Şöbiyet: pistachio and cream baklava parcels

Method

1. Cook milk, semolina, 35 g sugar, and vanilla, whisking until a thick cream forms. Spread on a tray, cover the surface, and cool completely.
2. Boil the 400 g sugar with the water for 8 minutes, add the lemon juice, and cool completely. Heat the oven to 180°C.
3. Stack four filo sheets, brushing each with clarified butter, and cut the stack into six squares of about 11 cm. Repeat with the other four sheets for twelve squares in all.
4. Set aside 40 g of the pistachio for the garnish. Put a rounded tablespoon of the cold cream and a heaped teaspoon of pistachio in the centre of each square, then fold into a triangle without pressing the filling flat.
5. Arrange the parcels snugly in a buttered 23 x 33 cm tin, brush with the remaining butter, and bake 35 to 40 minutes until deep gold. Spoon the cold syrup over the hot parcels, rest 4 hours, then scatter with the reserved pistachio.

Notes

• The semolina cream distinguishes Şöbiyet from ordinary pistachio baklava.
• Keep the cream cold and modest in quantity so parcels seal and stay crisp.
• Keep the filo covered with a damp towel as you work; sheets left out go brittle within minutes.

Sources consulted

• turkishfoodtravel.com

Good with

• İmam bayıldı: Turkish stuffed aubergines
• Lahmacun: Turkish thin flatbread with spiced topping
• Pide: Turkish boat-shaped filled bread

From Christoph Mayer

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