Culinary Explorer
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Pourekia me Anari (Πουρέκκια με Αναρή) from Cyprus
Created by Chef Dimitra
Cypriot pourekia me anari are thin fried turnovers for Tsiknopempti, filled with fresh cheese, cinnamon, sugar, and mint, then dusted white while warm.
Pourekia me anari are Cyprus's sweet cheese turnovers, folded thin around fresh unsalted anari and fried for the Carnival table. They are small, crisp, and white with icing sugar, with cinnamon and dried mint giving the cheese its Cypriot voice.
The dough must be rolled thin and the edges sealed hard. That is the whole trick. Too thick, and you get bread around cheese. Too loose, and the filling escapes into the oil before the pastry has time to blister and crisp.
I keep them small because that's how they behave best in the pan. One or two bites, still warm, sugar on the fingers. The region is the dish's surname, and here the surname is Cyprus: anari, mint, and the generous sweet table before Lent begins.
Ingredients
plain flour
Quantity
500g
plus extra for rolling
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 tsp
mild olive oil or neutral oil
Quantity
80ml
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| plain flourplus extra for rolling | 500g |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 tsp |
| mild olive oil or neutral oil | 80ml |
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