Spinach Gözlemes With Turkish Ezme Salsa

Gözlemes are a traditional savoury turkish pastry, and their fillings vary from region to region. They are simple to make, taste absolutely delicious and make a perfect finger food for parties. Here I have filled the gözlemes with spinach, herbs and feta and served them with wedges of fresh lemon and a turkish ezme tomato salsa to add another dimension.

Step 1:

Dough

300 ml of warm water
7 grams of instant dried yeast
1 teaspoon of castor sugar
Pinch of sea salt
3 cups of plain flour
2 tblsp. of olive oil

Combine the water, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl, stir well and cover with a plate. Leave to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.

Sift flour into a large bowl and add yeast mixture and olive oil. Combine well to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cut dough into 6 pieces and place onto a lightly floured baking tray. Cover with a clean tea towel and stand in a warm place for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size.

Spinach Mix

200 grams of silver beet, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
4 tblsp. of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 tblsp. olive oil
200 grams of feta cheese, crumbled
50 grams of cheddar cheese, grated

Combine all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Now, roll each piece of dough into a rough rectangle, then fold it back into a square and roll again. Continue this process 3 – 4 times. This will help to make the dough bubbly and flaky.

Place a sixth of the spinach mix over half of each rectangle of dough and fold the dough over to enclose the filling, pressing the edges together to seal each one tightly.

Preheat a skillet on medium-high heat and brush one side of each gozleme with olive oil. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until base is golden and the dough is cooked. Brush the uncooked side with olive oil, turn it over and cook for another 4-6 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove to a serving plate. Cut gozleme into slices.

Serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and a small bowl of turkish ezme salsa to the side.