Pourekia me Anari (Πουρέκκια με Αναρή) from Cyprus

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •pastry wheel or 8cm round cutter
• •deep heavy pan, 24cm
• •kitchen thermometer for frying oil
• •wire rack for draining

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Put the flour and salt in a wide bowl. Rub in the oil with your fingertips until the flour feels faintly sandy, then add the water and lemon juice. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, firm, and no longer sticky. Cover and rest it for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Mix the filling

   Crumble the drained anari into a bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, mint, and rosewater if using, then mash lightly with a fork. The filling should hold together in soft clumps, not run like cream. If your anari is very wet, leave it in a sieve for another 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Roll thin sheets

   Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Keep three covered while you roll one piece on a lightly floured surface into a thin sheet, about 2mm thick. Thin dough is what makes pourekia crisp instead of bready, so don't leave it heavy.

4. 4

   Fill and seal

   Place heaped teaspoons of filling along one half of the dough, leaving 5cm between them. Fold the dough over, press around each mound to push out trapped air, then cut half-moons with a pastry wheel or glass. Press the edges firmly with a fork. This is the step that decides the dish: seal them tight, or the anari leaks into the oil and the pastry opens.

5. 5

   Fry until gold

   Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170C. Fry 4 to 5 pourekia at a time, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes until pale gold and crisp. Don't crowd the pan. Lift them to a rack or paper towels and let the oil return to temperature before the next batch.

6. 6

   Dust and serve

   While still warm, dust generously with icing sugar. Eat the pourekia the day they are fried, when the shell is crisp and the anari inside is soft and scented with cinnamon and mint.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh unsalted anari, not salted halloumi and not dry ricotta unless there is no choice. If you must substitute, drain ricotta overnight and mix it gently, but know it won't have anari's clean, milky finish.
• •Keep the filled pourekia covered with a towel while you finish shaping the batch. Dry edges crack in the oil, and cracked edges leak. Λίγα και καλά: a few well-sealed pastries beat a tray of careless ones.
• •They are best the same day. If you have leftovers, warm them briefly in a dry oven and dust again with icing sugar just before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •Drain the anari up to 12 hours ahead if it is wet, covered in the refrigerator.
• •Make the dough up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered at room temperature.
• •Shape the pourekia up to 1 hour before frying and keep them covered with a clean towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)