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Title: Bichak (Stuffed Baked Tricorners)
Categories: Appetizer Israel Jewish Afghan
Yield: 1 Servings
| DOUGH | ||
| 1 1/2 | c | (abt) water, warm |
| 1 | ts | Sugar |
| 1 | pk | (1/4 oz, 7 grams) dry yeast |
| 3 1/2 | c | Flour |
| 3 | tb | Corn oil |
| 1 | Egg, separated | |
| 1 | Egg yolk, beaten WITH | |
| 1/2 | ts | Corn oil |
| STUFFINGS | ||
| SQUASH, CALABASA, OR PUMPKIN | ||
| 1/4 | c | Corn oil |
| 2 | md | (2 cups) onions, chopped |
| 1 | c | -water, hot & 1/4 t salt |
| 2 | tb | Sugar |
| 1 | lb | Butternut squash, calabasa, or pumpkin, |
| MEAT | ||
| 2 | tb | Corn oil |
| 3 | md | (2 cups) onion, chopped |
| 1 | lb | Ground beef or lamb |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt, or to taste |
| 1/4 | ts | Pepper, peeled & cut into 1/2-in pieces |
| CHEESE | ||
| 1 | lb | Farmer cheese |
| 1 | Egg yolk, beaten | |
| 3 | tb | Sugar |
| 1/2 | ts | Ground cinnamon |
| JAM | ||
| 1 | c | Strawberry or grape or prune jam (lekach) |
| 2 | tb | Bread crumbs |
Bichak are popular appetizers for tea or coffee hour. The pumpkin & jam stuffings are on the sweet side while meat & cheese are savory & could be eaten for lunches w/salad & dish of yoghurt. An added attraction is that they may be prepared in large quantities, cooled & frozen for the future.
Heat oil in a pan, add onions, & saute over moderate heat until onions turn golden. Add water, salt, sugar, & squash or calabasa or pumpkin & bring to a boil. Cover pan & cook over low heat for abt 20 mins as squash/calabasa/pumpkin becomes soft & disintegrates. Stir now & then, which in effect mashes contents. Continue last mins of cooking, uncovered, to evaporate all liquid & create & thick jam. The mash is still moist.
MEAT: Heat oil in a skillet & brown onions lightly over moderate heat. Add meat, salt, & pepper & stir-fry for 5 mins, making certain liquid has evaporated & mixture is dry. Cool.
CHEESE: Mix everything together. Set aside.
JAM: Mix jam & crumbs together. Set aside.
TO PREPARE TRICORNERS: 1. Mix 1/2 c warm water, sugar, & yeast together & proof in a warm place until mixture foams, abt 10 mins.
2. Make a well in flour, add yeast mixture, oil, & 1 egg white, & stir them into flour. Add balance of water, or enough water to prepare a soft dough. Knead for several mins & roll into a ball. Oil top lightly & leave dough in mixing bowl. Cover bowl w/foil or a towel & let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough ball. Pull off abt 1/2 cup of dough & roll into a slightly flattened ball. Prepare 6 balls.
4. On well-floured board roll out each ball, 1 at a time, to 12-" pancake. Using empty can or a cookie cutter, 3-" in diameter, cut out circles in pancake. Put 1 tb of whichever stuffing you are using, or variety of stuffings, in center of each circle. Fold over right & left side of circle to meet in the center & bring up bottom to cover stuffing. Pinch ends together to form tricorner pastry. Seal in contents. Paint tops of bichak w/egg yolk.
5. Line baking pan or cookie sheet w/lightly oiled aluminum foil. Place tricorners on foil & bake in a preheated 350F. oven for abt 40 mins, or until brown. Serve warm. Makes 48 to 50 bichak.
NOTE: Cool bichak, store in plastic bags, & freeze. To serve, thaw out frozen bichak for 1/2 hour & heat in preheated 350F. oven for 5-10 mins.
Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi
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