Title: Filo Triangles with Spicy Filling of Meat and Pine Nuts
Categories: Pastry, Turkish, Lamb, Veal, Nuts
Yield: 8 Servings
FILLING:
3 tb Peanut oil
1 ts Cumin seed
1 1/2 c Onions; finely chopped
1/4 c Pine nuts
2 cl Garlic; chopped
3/4 ts Ground allspice
1 c Fresh peppers and chilies;
- chopped
1 lb Ground lamb OR veal OR chuck
1 c Tomatoes; peeled and chopped
1/4 c Currants
1/2 c Flat-leaf parsley; chopped
1/4 c Fresh dill; chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper
PASTRY:
1 lb Filo pastry
Unsalted butter; melted
- to brush on pastry
Use 1 c chopped combination of fresh peppers and chilies chosen
from sweet red peppers, green bell peppers, and poblanos plus 1
or 2 (to taste) red or green jalapenos, seeded and chopped
Heat oil until hot and add cumin seeds. Cook and stir until they
turn several shades darker. Take care not to burn them. Stir in
the onions and pine nuts; cook, stirring frequently, until the
onions begin to brown around the edges and the pine nuts turn
light brown. Stir in the garlic and allspice and cook a few
seconds, stirring. Add the peppers, chilies, and meat; cook,
stirring frequently, until the meat browns. Stir in tomatoes,
currants, and 2 tablespoons water; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Mix in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. The filling
should be moist but not at all runny or watery. If it gets too dry
while cooking, add water in very small quantities.
Unfold the filo and cut the whole stack lengthwise into 3 equal
stacks of strips. Keep the pastry covered under a slightly damp
towel. Place a single strip of pastry on the work surface, with
short end near you. Brush it lightly with butter and place another
strip on the first one. Put 1 heaping tablespoon filling on the
bottom end of the strip about 1 inch from the edge. Fold the end
of the strip diagonally over the filling, creating a triangle.
Fold it once and then fold it diagonally to the right. Continue
folding to the end. Place the triangle seam down on a greased
baking pan. Continue with the remaining pastry and filling. Brush
the tops with butter.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the triangles about 20 to
25 minutes, until golden brown.
From: CLASSICAL TURKISH COOKING by Ayla Algar
From the collection of Karin Brewer, 3/96
