Filo Pastry with Lamb, Feta and Raisins
Ingredients
- For the filling
- 2 onions
- 1 garlic clove
- 600 grams Ground lamb
- salt
- freshly ground peppers
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 2 Tbsps Tomato paste
- 1 can Diced tomatoes (about 400 ml or 14 ounces)
- 150 grams Feta
- 4 sprigs thyme
- cayenne pepper
- 2 generous pinches ground Cumin
- For the bechamel
- 3 Tbsps butter
- 3 Tbsps Pastry flour
- 500 milliliters milk
- Nutmeg
- For preparation
- 3 Tbsps liquid butter (for brushing)
- 6 leaves Filo dough (35 x 45 cm or approximately 14 x 18 inches)
- 3 Tbsps raisins
- 2 Tbsps Sesame seeds
Preparation steps
For the filling, peel the onions and garlic and chop finely. Season the ground lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the meat until crumbly. Add the onions, garlic and tomato puree and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Add the whole tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Gradually pour in 700 ml (approximately 3 cups) of water and let boil down almost completely. Grate the feta cheese. Preheat the oven to 200°C (approximately 400°F).
Rinse the thyme, shake dry, pluck off the leaves and chop finely with a sharp knife. Season the meat sauce with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin and thyme and let cool slightly.
For the bechamel, heat the butter in a pan, sprinkle with flour, cook briefly, then pour in the milk. Stir vigorously with a whisk, so that no lumps form. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Coat a baking dish with butter and brush the dough sheets on one side with butter. Place 3 sheets of dough into the dish. Spread with 1/3 of the meat sauce and bechamel, sprinkle with some raisins and feta and place another 3 dough sheets on top. Repeat this process 2 times. Cover the last layer of meat sauce with a dough sheet and fold over the excess dough. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve the Filo pastry on plates.
