Turkish Pastries with Apple-Kumquat Chutney Recipe

PREPARATION 1 hr
DIFFICULTY easy

Ingredients for 20  pieces

For the dough
300 grams filo dough (from middle eastern grocers; or substitute filo dough)
50 grams butter
100 milliliters milk

For the filling
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 fresh ginger root
1 small red chile pepper
1 tablespoon butter
200 grams frozen pea
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the chutney
350 grams tart apples
200 grams kumquat
1 tablespoon clarified butter
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
organic orange
100 grams sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 dried red chile pepper

Preparation steps

Step 1 For the filling, peel and finely chop onion and garlic cloves. Peel ginger peel and mince. Rinse chile, halve, remove seeds and ribs, and finely chop.

Step 2 Melt butter and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, ginger and chile and saute briefly until fragrant. Add 200 grams (approximately 7 ounces) peas, lemon juice, grated coconut, coriander, cumin, turmeric and 2 tablespoons water to the onion mixture. Cook about 4 minutes until peas are tender, and then puree. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3 For the pastry, remove 300 grams (approximately 10 ounces) yufka dough from the package. Sprinkle with a little water and allow to rest about 15 minutes.

Step 4 Cut through all layers of dough sheets, creating strips about 7 x 22 cm (approximately 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches). Melt 50 grams (approximately 1 3/4 ounces) butter and 100 ml (approximately 1/2 cup) milk together in a pan. Dip each double-layer strip in milk mixture and place on workboard.

Step 5 Place 1 teaspoon filling on the lower end of the double strip. Fold lower corner of strip over filling to the side edge, creating a small triangle. Continue folding dough triangle up and over for the length of the entire strip, so that the filling is encased in multiple layers of pastry. Repeat with each strip.

Step 6  Place dough triangles on a lined baking tray and brush with the remaining butter-milk mixture.

Step 7 Place baking sheet on middle rack of unheated oven.

Step 8 Heat oven to 200°C (approximately 400°F) and bake until pastry is light brown, about 20 minutes.

Step 9 For the chutney, rinse apples, then peel, quarter, core and dice.

Step 10 Rinse kumquats in hot water and cut into small pieces.

Step 11 Cook mustard seeds in hot butter until fragrant, then add apples, kumquats, orange juice, 100 grams (approximately 1/3 cup) sugar and cumin. Crumble chile into the pot, bring to a boil and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning and let cool.

Serve pastries with chutney on the side.