The basics of homemade briouates
Briouates are a traditional Moroccan dish, made from a sweet or savory stuffing, wrapped in a sheet of brick pastry folded into a triangle. Briouates can be baked in the oven (at 180°C for 15 min), but are usually fried. To do this, heat some frying oil in a pan, before slipping in our little triangles which will fry for 5 to 10 min, or until everything is golden brown. Finally, drain them on absorbent paper before serving piping hot, accompanied for example by mint tea, or other Maghrebi pastries in a sweet version.
How to fold your homemade briouates?
For 16 briouates, you need about 8 round brick sheets. Cut them in half using a pair of scissors, before folding the rounded part to obtain a rectangular strip. Once the stuffing is prepared, place a spoonful towards one end of the strip, previously buttered. Then, grab the end closest to the sheet, then cover the stuffing to form a triangle. Finally, fold the triangle over itself along the entire length of the brick sheet strip, pressing tightly with each fold, to prevent the stuffing from coming out during cooking.
How to stick your briouates properly?
In order to properly stick the layers of leaves of your briouates, do not forget to grease the latter with melted butter, or beaten egg yolk, before placing the stuffing on it. Once the shaping is finished, remember to stick back the small strip of leaf that should stick out, with a little egg yolk. You can also cut the edges with a pair of scissors to obtain a straight triangle.
Ideas for stuffing your homemade briouates
In addition to being easy to make, briouates can be stuffed with many fillings: minced meat and olives; shrimp and vermicelli; cumin vegetables; chicken and preserved lemons; cheese; white fish; or even the classic spinach – feta combo for example. In a sweet version, the best-known recipe remains the essential briouate with almonds, sugar and orange blossom that is found on many ftour tables during the Ramadan period.
The recipe for minced meat briouates
For 16 minced meat briouates, you need 300g of meat, 1 finely chopped onion and a little oil for frying. As for spices, it’s up to each person’s taste. For example, you can flavor it with a pinch of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of sweet pepper, and ½ bunch of chopped parsley. Add 3 beaten eggs to bind the stuffing and make it easier to shape the briouates.
In a frying pan, fry the onions, before adding the meat and spices. Mix well, then add the beaten eggs, while continuing to mix. Once the stuffing is well compacted, let it cool for a few moments before folding the briouates. And this time like a pro!
Lacking inspiration? Discover here 10 stuffing ideas for your briouates.