Gata: Armenian Pastry
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry:
Puff pastry: 1 sheet, defrosted and cut on the folds into 3 even pieces
Flour for rolling
Filling:
1 stick of butter, room temp.
1 c sugar (or slightly less)
1 t vanilla
Pinch of salt
1½ c flour
Glaze:
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix the filling in a medium bowl until the texture is a soft crumble: cream the butter, stir in the sugar, add the vanilla and salt, and then add the flour. Set aside.
2. On a well-floured surface, roll a one–third piece of the puff pastry until it is a rectangle almost the size of the original whole sheet.
3. With the long side of the rolled pastry sheet closest to you, fill and fold the sheet as follows—until it is about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide:
a. Spoon 1/3 of the filling onto the center of the pastry, leaving about ½ inch clear all around. Very gently pat it down.
b. Fold the long side in toward the center to create a filled pastry “log”: gently fold about 1½ inches toward the center and gently pat to secure the filling. Fold again, and pat again. Repeat one or two more times, until the pastry is about 2 inches wide. Gently crimp the ends. Gently move this filled pastry “log” or “sleeve” to the baking sheet.
c. Repeat with the other two pieces, until you have 3 filled pastry logs/sleeves on the baking sheet.
4. Use a sharp knife to gently make diagonal cuts every ±2 inches; parallel diagonal slices yield parallelograms or alternate the direction to create trapezoids.
5. Brush with the beaten egg just before putting in the oven.
6. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or so, until golden.
Tahn: Yogurt Drink
Tahn: Yogurt Drink
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup yogurt
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
¾ to 1 cup water
Ice cubes
1 mint spring (optional) for serving
1 cucumber spear (optional), for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
Whisk together the yogurt, salt, and enough of the water to make the desired thinness.
Half fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour the tan into the glass.
Garnish with the mint, if using, and serve.
Madzoon: Yogurt and Meatball Soup
Madzoon: Yogurt and Meatball Soup
Yield: About 4 to 5 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Soup
3 cups plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons dried mint
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) of chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef (or ½ lb. ground beef and ½ lb. lean ground lamb)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
cayenne pepper and/or paprika, to taste
1 cup fine bulgur, size #1
1 small onion, minced
¼ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1 egg
1 pitted olive, optional (see meatball step #2)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Meatballs
1. Combine all of the meatball ingredients until well incorporated. This can be done by hand or in a food processor.
2. Dip hands in a bowl of cold water, then roll meat-bulgur mixture into balls about ¾ inch to one inch in size. (NOTE: At this time, you can place a pitted olive in the center of one of the meatballs. Whoever receives that meatball in the soup at serving time, will be considered lucky.)
3. Cook the meatballs in a pot of boiling water until they float to the surface. Remove meatballs using a slotted spoon and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Soup
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, and dried mint.
2. Place yogurt mixture in a large pot. Begin cooking on a low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the egg from curdling. Stir in the chicken broth and butter; continue to stir and cook gently for 5 minutes. Do not let mixture come to a boil.
3. Add the meatballs and continue to cook at low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring now and then.
4. Serve immediately.
Remember, the person who gets the meatball with the olive inside will have good luck!
http://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/2013/07/lucky-meatball-and-madzoon-yogurt-soup.html
Armenia 2017 Recipes
