Part of every Armenian celebration, is a rich table covered with delicious food. Sou (water) Boreg, like so many other Armenian dishes, is the masterpiece that many people talk about eating, but would never attempt to make themselves. For most Armenians, cheese boeregs are considered an enjoyable appetizer. This delicious plate, although extremely complicated, is a savoury pie made with homemade phyllo pastry and stuffed cheese or spinach. This is one of those dishes that unite women together in the kitchen today as well as in the old days. This boereg would bring women together for they would make it in mass quantities, helping each other out. One of the biggest reasons why you don’t see this made more often is because it is such a time consuming process.
I remember when I was younger, during Christmas time, all the women in my family would gather at my house to prepare this plate from scratch. And every year, my sisters and I would sit around the table just to watch them make it. We always asked if we could help, but my grandmother always told us: “You are too young, maybe next year”. The kitchen became a well-orchestrated symphony. We were amazed at how each one of the women had a specific task to complete. A group would prepare the dough, another would make the filling and my grandmother, the maestro, was in charge of putting it all together, thus completing this delicious plate. Although the day would be long, and the noise level high in the kitchen, the outcome was always the same; beautiful memories and a scrumptious meal.
THE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Filling
- 1 lb Feta
- ½ lb Mozzarella
Dough
- 6 eggs
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 ½ tablespoons of salt
- 2 ½ cups of flour
Procedure:
1. Break 6 eggs, mix it with salt, water and flour.
2. Let the dough sit for thirty minutes.
3. Grate the feta and mozzarella cheese.
4. Melt the butter.
5. After thirty minutes, separate the dough in ten equal balls.
6. Spread each ball into thin and equal rectangle.
7. Place them one by one in boiling water containing a bit of salt for half a minute each.
8. Then quickly put them each in icy water to stop the cooking, for half a minute.
9. Next, carefully dry them on a cloth.
10. Take a big Pyrex, butter it.
11. Place the first sheet in the platter and brush a good amount of butter on each. Repeat this step for the next four sheets.
12. Add the cheese and the repeat step 11.
13. Spread the rest of the melted butter on the last sheet.
14. Put in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes until golden.
15. Cut with a sharp knife, and enjoy.