Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
8 sheets freshly baked roqaq pastry (round)
250 gm minced beef (cooked)
1 litre chicken or meat stock + 1 cup of whole milk
2 tbsp dairy fresh cream (eshta)
2 tbsp cooking cream
50 gm butter
Salt + pepper
Method:
Method:
Bring stock and milk to the boil. Stir in the butter and one tablespoonful of cooking cream into the boiling stock; to dissolve and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place one sheet of pastry on the base of a 30 centimetre round baking pan. Pour a suitable amount of boiling stock; by means of a ladle, enough to moisten and totally wet the pastry sheet. Repeat process with three more sheets; while always keeping the stock mixture brought to a rolling boil, every time you ladle and pour; allowing pastry to fully absorb the hot liquid. Spread minced meat evenly on top of the fourth sheet. Repeat previous procedure with remaining four pastry sheets; over the meat. In a tiny bowl, mix dairy cream (eshta);.with a spoonful or two of stock, then spread this emulsion evenly to cover all the top sheet. Bake, uncovered, on the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius; until top is golden; (approximately 45-50 minutes). Remove from oven. Allow to slightly cool, then cut into squares or triangles and serve moderately hot.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 8 January, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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