Lamb Pie (Bosnian Burek)
The Burek comes from Turkey brought to the Balkans by the Ottoman. Bureks have a flaky pastry with a meat, cheese, or spinach filling. Almost every bakery in the country sells this greasy snack, which is sometimes sold individually or by weight. Bosnians and tourists tend to have a love-hate relationship with it. On the one hand, a delicious and filling snack, on the other, they’re very greasy and full of fat.
1 pkg filo pastry
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
⅓ cup pinenuts, toasted
3 Tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (aka pomegranate paste or concentrate)
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
Cucumber Salad:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large English cucumber or 4 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1½ cups plain yogurt
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan. Add onion and ground meat. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain and discard excess liquid. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine parsley and pinenuts. Add tahini, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper. Add meat mixture and stir until combined.
Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a clean, dry surface, lay out three sheets of filo pastry, end to end, slightly overlapping, to create one long rectangle of pastry. Repeat once more, directly over-top the first layer. Complete this process one last time to create a third and final layer.
Brush the filo with melted butter. Arrange meat mixture in a long line across one long edge of the filo dough and begin to roll it up - tightly but gently. The filo may crack, but keep going. This recipe is surprisingly forgiving, so don't worry too much if the dough breaks apart in points.
Roll the filo up so that it forms one very long 'snake.'
Roll the tube of filo up on itself to from a spiral disc shape. Place spiral form onto the lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until dough is golden brown.
Combine all salad ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve alongside the cooked burek.