Turkish Sigara Boregi: Crisp Feta Cigar Rolls That Freeze for After-School Snacks

In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until crumbly. Stir in the parsley, dill, egg and pepper. Taste before adding any salt; most feta is salty enough.

Serves 6 (24 rolls)

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 12 sheets yufka or phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour mixed with 3 tbsp water, for sealing
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• Plain yogurt and lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until crumbly. Stir in the parsley, dill, egg and pepper. Taste before adding any salt; most feta is salty enough.
2. Lay one phyllo sheet on a clean counter, keeping the rest covered with a damp towel. Cut it in half lengthwise to make two long rectangles, or cut into triangles if using round yufka.
3. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in a thin line along the short edge of one rectangle, leaving 1 inch bare on each side.
4. Fold the two long sides inward over the filling, then roll up tightly from the filled end like a cigar. Brush the final edge with the flour paste to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
5. Heat the oil in a deep skillet to 350F (175C), or until a scrap of dough sizzles immediately. Fry the rolls in batches of 6, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and blistered.
6. Drain on a rack or paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt while hot.
7. Serve warm with yogurt for dipping and lemon wedges for squeezing.
8. Freezer tip: freeze unfried rolls in a single layer on a tray, then bag for up to 2 months. Fry straight from frozen, adding 1 minute, or bake at 400F (200C) for 18 to 20 minutes brushed with oil for a hands-off after-school snack.
9. Sigara boregi, literally cigarette pastry, are a fixture of Turkish tea time and meze tables from Istanbul to Izmir. Turkish home cooks fill the freezer with them ahead of Ramadan and school terms alike, because a tray of these crisp, salty rolls turns hungry children into patient ones in the ten minutes before dinner.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 19g
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 540mg