Apr

9

Fillo bundles filled with spiced ricotta

April 9, 2009 |

Easter is getting closer and closer and I haven’t decided on a menu yet. I would like to make something new and luckily I found this appetizer in an old magazine of mine. The recipe was not well explained nor were the quantities of the ingredients either, but I managed and it came out pretty good considering it was the first time I ever used Fillo dough. I’ve been wanting to use it for quite a while and so I finally did it and after ruining few pieces of it I ended up with 12 nice fillo bundles filled with spiced ricotta. When they came out of the oven they were gone in a minute, I suppose this would mean they came out good. The whole experience inspired me on using fillo dough more often and I already have few ideas in mind.

Fillo dough/pastry (Phyllo or filo) is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries and other preparations in Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s made with flour, water and oil. It is mostly used in multiple layers separated by clarified butter. When baked fillo sheets become crispy and resemble puff pastry - not in taste - even if they can not be substituted by it. Fillo dough is now available in most grocery stores in Italy but few years ago it was pretty difficult to find and it is used in many recipes that have nothing to do with Greek or Middle Eastern cuisine.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
8 oz. sheep milk ricotta, you can also use the cow milk one
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red hot pepper powder
scant 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the bundles:
4 thin fillo dough sheets (my sheet was about 15 inch. long and 9.5 inch large)*
4 oz. unsalted butter to prepare the clarified butter
12 chives blades to tie the bundles or you can use strips from the fillo sheet
a pastry brush

To prepare clarified butter:
Clarified butter is indispensable on fillo dough instead of butter otherwise the casein contained in the butter will burn at high temperatures. I prefer to prepare my own clarified butter and not to buy it ready. It’s not difficult to make and if you end up with too much of it you can always refrigerate it for up to one month.

Cut the butter in pieces and melt it on a double boiler at low temperature. Let it cool and then pass it through a fine sieve. Use the quantity you need and refrigerate the rest.

To prepare the bundles:

Preheat the oven at 375°.
In a bowl soften the ricotta with a wooden spoon. Grate the Parmesan cheese, add the red hot pepper powder and put it on a plate. Chop the parsley a set it on an other plate. Get the clarified butter handy with a pastry brush.
Place a clean cloth on a working surface and carefully roll out the first sheet of fillo - fillo sheets are very fragile and break easily - brush the sheet with the butter. Lay an other sheet on the first one. Keep the other fillo dough cover with a lightly wet towel so it doesn’t dry.
Gently cut the sheet in squares of about 4 to 5 inches. Scoop a scant tablespoon of ricotta and shape it into a ball, roll it quickly in the cheese mixture, leaving still some pieces uncovered and then in the parsley. Place the ricotta ball in the center of the squared sheet, fold it and gently press the sheet together, don’t press it too hard otherwise it won’t cook properly. Lightly tie the bundle with a chive blade and place it on a cooking sheet covered with oven paper. Repeat the same procedure to make the other 6 bundles.
Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Let them cool for few minutes before serving.

Note:
* Fillo dough is usually frozen so it needs at least one hour and half to defrost or you can put in the refrigerator the night before and leave it a room temperature for 15 minutes. To make sure follow the package directions.


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