Mutabbaq

Locale: Israel/Palestine

Source: Yotam Ottolenghi, The Jerusalem Cookbook [p. 262]

Serves: )

Ingredients

  • 2/3 c unsalted butter, melted
  • 14 sheets filo pastry
  • 2 c ricotta cheese
  • 9 oz soft goat's milk cheese
  • crushed unsalted pistacchios, to garnish (optional)

Syrup

  • 6 tbs water
  • rounded 1.33 c superfine sugar
  • 3 tbs lemon juice

Steps

  1. Heat oven to 450F. Brush shallow-rimmed baking sheet with some of the melted butter. Spread a filo sheet on top, tucking into corners. Brush all over with butter. Top with another sheet, then butter, until you have 7 sheets.

  2. Mix ricotta and goat's milk cheese, mashing together. Spread evenly over top of the filo sheets, leaving a 3/4-inch margin. Brush the surface of the cheese with butter, then top with seven more filo sheets, brushing butter between each.

  3. Use scissors to trim 3/4-inch off the edge but without reaching the cheese, so it stays well sealed within the pastry. Use your fingers to tuck the filo edges gently underneath the pastry to achieve a neat edge. Brush with more butter all over. Use a sharp knife to cut the surface into roughly 2.75-inch squares, allowing the knife almost (but not quite) to reach the bottom. Bake for 25-27 minutes, until golden and crisp.

  4. Make the syrup: put water and sugar in a saucepan and mix well with a wooden spoon. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, add the lemon juice, and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly, evenly pour over the pastry the minute you take it out of the oven. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pistacchios (if using), and cut into pieces. Serve warm.

Notes

Log

  1. 2016-12-02: