I was absolutely smitten: Hunter's Pastry

Hunter's Pastry Recipe

Hunter's pastry, prepared with minced meat sautéed in butter with onions, fine bulgur that has swollen after absorbing hot water, walnuts, and spices, is wrapped in ready-made phyllo dough pieces.

After being coated with beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, they are baked in the oven or deep-fried. But forget about Paçanga börek for a moment; today's lesson is on hunter's börek. We've included our video below, hoping it will be a delicious addition to your joyful meals. If you have the ingredients ready, let's head to the kitchen.

How many calories are in Hunter's Pastry (Avcı Böreği):

368/kcal

Hunter's Pastry (For Pastries):

2 ready-made phyllo dough sheets

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

For the Hunter's Pastry filling:

200 grams of medium-fat ground meat

1 medium-sized onion

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1.5 tablespoons of butter

2 cups of fine bulgur (1 cup for bulgur before it swells with hot water)

1/2 cup crushed walnuts

1/2 bunch of parsley (chopped)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

For coating and frying Hunter's Pastry (Börek):

2 eggs (beaten)

1 cup breadcrumbs

The Secret to Making Hunter's Pastry (Avcı Böreği)!

To prevent the pastries from falling apart during baking or frying, be careful not to overfill them with filling and not to roll them too loosely. Coat all sides of the pastries in beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

How to Make Hunter's Pastry (Avcı Böreği)?

For the meat filling of the hunter's pastry: finely chop the onion. Finely chop the parsley leaves after washing them thoroughly and draining the excess water. Chop the walnuts with a sharp knife. Add enough hot water to cover the fine bulgur in a small bowl with a lid. Cover and let it sit for a short time to swell.

Heat butter and vegetable oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté until they soften.

Add the minced meat, salt, and pepper to the onions and continue sautéing.

Add walnuts and swollen fine bulgur to the sautéed minced meat.

Add the chopped parsley, stir, and turn off the heat.

Divide the phyllo dough into four sections and brush each one with oil. Add the minced meat filling to the wider part of the phyllo dough.

First, fold the edges over to form a roll and close it.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Place the sifted breadcrumbs on a flat plate.

Coat the prepared hunter's pastries first in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs.

Fry in hot oil and serve hot.

Hunter's pastry is ready. Enjoy it with your loved ones.

Cooking Suggestions for Hunter's Pastry Recipe

You can mix vegetable oil with about 1 teaspoon of yogurt to brush over the phyllo dough. To the prepared minced meat filling, you can add your desired spices, a very small amount of tomato paste, and even pine nuts and currants. For a crispier result, you can also deep-fry the pastries in oil or a fryer, after frying them on parchment paper in a baking tray.

Serving Suggestions for Hunter's Pastry Recipe

You can serve it with any kind of meal or during your tea time.

How to make the filling of Hunter's Pastry even more delicious?

Add onions, a small amount of garlic, parsley, and grated potatoes.

Which region does Avcı Böreği (Hunter's Pastry) originate from?

It has survived from Ottoman cuisine to the present day.

Which spices should be used when preparing Hunter's Pastry?

Black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and allspice.

Is it possible to make Hunter's Pastry using chicken instead of minced meat?

It can also be prepared with finely chopped chicken meat or ground chicken.

Can Hunter's Pastry (Avcı Böreği) be prepared in advance and frozen?

Yes, pastries can be wrapped and frozen raw.