Spring Onion and Feta Borek
Where I live in Western Australia, spring onions grow almost year round. To keep them close at hand, I plant a row or two at the beginning of each season. The ones harvested in early spring are my favourite. They take longer to grow in the cool weather and come up more delicate and slender than the ones that come later.
I add them to all sorts of dishes, from stuffed vegetables to dumplings to layered filo pies. They are especially good in these flaky and buttery spirals of pastry known as borek.
Borek is a dish of Turkey and the Balkans, though you will find plenty of similar pies across the region, including in Azerbaijan.
This recipe uses only a handful of ingredients but it does ask for some patience. If you make the dough yourself, knead it, let it rest, then brush with softened butter and stretch it gently as thin as you can. If you are using shop bought filo, brush each layer with melted butter instead, stacking and rolling them up with the filling. Either way, scatter feta and spring onion across the surface and roll it into a spiral.
As borek bakes, the pastry turns golden and crisp, wrapping the tang of feta and the sweetness of onions inside. It is simple but deeply satisfying.
Serve it warm with a fresh salad, or pack it into lunchboxes or a picnic basket for the next day.
Spring Onion and Feta Borek
This borek is a simple filo and feta pie that goes straight from the pan to the table. I like to make it with homemade dough, stretched thin and brushed with softened butter, but if you are short on time you can use good quality store bought filo instead. Just brush layers with melted butter as you go, and you will still get that lovely crisp, golden crust. the filling is nothing more than spring onion and feta, but baked together they make something far greater than the sum of their parts.
Makes 4
Ingredients
360g bakers flour, sieved
195g water
1 Tbsp olive oil plus extra
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 bunch spring onions, ends trimmed and sliced
200g Greek or Australian style feta cheese, crumbled
100g butter, melted
Method
Preheat oven to 200C Fan
Butter a baking tray
In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together and make a well. In a small jug mix the water, olive oil and vinegar. Slowly pour the liquid into the flour well. Stir with your hand or a wooden spoon until shabby dough form.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead until it feels smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes should be enough.
Divide the dough into 4 portions, shape them into smooth rounds. Place into an airtight container and allow to rest for at least 1 hour.
Place one of the dough rounds on a lightly oiled bench. Gently flatten it with your fingertips, then slather with a drizzle of butter.
Starting from the centre, slide one palm underneath the dough and slowly pull it outward. Work with patience, lift and ease the dough in small movements rather than pulling too hard.
Once the filo is stretched thin, brush with about 1 tbsp of butter, scatter the onion and feta filling evenly over the surface. Aim for a light, consistent layer. Leave a small border around the edges to make rolling easier and to keep the filling from spilling out.
Starting from one long edge, gently lift the pastry and begin to roll it over itself into a log. Move slowly, tucking in the filling as you go, and use both hands to guide the dough so the roll stays even. If the pastry tears, don’t worry, just keep rolling.
When you have a log, gently stretch it and coil it carefully into a spiral, beginning in the centre and circling outward, like a snail shell. Move to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Melt the leftover butter and brush the surface of each borek coil. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden and crisp.
