Briouat Bil Jben (Cheese Briouats)

Ingredients

Filling

• 250 g fresh soft cheese (Moroccan jben or substitute: 150 g ricotta + 100 g crumbled feta + 1 tablespoon cream cheese)
• 1 egg (large)
• 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
• 15 g fresh mint (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (taste - feta may be salty enough)

Pastry

• 18 sheets warka (or filo pastry, about 25 × 25 cm - cut filo to size if larger)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for brushing the strips lightly)
• 1 egg (large, beaten, for sealing)

Frying

• 600 ml neutral oil

To serve

• Lemon wedges
• A drizzle of honey (optional - sounds odd, works beautifully)

Method

Stage 1 - Filling

1. In a wide bowl, mash the cheese with a fork until uniform.
2. Beat in the egg, parsley, mint, cumin, black pepper and salt to taste.
3. The filling should be thick enough to scoop in a teaspoon; if too wet, drain on a sieve briefly.

Stage 2 - Cut strips

1. Stack the warka or filo sheets; cut into strips 8 cm wide.
2. Cover the strips with a damp tea towel as you work (filo dries to brittle shards in minutes).

Stage 3 - Shape

1. Take one strip; brush lightly with olive oil (helps it stay flexible).
2. Place 1 teaspoon of filling at the bottom-left corner.
3. Fold the bottom-right corner diagonally over the filling to make a triangle.
4. Fold the triangle straight up.
5. Fold diagonally across again.
6. Continue this flag-fold up the strip until you reach the end.
7. Seal the final flap with egg-wash; press to stick.
8. Place on a tray; cover; repeat for the rest.

Stage 4 - Fry

1. Heat the oil to 170°C.
2. Lower 4-5 briouats at a time into the oil.
3. Fry 2-3 minutes, turning, until deep gold and crisp.
4. Lift onto a wire rack to drain.

Stage 5 - Serve

1. Pile on a warm platter.
2. Drizzle with honey (optional but traditional in some regions).
3. Serve with lemon wedges and mint tea.