Bourek

Ingredients

Filling

• 400 gminced beef (or minced lamb)
• 2onions, very finely chopped
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspblack pepper
• ½ tspground nutmeg
• 1 tspsalt
• 1large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
• 100 ggrated cheese such as Edam or La Vache qui rit (optional)

To assemble

• 20 sheetsdioul (Algerian brick pastry) or feuilles de brick
• 1egg, beaten, for sealing
• 1 litresunflower oil for deep frying

To serve

• 1lemon, cut into wedges
• harissa or dersa on the side

Directions

1. Sweat the onions in the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but with no colour at all; Algerian bourek filling is pale, never browned.
2. Add the minced beef, break it up with a wooden spoon and cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat until it has lost all pink and the pan juices have evaporated.
3. Stir in the cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and salt, cook 1 minute more so the spices bloom, then take off the heat and fold through the parsley and chopped hard-boiled egg. Cool completely, or the pastry will tear.
4. Lay a dioul sheet on the work surface, place a finger-thick line of filling along the edge nearest you, leaving 3 cm clear at each side, and scatter over a little cheese if using.
5. Fold the two sides in over the filling, then roll into a tight cigar and seal the last flap with beaten egg, pressing firmly; a loose seal lets oil in and filling out.
6. Heat the frying oil to 170°C (350°F) in a deep pan. Fry the rolls 4 or 5 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until evenly deep gold and blistered.
7. Lift onto a rack set over a tray, not onto paper, so the steam escapes and the shell stays crisp.
8. Serve hot within 10 minutes, with lemon wedges to squeeze over and harissa alongside; at Ramadan they go on the table with chorba.

Technique

• Dioul are hand-smeared semolina leaves, thinner and stretchier than filo; if you use feuilles de brick, note they are round, so trim a straight edge before rolling.
• The filling must be cold and fairly dry. Warm, wet filling steams inside the roll, bursts the seam and spits in the oil.
• Algerians disagree on the egg: Algiers cooks chop hard-boiled egg into the meat, while some families beat raw egg into the cooled filling to bind it. Both are traditional.

Substitutions

• No dioul or brick pastry: two stacked sheets of filo brushed with melted butter roll well, though they fry paler and shatter more.
• For a Friday vegetarian tray, replace the beef with 400 g mashed potato, onion and parsley, which is the common bourek batata.

Variations

• Bourek bel kefta is the classic minced-meat version above; bourek bel djben is filled only with cheese and parsley.
• Bourek zitoune folds chopped green olives and capers into the meat, a Constantine habit.
• Some cooks bake them at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes brushed with butter, a lighter modern serve.

History

Descended from Turkish borek and brought by Ottoman rule; Algerians roll it into cigars of mince, egg and cheese and serve it beside chorba at iftar.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bourek?

Bourek is a snack from Algeria: crisp fried pastry rolls of minced meat, egg and onion; Ramadan starter. Descended from Turkish borek and brought by Ottoman rule; Algerians roll it into cigars of mince, egg and cheese and serve it beside chorba at iftar.

How long does Bourek take to make?

Bourek takes 40 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 20 rolls, 4 to 5 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Bourek?

Yes, within limits. No dioul or brick pastry: two stacked sheets of filo brushed with melted butter roll well, though they fry paler and shatter more. For a Friday vegetarian tray, replace the beef with 400 g mashed potato, onion and parsley, which is the common bourek batata.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bourek?

Sweat the onions in the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but with no colour at all; Algerian bourek filling is pale, never browned.