Serres Bougatsa me Kima (Μπουγάτσα με Κιμά)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy frying pan, 28cm
• •round metal tapsi, 30cm, or metal baking tray, 25 by 35cm
• •pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the onion

   Warm 60ml olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and pale gold, not browned hard. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and cook it for 1 minute so it darkens and loses its raw edge.

2. 2

   Dry the mince

   Add the beef mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until no pink remains and the meat separates into small grains. Add the wine, remaining salt, pepper, paprika, allspice, and cinnamon. Keep cooking until the pan is dry and the mince looks loose, fragrant, and almost crumbly, 10 to 12 minutes. This is the step that saves the phyllo. Wet filling makes soft bougatsa.

   Drag a spoon through the meat. If liquid runs back into the line, cook it longer. The filling should hold its place.
3. 3

   Cool the filling

   Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parsley. Spread the filling on a plate or shallow tray and let it cool for 15 minutes. Warm filling softens the phyllo before it reaches the oven, and we didn't come this far to make a damp pie.

4. 4

   Prepare the phyllo

   Heat the oven to 190C. Mix the melted butter with 30ml olive oil. Lay the phyllo on the counter and cover it with a clean towel that is barely damp, not wet. Brush a 30cm round tapsi or a 25 by 35cm metal baking tray with the butter mixture.

5. 5

   Layer and fill

   Lay one phyllo sheet in the tray with the edges hanging over, then brush lightly with butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets, changing the angle as you go so the overhang covers all sides. Spread the cooled meat filling in an even layer. Fold the overhanging phyllo over the filling, brushing as you fold.

6. 6

   Close the bougatsa

   Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each one with butter and tucking the edges down the sides of the tray. Brush the top well. Scatter sesame seeds over it if you like them. Score only the top layers into large squares, shallowly, so the bougatsa cuts cleanly after baking without crushing the pastry.

7. 7

   Bake until crisp

   Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep gold, crisp at the edges, and glossy where the butter has settled. Let it stand for 10 minutes, then cut through the scored lines into rough squares, the way the Serres shops do it, without making a ceremony of the knife.

Chef Tips

• •Use beef mince with a little fat. Very lean mince dries into pebbles, and pork-only mince makes a softer filling than this Serres version wants. A mix of beef and a little pork is seen in some shops, but beef keeps the flavor clean.
• •If you can buy bougatsa phyllo from a Greek bakery, use it. If not, thin commercial phyllo is fine, but keep it covered every minute. Dry phyllo cracks before you can fold it, and then it teaches you humility.
• •Serve bougatsa me kima hot or warm with nothing more than a small dish of olives or pickled peppers. It is breakfast, lunch, and comfort in the same square. The region is the dish's surname.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the meat filling up to 24 hours ahead, cool it fully, and refrigerate it covered. Bring it back to cool room temperature before filling the phyllo.
• •Thaw frozen phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, then let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before opening.
• •The baked bougatsa is best the day it is made. Reheat leftovers uncovered at 170C for 10 to 12 minutes so the top crisps again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)