Briouates à la Kefta

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy frying pan
• •Pastry brush
• •Wire rack for draining
• •Clean towel for covering pastry

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the kefta

   Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens and loses its sharp smell, then add the ground meat, cumin, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Break the meat up with a spoon and cook until no pink remains and the pan looks almost dry.

   The filling must be dry before it goes into the pastry. If liquid gathers in the pan, keep cooking until it disappears, or the briouates will soften and open in the oil.
2. 2

   Bind the filling

   Lower the heat and stir in the beaten eggs, parsley, and coriander. Cook gently, stirring, until the eggs set into the meat and the mixture holds together without looking wet. Taste for salt. The herbs should smell fresh, not raw.

3. 3

   Cool it down

   Spread the kefta filling on a plate or tray and let it cool completely. Don't fold with hot filling. Heat makes warqa fragile, and fragile pastry tears just when you need it to behave.

4. 4

   Fold the triangles

   Lay one strip of warqa or brick pastry in front of you and keep the others covered with a towel so they don't dry out. Put a spoonful of filling near one end, fold one corner over to make a triangle, then keep folding from side to side like a flag, keeping the edges tight. Brush the final flap with flour paste and press to seal.

   Do not overfill. A modest spoonful gives you a neat triangle and a sealed edge; greed here sends the filling into the frying oil.
5. 5

   Fry until gold

   Heat 2 to 3 cm of vegetable oil in a heavy pan to 175°C. Fry the briouates in small batches, turning once, until both sides are deep gold and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Drain on a rack or paper towels and keep them in a single layer so the pastry stays crisp.

6. 6

   Serve warm

   Serve warm, with lemon wedges if your table likes them. Put the platter in the center and let people reach. Briouates are made for hands, conversation, and that first generous hour when everyone is hungry together.

Chef Tips

• •Warqa gives the most Moroccan texture, fine and crisp. Brick pastry is a good everyday substitute. Filo works if you must, but keep it covered and brush lightly with oil or melted butter so it doesn't dry and crack.
• •The scale is in the eyes: the kefta should taste warmly spiced, not dusty. Cumin and paprika lead, cinnamon only whispers.
• •Seal every point. One open corner will spill filling into the oil and darken the whole batch.
• •For a Ramadan table, fold them in the afternoon and fry close to ftour. They wait better uncooked than cooked.

Advance Preparation

• •Cook the kefta filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
• •Fold the briouates up to 1 day ahead, layer them between parchment, cover tightly, and refrigerate.
• •Freeze uncooked briouates in a single layer, then pack them once firm. Fry from frozen over slightly gentler heat so the centers warm through before the pastry browns too far.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)