Bougatsa
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Serves
12Ingredients
unsalted butter, melted, for brushing | |
12 filo sheets | |
pure icing sugar, sifted, for dusting | |
ground cinnamon, for dusting | |
SEMOLINA CUSTARD | |
1.2 litres full-cream milk | |
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped | |
1 cinnamon stick | |
3 strips of lemon peel | |
80g unsalted butter, cubed | |
150g caster sugar | |
120g semolina | |
2 egg yolks |
Greek custard pies really have my heart and bougatsa is one of my favourites. A semolina custard is enveloped by flaky filo pastry and topped with icing sugar and cinnamon. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, it is also a delightful dessert and is still fantastic the day after, eaten cold straight from the fridge.
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Instructions
1. | Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. |
2. | Brush a 30cm x 25cm x 5cm baking tin with melted butter. Set aside. |
3. | To make the semolina custard, place the milk, vanilla pod and seeds, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a large saucepan and warm over a medium heat, until just about to simmer. |
4. | Add the butter and melt, then whisk in the caster sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until dissolved. |
5. | Remove the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick and reduce the heat to low. |
6. | Rain in the semolina and cook, whisking continuously, for 3–4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. |
7. | Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Set aside. |
8. | Brush one sheet of the filo pastry with the melted butter and drape over the base of the tin. Repeat with 5 more sheets of pastry. |
9. | Spoon in the semolina custard and smooth the surface. Brush one of the remaining filo sheets with some melted butter and drape it over the custard. |
10. | Repeat with the remaining filo sheets, loosely draping them on top and creating some ruched textures as you lay them down. |
11. | Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the filo is golden. Allow to cool. |
12. | Dust with the icing sugar and cinnamon, then cut into large squares and serve. |
This is an extract from
Good Cooking Every
Day by Julia Busuttil
Nishimura, published
by Plum, RRP $49.99,
photography by
Armelle Habib.
Tags: Issue 227