. Place the Bourekas on a baking paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours, if getting ahead).
When you’re ready to bake, brush each Boureka with beaten egg to glaze and make a tiny slit in the top of each one to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle the seeds across the top and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top