spiced meat in filo pastry

Having pomegranate molasses in your kitchen cupboard is like having a secret weapon in your kitchen!  Celebrating dishes shared by Mediterranean countries, Claudia Roden in her book, “Med – A Cookbook”, includes a delicious recipe for spiced meat wrapped in filo pastry where the quality of the pomegranate molasses is essential. 

In Lebanon, unripe cooking pomegranates are used to make the molasses. The juice is filtered and left to reduce, slowly. Once the consistency is right, and the colour a dark red brown, it is left to cool before being bottled. You only need a little of Zejd’s pomegranate molasses, so it will become a useful partner in your kitchen for so many things. We hope you enjoy discovering its fabulous taste! 

serves 6

ingredients
270g pack of filo pastry sheets (measuring 20x40cm)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
500g lean minced beef or lamb
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp Zejd pomegranate molasses
50g pine nuts, lightly toasted
50g (large bunch) of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1 egg yolk mixed with a little water
2 tbps sesame or nigella seeds
salt and black pepper

method

1. Take the filo out of the fridge 30min before using.
2. Fry the onion in the oil over a medium-low heat until golden, about 10min.
3. Add the meat, a bit of salt and pepper and the spices, stir the meat well as it browns making sure it breaks up in the pan, for about 8min. Then add the pomegranate molasses. Finally stir in the toasted pine nuts and the parsley, and leave to cool.
4. Pre-heat the over to 180/160C fan/gas 4.
5. Divide meat into 6 portions. Open out the filo, keeping them in a pile cover with a clean tea towel. Lightly brush top sheet with oil.
6. Take a portion of your mixture and place it on the filo about 8cm from the short edge, then bring the short edge up over the filling to almost cover it, then fold the long sides over. Carefully turn the parcel to completely enclose the filling, you should be left with a square-ish packet. Brush with oil between any bits of filo. Repeat with the remaining filo.
7. Brush with egg yolk mixed with a little water and sprinkle either sesame or nigella seeds. Bake for 25min. Serve hot.