Laz Böreği - Desserts in Eastern Black Sea Cuisine and the Recipe from Its Master
The Eastern Black Sea, known for its kale and anchovies, probably doesn’t include those in its desserts. While Karadeniz people would definitely try to make a dessert from kale and anchovies, I can say it’s good they didn’t interfere with sweets as it already has a very unique take on them.
In Eastern Black Sea cuisine, the use of sweet and savory ingredients can be quite unusual. For example, while a main dish may have sugar sprinkled on it (famous sweet pasta), a dessert like milk rice can sometimes be savory (Milk Pasta). Another example is the sweet made from fragrant grape juice, called Pepeçura in many places, but known as Termoni by the Laz people. In some regions, it’s made with a bean called lobiya, which is actually a type of kidney bean.
One of the essential ingredients of Laz Böreği is, believe it or not, black pepper! People either love or completely dislike these original takes on desserts. As someone who worked in a restaurant serving Black Sea dishes, I have witnessed most people absolutely loving them.
Laz Böreği Recipe
Laz Böreği Custard
Ingredients:
- 3 Liters of milk
- 2 Cups of flour
- 1 Cup of cornstarch
- 3 Cups of sugar
- 8 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon of salt
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients except for the butter. Stir without lifting the spoon to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom. Once the mixture thickens and reaches the custard consistency, turn off the heat, add the butter, and mix well. Cover and set aside while preparing the dough layers.
Syrup
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of sugar
- 2 Cups of water
- A few drops of lemon juice
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Once it begins to bubble, use a ladle to pour and release. After the syrup bubbles vigorously, if the last drop becomes thick, add a few drops of lemon juice and stir. The syrup is now ready.
Dough
Ingredients:
- 4 Cups of flour
- 1 Egg
- Half a small cup of vegetable oil
- 2 Teaspoons of salt
- 1 Teaspoon of vinegar
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together. Gradually add water until the dough reaches the consistency of an earlobe. Roll out the dough into thin layers, like filo dough, using cornstarch.
Making Laz Böreği
In a pan, melt 200g of butter. Grease the baking tray and spread 3-4 sheets of dough over the bottom, leaving the edges hanging out. Drizzle butter over each layer. Pour the custard into the layers and sprinkle black pepper on top if desired. The top layer should cover the custard without being too thick or too sparse. Fold the dough edges over the custard, covering it. Then, place 7-8 more layers of dough on top, adding butter and chopped hazelnuts between each. Once the top layer is added, brush with more butter and cut into pieces like baklava.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) until golden brown. After removing from the oven, pour the slightly cooled syrup generously over the top.
Let it cool slightly before serving to avoid the custard from running, but if you can wait, enjoy!
Yasemin Taşkın
Photo: Yasemin Taşkın