Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Burekas

Makes 18 medium size pastries

2 sheets puff pastry (10” x 15”), defrosted in the refrigerator overnight
1½ lbs. butternut squash (1 large squash), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
1 large yellow onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 big fat clove of garlic or 2 medium-sized, minced fine
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2-3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed from stems
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 large egg, separated (yolk for filling, white for egg wash)
Black and/or white sesame seeds, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Drizzle the halved butternut squash with oil, then place it cut-side down on a sheet pan. You don’t need to peel the squash. Roast until the squash is fully cooked and tender, about 35-45 minutes.

While the squash is baking, caramelize your onion by putting a few tablespoons of butter with a drizzle of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium low heat. If keeping the dish non-dairy, use just olive oil. Add the diced onion to the pan, and sauté over low or medium low heat until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and then continue to let the onion cook and caramelize, stirring occasionally so the onion doesn’t burn; make sure to keep the heat fairly low.

Add the minced garlic to the caramelized onions, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant but not at all browned. Turn off the heat.

Once the squash is cooked and slightly cooled, scoop the inside of the squash into a bowl and discard the peel. Add the caramelized onion  and egg yolk to the squash. Mix together. The mixture should be soft and not too lumpy.

Mix in the ground coriander, thyme, and cayenne. Taste, and then season with salt and pepper as desired. Allow the squash mixture to cool before assembling the burekas. You can make this filling up to two days in advance and store in the fridge.

To assemble the burekas: roll out a sheet of puff pastry until rectangular and just slightly thinner than when it comes out of the package. Divide the dough into 9 squares. Put a spoonful of the filling into each square. Fold over the dough to form a triangle shape, and press the edges together. There’s no need to crimp or press too hard, the filling will stay put, and you want to ensure there are layers of flaky pastry.

Transfer the formed triangular burekas onto a baking sheet, place each bureka about an inch apart.  Place baking sheet in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Before baking, combine the egg whites with a small splash of water or milk. Beat well. Brush the tops of the burekas with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 Set oven temperature to 400 F/ Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky. Transfer to a wire baking rack, and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Burekas are best served warm or at room temperature.

Recipe comes from Salt and Zest