Filo Movie

[Jennifer Kovachick]

Filois a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and brek in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.

The name filo (phonetic) or phyllo (transliteration) comes from Greek φύλλο 'leaf'.[1][2] In Arabic, it is called ruqaq or ruqaqat;[3] in the Maghreb, warqa (Arabic: ورقة) which is different from regular filo dough.[4] In Turkish, it is called yufka 'thin'.[3][5]

Most say that it was derived from the Greeks;[6][7] Homer's Odyssey, written around 800 BC, mentions thin breads sweetened with walnuts and honey.[6] In the fifth century BC, Philoxenos states in his poem "Dinner" that, in the final drinking course of a meal, hosts would prepare and serve cheesecake made with milk and honey that was baked into a pie.[8] It is also said to have been popular in the Byzantine Empire.[9]

Some claim that the Turks also invented a form of filo/yufka independently in Central Asia;[6] the 11th-century Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari records the meaning of yurgha, an archaic term for yufka, as "pleated or folded bread". Filo is documented in the Topkapı Palace in the Ottoman period.[10]

Filo dough is made with flour, water and a small amount of oil.[11] Homemade filo takes time and skill, requiring progressive rolling and stretching to a single thin and very large sheet. A very big table is used, preferably with a marble top. If the dough is stretched by hand, a long, thin rolling pin is used, with continual flouring between layers to prevent the sheets from sticking to one another.[3] In modern times, mechanical rollers are also used. Prior to World War I, households in Istanbul typically had two filo makers to prepare razor thin sheets for baklava, and the relatively thicker sheets used for brek. Fresh and frozen versions are prepared for commercial markets.[3]

When using filo to make pastries, the thin layers are made by first rolling out the sheets of dough to the final thickness, then brushing them with oil, or melted butter for some desserts, and stacking them. This contrasts with puff pastry and croissant doughs, where the layers are stacked into a thick layer of dough, then folded and rolled out multiple times to produce a laminated dough containing thin layers of dough and fat.

Frangipane is something I have always enjoyed: the intense almond flavour and very delicate texture is simply delicious. In this recipe I have added another texture, encasing the frangipane with crispy filo pastry, while a nutty base gives it a lovely crunch.

Butter a 23cm (9 inch) tart tin and place a sheet of filo inside. Brush it generously with some of the melted butter. Lay over another sheet of filo, leaving the sides overhanging the tin and brush with butter. Repeat to use all the filo, buttering each layer.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the filo and spoon over the frangipane. Now gently fold over the overhanging pastry to cover the filling, folding over one layer at a time. Brush it all well with the remaining butter and sprinkle some pistachios on top

Crispy, moreish and wholesome scrolls! I love this filling as it reminds me of ricotta and spinach cannelloni that I had when I was younger. I mimicked the texture and taste using firm tofu, kale, tahini, nutritional yeast, herbs and spices! It's packed with protein and doesn't taste healthy (I often eat the filling by itself). Paired with crispy filo pastry, you can't go wrong!

The scrolls are really easy to make. I've been super busy finalising my manuscript for my cookbook so whipped this up to sustain myself through the week. With a busy life, I don't want to spend extra time in the kitchen!

Hi Alison, I guess it depends on what you call a scroll. For me, a scroll (or roll) would be a flat swirl shape, like a cinnamon roll. When you roll the mixture into a tube, it's similar to pinwheel sandwiches and cinnamon rolls. However, grabbing one end and rolling it into a scroll is different from pinwheel sandwiches. Hope that helps.

I haven't made this yet, but it sounds wonderful. Just one problem with the recipe : you specify kale as the prime ingredient, but then refer to the "spinach" mix. This is a bit confusing and might be worth correcting.

Christmas is only a few days away now and I'm still not feeling festive...this is due in part to the fact that we don't have a Christmas tree or any decorations up this year; we are in the process of renovating our house so it's in a bit of a state and there was nowhere to put the tree. I intend to make up for it next year when the house is finished by going overboard with the decorations... I'm sure I will be in the Christmas spirit come Christmas day, which we are spending with a group of friends, and then Boxing Day will be spent with family. I am on dessert duty for both occasions (what a surprise!) and am planning on making chilled desserts that I can prepare the day beforehand as I wont be in my kitchen to bake anything on the day. So I wont be making this apple and mincemeat filo wreath as it needs to be eaten fresh from the oven (although I am partial to a slice of it cold, the following morning for breakfast).

If however you are in control of an oven on the day (or indeed any day around the festive period), this would make a lovely, lighter alternative to a Christmas pudding. It is still full of Christmassy flavour from the mincemeat but isn't as heavy as a steamed pud, it can also be prepared last minute if you weren't organised enough to make a pudding. Not only that but it is also extremely easy to make, it is more of an assembly job than anything else; a simple matter of stirring together a few ingredients for the filling and then just layering everything up; and no, I didn't make my own filo pastry, I'm not a masochist.

I served the wreath with custard, but it would also be lovely with cream, ice cream, or to be truly festive, brandy sauce. It is quite delicate, so is a little tricky to transfer from the baking sheet to a serving platter, serve it straight from the tray if you aren't fussed about putting it on a pretty plate, or a cake lifter is very handy if you do wish to move it. I made the sugared cranberries purely for decorative purposes, although I do quite like to eat them. They are very easy to make, just dip the cranberries in some sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water), roll in granulated sugar then leave to dry for about an hour. So tell me, are you prepared for Christmas? What are you planning on serving?

I am not a fan of Christmas pudding so this looks like the perfect alternative, Hannah! I love your festive wreath, it looks so pretty with the sugared cranberries. Your family are very lucky to have you making the desserts! x

I really like Christmas pudding but most of the others that I spend Christmas with don't so we tend to have something else for dessert and I vary it every year (and usually make two desserts to cover all bases!), this wreath is a really lovely one, and is a great way to use up any leftover mincemeat as well ? x

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and core the apples then cut them into quarters. Set aside. Unroll the filo dough and place the cast iron skillet or dutch oven you will be using upside down on the center of the dough (I used an 11.5-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe).

Use a sharp knife to trace the edge of the skillet and cute through the layers of filo dough. Discard the cut off bits of filo dough, remove the skillet from the filo cough circle, and cover the filo dough with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out, and set it aside.

Melt the 1/2 cup solid butter in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugar and continue to cook over medium-high heat until the mixture starts to turn a light gold color, whisking every minute or so. Remove it from heat and place the apples in the pan, rounded-side down, in a concentric circle starting at the outer edge and working your way to the middle of the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon and cloves over the apples. Place the pan back over the heat and allow the apples to cook until the toffee sauce turns a deep caramel color.

Remove the skillet from the heat, place the filo dough stack on top of the apples and tuck it in around the edges with a blunt knife. Then poke 5 slits in the center to allow air to escape. Place the skillet in the oven and place a sheet of aluminum foil on the rack underneath it to catch any toffee-y drippings that come off the sides. Bake until the top of the filo is a deep gold color, about 30 minutes.

*Note* I made this Apple Tart Tartin in a cast iron skillet measuring about 11.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep, if you are using a much larger skillet or dutch oven you might want to double the recipe, or just use more apples.

The filo is very crispy when you take it out of the oven, but when you flip it over it starts to absorb the toffee sauce and the texture becomes like the filo in the center of baklava. Syrup-soaked but still firm and buttery! ?

Heat 100ml of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then add the onion and peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly brush a sheet of filo with oil and gently press it into the oiled tin. Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of filo. Using scissors, trim off any excess pastry overhanging the edges. Fill the filo pastry case with the vegetable and cheese mixture and fold the edges of the filo inwards to form a rim. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Working with filo dough, whether in sweet or in savory recipes, is much easier than you think! I often hear from my students that they are nervous when handling the seemingly delicate sheets of filo. Each time, however, I can put their minds at ease because the process of layering filo is really very forgiving. So, for example, small tears or other imperfections you might make while working with filo never show in the final dish.

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