1560. Turkish Courgette Filo Coil

Who doesn't love a good Turkish pastry? We definitely do. Flakey, crispy, cheesy, and full of flavor, the Turks keep amazing me how they made masterpieces out of nothing. This is a coiled filo pastry roll, filled with feta cheese and sauteed courgettes. The added touch of dill elevates it to another level.

Ingredients:

8 Filo pastry sheets, thawed 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 medium courgette, grated

1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped

200g feta cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red chili pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the egg, milk and olive oil sauce:

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp olive oil

For the topping of the coiled/swirl pie:

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.

For the filling, place the grated courgette in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 10 minutes then squeeze out the excess juice.

Pour the olive oil on wide pan and saute the chopped onions, until starting to soften. Stir in the grated courgette, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Place the sautéed onions and courgettes in the large mixing bowl. Stir in the crumbled cheese, dill, season with salt, ground black pepper and chili flakes. Cool.

For the milk, egg and olive oil sauce; combine the beaten egg, 2 tbsp olive oil and half cup of milk in a bowl.

Open your thawed filo pastry sheets and gently lay them on a clean surface and cover with a slightly damp towel. Only take one sheet at time and keep the rest covered.

Take 2 filo sheets and lay on top of another on a clean, dry surface. Brush the top sheet with the milk, egg and olive oil mixture. Place a a quarter of the filling mixture in a line, along the edge near you. Gently roll up into a cylinder. Brush the edge with the milk, egg, olive oil mixture. Starting from one end, wind the filo into a coil and put in the center of the baking dish. Brush over and sides of the coiled pastry with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture.

Repeat the same procedure with the remaining ingredients to have four rolls. Coil each filo cylinder around the previous one to make a larger spiral. Make sure to brush the top and sides of the coiled pastry with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture.

Combine the beaten egg and 2 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the top of the pie with this mixture, all over, and then sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 - 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cooked through.

Serve warm or cooled with a side of salad.

صحة و عافية