Brik pastry

This pastry recipe was passed onto Moshe by his mother Betty. It's a traditional North African pastry similar to, but not to be confused with filo.

Brik's neutral, earthy flavour makes it ideal for use in a wide variety of dishes. Credit: Getty Images

• makes

  25

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

There are many ways of using brik pastry. The most common way is of using it is to place in a shallow frypan with oil and crack an egg into the centre. Fold it in half like a half-moon - the egg white will stop it from opening and will bond the two edges. Fry for about 1 minute on each side, remove from pan, place on paper towel to absorb the oil, sprinkle with some salt and enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour 
• 1 ½ cups water 
• 2 tsps canola oil 
• 2 tsps vinegar  
• 1 tsp cornflour 
• Pinch of salt 

Resting time: 3 hours

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients above and cover, stand for 3 hours.
2. Oil a large non-stick pan and place over low heat. Using a pastry brush, brush over a very thin and even layer of the batter.
3. Cook on low heat until the edges start to curl up.
4. Gently take the pastry off the pan, place on a clean towel, and cover with another towel to prevent drying.
5. Repeat with the remaining batter and place each layer on top of each other until you are finished. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

There are many ways of using brik pastry. The most common way is of using it is to place in a shallow frypan with oil and crack an egg into the centre. Fold it in half like a half-moon - the egg white will stop it from opening and will bond the two edges. Fry for about 1 minute on each side, remove from pan, place on paper towel to absorb the oil, sprinkle with some salt and enjoy.