It’s neither tomato or green bean season here in NZ right now but longing for a taste of summer and inspired by my dear friend and fellow food, and life, lover Huw Morgan at #digdelve, here’s my version of Huw’s savoury baklava.
I’ve had this jar of White beans from Sabato in my pantry for months now as I awaited the right inspiration and I’ve got to say it was worth the wait. These beans are next level good. Plump. Sweet. Divine. If you haven’t got a jar of these on hand, white cannellini beans will make a good replacement.
This baklava is really simple and delicious. Bung all the filling ingredients into your Ironclad pan and roast them in the oven. Layer a few sheets of filo together with this filling and some feta and bingo! The crunchiest, sweet savoury pie you’ll ever taste. Thanks Huw!
THE ROASTED TOMATO AND WHITE BEAN FILLING
600 g vine-ripened tomatoes
1 leek thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic crushed
4 fresh bay leaves
1 large handful of fresh thyme, chopped
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
6 large mejool dates, pips removed and chopped in chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 jar (700g) El Navarrico Large White Farmhouse Beans, drained
METHOD
In your Ironclad Legacy Pan, roast all ingredients apart from the white beans for 45 mins at 160°C. Chop up the leeks and make a bed for the tomatoes and everything else to rest on as they roast.
Once roasted, drain the roasted veg mix through a colander and return the juices to your pan and simmer at a low heat until reduced by half.
Gently stir juice and white beans into the tomato mixture. It should be thick and glossy and not floating in juice.
Clean and cool your pan.
ASSEMBLY
12 sheets filo puff pastry
1 block goat feta crumbled into large chunks
½ cup butter or olive oil for brushing
2 Tbsp runny honey
Brush each layer of filo liberally with butter or olive oil. This is what will create that delicious crunchy, light as air filo pastry experience. I like to butter each piece of filo on the bench as I layer them. So first butter your pan, then brush the first piece of filo and lay it into pan and continue.
As your pan is round, and the sheets are rectangular, lay the first sheet west to east, the second north to south and repeat twice. To make a lovely crunchy baklava base I used 6 pieces of filo for the base.
Spread half the tomato bean mixture on top and sprinkle with half the feta.
Fold all the overhanging pastry over the bean mixture into the centre of the pan.
Now layer another 3 buttered sheets of filo on top using the N S W E method.
Spread the remaining tomato and bean mix over the top, sprinkle with feta cheese and fold overhanging pastry into the middle of the pan.
Layer the last 3 buttered filo pastry sheets on top and tuck the edges in to the sides of the pan.
With a very sharp knife cut diagonals through the top layers of pastry. Try not to dig into the pie filling. But if you do it doesn’t matter!!
Cook for 45 mins at 160°C or until brown and crunchy on top.
Drizzle with honey whilst still hot and let cool a little before serving.
I served this with steamed broccoli drizzled with fennel olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and we all agreed it was like a summer dance in our mouths.
