Deep-Fried Hellim Böreği (Halloumi-filled Pastries)

For the filling, peel and finely dice the onion. Pour the olive oil into a pan and set over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, stir, reduce the heat a little and soften for 12-15 mins until fully translucent and starting to colour.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg in a separate bowl and set aside. Grate the halloumi and finely chop the parsley. Transfer both to a bowl along with the dried mint and black pepper.

Once the onion is cooked, stir through the parsley, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool fully.

Once the onion and parsley mixture has cooled, add them to the hellim mixture, then add the whisked egg to bind everything together. Allow to cool fully before using to fill the börek.

For the dough, sift the flour into a large bowl and stir through the salt. Make a well in the centre. Mix the warm water, vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil in a heatproof jug and pour into the well. Give everything a good stir with a large spoon.

Use your hands to turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Knead the dough for 5-6 mins until smooth, tuck the sides under to form a ball, then give it a gentle rub with the remaining ½ tbsp olive oil before returning the dough to the bowl and covering with a tea towel. Leave to rest for 30 mins.

Divide the dough into three equal-sized pieces and roll them into balls. Lightly flour the work surface, place one of the dough balls in front of you, and leave the other two to one side, covered with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out.

Start to roll out the dough ball, turning 45° each time you glide over with the rolling pin. Shape it into a large rectangular shape (around 50cm x 60cm). You don’t need to be too precise – it’s the thickness that matters the most.

Roll out the dough until it is extremely thin (around 1mm-2 mm), adding a dusting of flour when and where necessary. The dough should be sturdy enough that it doesn’t tear when the filling is added. It should also be floured enough to prevent it from sticking to the surface, but not so heavily floured that the parcels will burn in the pan. Repeat with the other two dough balls.

Prepare the börek by placing heaped tbsp of the chosen filling horizontally along the dough, approximately 8cm apart, starting 2cm up from the bottom and stopping halfway up the pastry, so that you can fold the unfilled dough over the other half.

Using a thin rolling pin, lift the dough up from the edge furthest away from you onto the rolling pin and lay it directly over the filled section of the pastry. Use the thinnest part of your hands to gently push down in between the filling portions to release any air that could get trapped in the pastry. Using a saucer or pastry cutter, cut around each mound of filling to create 6cm x 9cm parcels, ensuring that they’re as evenly shaped as possible.

For deep-fried saçta börek, pour enough oil into a large, deep frying pan so that it comes up to around 5cm deep, then heat the oil over a high heat to a temperature of 190°C. Test the oil by gently dropping in a small piece of dough. If it sizzles immediately, then the oil is hot enough to cook the börek.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower 3-4 börek into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 mins on each side (turning halfway through to ensure even cooking). Using the slotted spoon, remove the börek from the pan to a large plate lined with a couple of layers of kitchen paper, ensuring that you don’t place the börek on top of one another (so that they have space to drain off any excess oil).

Repeat until you have cooked all the börek and serve while hot and crispy.