Su boreg

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 4large eggs
• 1 tspfine salt
• 60 mlwater
• cornflour for dusting between sheets

Filling

• 400 gArmenian string cheese, or a mix of 250 g feta, rinsed and crumbled, and 150 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 1large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, about 60 g
• black pepper

Assembly

• 150 gbutter, melted
• 1 tbspsalt for the cooking water
• 1large bowl of iced water

Directions

1. Work the flour, eggs, salt and water into a firm dough, knead hard for 10 minutes until it is smooth and springs back slowly, then wrap and rest it for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
2. Divide into 8 pieces and roll each out on a floured board as thin as you can get it, close to 2 mm, aiming for sheets slightly larger than your 25 cm baking tin; dust with cornflour and stack.
3. Bring a wide pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil and set the iced water beside the stove.
4. Boil the sheets one at a time for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until they float and turn translucent at the edges, then lift straight into the iced water; this shock is what gives su boreg its silky, non-gummy bite.
5. Drain each cooled sheet on a clean tea towel and pat the surface dry, so the butter can grip rather than slide.
6. Butter the tin, lay in 4 boiled sheets one at a time, brushing melted butter over every sheet and letting the edges hang over the rim.
7. Mix the cheese with the parsley and pepper, spread it evenly over the base, then fold the overhanging edges back in and cover with the remaining 4 sheets, buttering each one and tucking the edges down neatly.
8. Pour the last of the butter over the top, cut into squares through the upper layers only, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp while the middle stays soft. Rest 10 minutes before cutting through.

Technique

• Su boreg means water borek: the sheets are boiled, not baked raw, which is what separates it from every other borek and gives the soft, lasagne-like layers.
• The iced water bath is non-negotiable. Skip it and the sheets keep cooking, stick together and turn into a single doughy slab.
• Work fast once the sheets are boiled and dried; they tear more easily as they cool and dry out.
• Parsley is the traditional herb in Armenian households, where Turkish su boregi is often plain cheese.

Substitutions

• Fresh lasagne sheets are the accepted shortcut, boiled and iced exactly the same way; the layers are thicker and the result heavier but recognisably right.
• If you cannot find Armenian string cheese, a rinsed feta and mozzarella mix gives both the salt and the melt.

Variations

• A spinach version folds 300 g of squeezed cooked spinach into the cheese.
• Some families brush the layers with a butter and milk mixture, which keeps the middle even softer.

History

Its name means water borek, since the sheets are blanched before layering, giving a texture closer to lasagne than pastry.

Frequently asked questions

What is Su boreg?

Su boreg is a main from Armenia: boiled pasta sheets layered with cheese and parsley, baked into a soft square. Its name means water borek, since the sheets are blanched before layering, giving a texture closer to lasagne than pastry.

How long does Su boreg take to make?

Su boreg takes 1 hr 15 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Su boreg?

Yes, within limits. Fresh lasagne sheets are the accepted shortcut, boiled and iced exactly the same way; the layers are thicker and the result heavier but recognisably right. If you cannot find Armenian string cheese, a rinsed feta and mozzarella mix gives both the salt and the melt.

What is the most important thing to get right in Su boreg?

Drain each cooled sheet on a clean tea towel and pat the surface dry, so the butter can grip rather than slide.