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Jeanne's Cheese Boreg

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Cheese Boreg

Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

March 5, 2023 0 Comments

Aunt Jeanne was my late grandma Florence’s niece; we share Beatrice and Harry as ancestors. Beatrice was born in Aintab, Turkey in 1897. She married Harry Shirejian at age 13 and survived unimaginable circumstances before reuniting with him in America.

Jeanne’s mom, Shirley Miles, was a lively Texan who married my grandma’s brother, George. Committed to learning Armenian home cooking, Shirley spent considerable time with Beatrice learning how to recreate George’s childhood favorites in faraway Texas.

Reconnecting with Aunt Jeanne through this project has been a rich experience, for both palate and soul – kind of like this eating this cheese boreg!

Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

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Yield:

24 slices of cheese boreg

Prep time:

1h15

Cook time:

45min

Total time:

2h

INGREDIENTS

1/4	cup Mazola or Canola oil
16	sheets of Phyllo dough (9 x 13 inches)
3	cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1	parsley bouquet, finely chopped
1/4	tsp red pepper flakes
1	Pinch of cumin, optional
2	eggs, beaten (divided)
1	cup whole milk

TOOLS

9X 13-inch baking dish
Pastry basting brush and spatula
Sharp knife or, better yet, an electric carving knife

INSTRUCTIONS

1.	Combine the jack cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes and 1 egg (beaten) in a medium bowl and set aside.
2.	Using the basting brush, coat the bottom of the baking dish with oil.
3.	Line the buttered dish with a sheet of the phyllo dough, and lightly baste the top with the oil.
4.	Repeat this process seven times, for a total of eight layers.
5.	Spoon the filling onto the phyllo dough and use a spatula to distribute the filling into an even layer that extends to all four corners of the dish.
6.	Add another eight layers of phyllo dough, basting each lightly.
7.	Using the electric carving knife, or a very sharp knife, score the pastry into squares or diamonds. (Use the thumb and index figure of your free hand to hold the pastry down as you cut.
8.	In a small bowl, combine the milk with the other beaten egg.
9.	Pour the mixture evenly over the cut pastry in the dish.
10.	Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.
11.	Let the dish cool slightly, then score it again, slice and serve warm.

NOTES

1.	You can use melted butter instead of oil, but we noticed a better rise in the pastry with the oil.
2.	To make diamonds, cut the pastry along diagonal lines, rather than perpendicular ones.

CATEGORY

MAIN COURSES

KEYWORDS

dolma, Food, Meat, Peppers, Rice, Stuffed, Tomato

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Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

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Yield: 4 eggplant halves

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS 2 eggplants, halved lengthwise ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 lemons, juiced Handful of basil, chopped Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

EQUIPMENT Outdoor grill or grill pan Whisk or fork Pastry brush

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a medium bowl, use a fork or whisk to emulsify the oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic, then stir in the basil. 2. Coat with a pastry brush on all sides, to generously season the eggplant. 3. Grill on low heat until just past the point where the eggplant bubbles; you should have a creamy texture. 4. Scoop out the eggplant “meat” and pile it onto a cracker (preferably lahvosh) to impress even your most discerning of guests.

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Jeanne Andelman’s Cheese Boreg Casserole

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Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: Set up for 6 hours

Total time: 6 hours and 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS 1lb. prime beef, ground twice by a butcher 1 cup fine bulghur, rinsed 1/4 cup cold water, plus a few ice cubes 4 oz. spicy vegetable juice (such as Spicy V8) 1 medium red onion, chopped small 2 green onions, chopped 1 large handful of parsley, chopped Italian dressing and moistened lahvosh, for serving 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp white pepper 1 dash of cayenne Pepper

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Meanwhile, chop the red and green onions and parsley and set aside.INSTRUCTIONS 1. Rinse and drain the bulghur until it runs clear, to remove any dust. 2. Soak the bulger in the ice-cold water and ice cubes and mix with your hands. 3. Wait 10-15 minutes to allow the bulghur to bloom. 4. Meanwhile, chop the red and green onions and parsley and set aside. 5. Add the spicy vegetable juice to the bulger mixture and mix. 6. Add the meat and spices and mix well with your hands. 7. (The meat should be moist but not wet.) 8. Form the kheyma into a dome shape on your serving dish, cover, and let it set up in the fridge for 6 hours. 9. Before serving, top with the parsley and green onion. 10. Serve on with Italian dressing to enjoy your kheyma in traditional Ashjian family fashion!

NOTES 1. They kheyma must be cold while you are working with, so always keep an ice cube in the bowl.

valleypbs.org/julsarmeniankitchen

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