Borek: Layered Cheese Pie

"This borek recipe is very easy to follow. Despite the fact that there are very few ingredients in the filling, the borek turned out super tasty and flavorful. I used reduced-salt feta and I was very happy with the result. The crispy edges were my favorite part of this recipe!" Tara Omidvar

Ingredients

9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces/125 grams) unsalted butter, or margarine, plus more for pan

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or white pepper

18 ounces Turkish white cheese, reduced-salt feta, or goat cheese, crumbled

4 large eggs

4 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

6 large yufka sheets, or phyllo sheets

Sesame seeds, or nigella seeds, for garnish

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Next, stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. Microwave again on high until the milk is warm but not scalding, about 30 seconds. Preheat oven to 365 F / 185 C Butter the bottom and sides of a large, ovenproof 9 x 13-inch baking tray.

3.In a separate bowl, toss together the crumbled white cheese, eggs, and chopped parsley.

4. Drizzle a spoonful or two of the milk mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking tray.

5. Next, take the first sheet of yufka and place it in an uneven, wrinkly fashion to cover the bottom of the tray. Spoon about 1/6 of the milk mixture all over the yufka. Let it run into the cracks and crevices and around the edges.

6. Divide the cheese mixture roughly into 5 parts. Sprinkle 1/5 of the cheese mixture over the yufka.

7. Now, do the same with the next layer. Repeat until you have 5 layers finished. Cover the top of your pastry completely with the last piece of yufka. Drizzle the last portion of the milk mixture over the top, wetting all of it.

8. Sprinkle the top of your pastry with sesame seeds or nigella seeds. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is nicely browned and the center is firm, 35 to 45 minutes.

9. When your pastry is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons of cold water over the top, then wrap the whole thing in clean butcher's paper or a clean towel. This helps to soften the top layer. Let the pastry rest for about 20 minutes before cutting it into squares.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

660 Calories | 41g Fat | 64g Carbs | 9g Protein