Dried apricot and aubergine briouats

Step by step

1. Step 1

   In this Moroccan-style recipe we’ll make some triangular briouats filled with dried apricots and aubergine.

   Cut the aubergines in half and salt to reduce their acidity. Leave for 15 minutes and then wash and dry. Cut into cubes and set aside.
   Chop the onion and garlic and fry in a pan with a dash of olive oil over a low heat until the onion softens but before it changes colour (about 5 minutes).
   Add the cubed aubergine and fry. Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped hazelnuts, chopped parsley, cumin and paprika.

   Cut the dried apricot into strips, add to the mixture and set aside.

   To make the triangular briouats:
   Take a sheet of filo pastry and glaze with melted butter using a pastry brush. Cut the sheet into large, symmetrical pieces like a stretched rectangle. Place a spoonful of the mixture in the top of each piece. Fold towards the right and then towards the left, repeating until you get a triangle. Fry in plenty of olive oil.

   If you’re watching the calories, you could bake them in the oven on a tray covered in baking paper instead. Glaze them with a little butter and bake at 180 ºC for 15 minutes until they change colour.

2. ‘- When it comes to fillings, let your imagination run wild! Briouats are a great way to use up leftovers. If you’ve got some vegetables, roast chicken or fish left over, simply wrap them up in filo pastry and you’ve got a tasty new dish!

   – If you can’t find filo pastry, don’t worry, you can use brik or puff pastry. If you use puff pastry, glaze with beaten egg and bake at 180 ºC for 20 minutes.

   – It might look tricky, but this is actually a simple recipe that makes quite an impression. It’s great for informal dinners and a good way to get kids to eat vegetables.

   – If you’re not keen on oriental flavours, omit the strongly flavoured cumin.