recipes for every season

Albanian
twist

Roast Squash and Feta Byrek

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Serves 6 · Medium · 1 hour

Ingredients

700g butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried mint
200g feta, crumbled
1 large egg
2 spring onions, finely sliced
8 large filo pastry sheets
70g melted butter
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp runny honey
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Toss the squash with olive oil, paprika, pepper and a pinch of salt. Roast 20-25 minutes until tender. Cool 10 minutes.
2. Mash about one-third of the squash. Mix all the squash with the feta, egg, spring onions and dried mint.
3. Reduce the oven to 190C fan. Brush a 24cm round tin with melted butter.
4. Keep the filo covered with a damp tea towel. Brush one sheet with butter, place another on top, brush again.
5. Spoon one-quarter of the filling along a long edge. Roll into a loose rope, coil it in the centre of the tin. Repeat, wrapping each rope around the last to form a spiral.
6. Brush with remaining butter, scatter with sesame seeds and bake 25-30 minutes until crisp and deeply golden.
7. Warm the honey with the chilli flakes for 1 minute. Rest the byrek 10 minutes, then drizzle lightly with chilli honey and slice.