Makes 20+ pockets
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes
It is traditional at the beginning of the Jewish year, and particularly at Sukkot, to eat stuffed foods, signifying a plentiful harvest.
A vegetarian alternative to our brisket pockets, these mushroom bourekas sweetened with honey (for a sweet new year) and spicy with harissa are perfect snacks any time, but are a particularly wonderful Yom Tov starter or vegetarian side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chestnut Mushrooms diced
- 1 Red Onion diced
- ¼ tbsp Paprika
- ½ tbsp Harissa Paste
- ½ tbsp Honey
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and finely sliced
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato Purée
- 1 roll Puff Pastry
- 1-2 Eggs beaten
Method
For the mushroom filling
- In a pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil on the stove over a medium heat.
- Add onions and salt and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add pepper, paprika and garlic and stir to combine. Add harissa paste and honey and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until onions are translucent. Do not allow garlic to burn.
- Add mushrooms and fry until soft, stirring regularly.
- Drain off any excess liquid before filling parcels.
To make the parcels
- Preheat oven to to 200°C / 180°C fan (Gas Mark 6 / 400°F). Line baking trays with foil and baking paper.
- On clean work surface, roll out a pre made roll or brick of defrosted puff pastry to around 5mm thickness, and cut into squares roughly 10cm x 10cm. You should get about 20 squares from a roll.
- (Don’t stress if they aren’t perfectly square or identical in size. Spare dough can be stuck together and re-rolled out.)
- Take a large spoonful of the mushroom filling per pastry, and place toward the centre of one diagonal corner of the square, as shown below. You will be folding them into triangles, so you should allow room for the fold, and to seal the edges, as shown (fig. 1).
- Fold the empty half over diagonally to create a triangular pocket, and carefully press down the edges to seal in the mushrooms (fig. 2).
- Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pastry triangle and then use a pastry brush to brush each one with egg. Place on a baking tray leaving some space around for them to grow.
- Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 mins or until golden
- Repeat until all your pastry has been used.
The cooked pastry pockets can be made in advance and frozen, and are easily reheated. Ideally reheat uncovered or loosely covered to allow condensation to escape.
(Image Credit: Sophy Weiss Photography)
