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Narrator:
GALAKTOBOUREKO AND BAKLAVA
ARE TRADITIONAL GREEK DESSERTS.
ALTHOUGH SEVERAL EUROPEAN
AND MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES
HAVE VERSIONS OF BAKLAVA,
MOST CONSIST OF FILO PASTRY
FILLED WITH NUTS DRENCHED
IN HONEY OR SYRUP.
GALAKTOBOUREKO IS FILO FILLED
WITH CUSTARD
AND COATED WITH SWEET SYRUP.
THIS VARIETY OF BAKLAVA
CALLED BURMA
IS MADE NOT WITH FILO DOUGH,
LIKE CLASSIC BAKLAVA,
BUT WITH KATAIFI,
SHREDDED WHEAT DOUGH.
BURMA, LIKE CLASSIC
FILO BAKLAVA,
CONTAINS WHOLE PISTACHIOS,
NEVER PISTACHIO POWDER.
THIS BURMA CHEF POURS
GRANULATED SUGAR OVER
THE PISTACHIO KERNELS.
NEXT, HE SPRINKLES ROSE WATER,
ALTHOUGH THIS INGREDIENT
IS OPTIONAL,
THEN SYRUP MADE
WITH SUGAR,
WATER, CINNAMON AND NUTMEG
AS WELL AS LEMON
TO PREVENT THE SUGAR
FROM LATER CRYSTALLIZING.
HE MIXES BY HAND TO
THOROUGHLY COAT THE KERNELS.
THE KATAIFI IS MADE
OF ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR,
MILK AND WATER.
THE CHEF LAYS OUT
A SECTION OF DOUGH,
THEN TAKES A HANDFUL
OF PISTACHIO
FILLING AND PLACES
IT ON THE DOUGH,
FORMING A LINE
RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE.
FOR A BURMA LOAF THIS SIZE,
THE FILLING IS ABOUT
AN INCH WIDE AND HIGH.
HE FOLDS THE END CLOSED
AND ROLLS THE DOUGH AT AN ANGLE
DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE BURMA,
TIGHTLY ENCASING
THE FILLING AS HE GOES.
AT THE END, HE FOLDS
THE OPPOSITE END CLOSED.
IT TAKES A BURMA CHEF MONTHS
TO PERFECT THIS TECHNIQUE.
HE PLACES IT ON A TRAY
TO AIR-DRY FOR 24 HOURS
TO ENSURE THE DOUGH
MAINTAINS ITS ROLLED SHAPE.
UNLIKE CLASSIC BAKLAVA,
WHICH IS BAKED, BURMA IS FRIED.
AND THE RISK OF
BURNING THE PISTACHIOS
MAKES THIS THE MOST TECHNICALLY
CHALLENGING TYPE
OF BAKLAVA TO MAKE.
THE CHEF FRIES THE LOAVES
FOR 3 MINUTES IN OIL HEATED
TO AROUND
350 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
TURNING THEM
ONCE PER MINUTE.
HE LETS THE OIL DRAIN
OFF FOR HALF AN HOUR.
THEN, HE POURS
WARM CARAMELIZED
SUGAR OVER THE LOAVES
AND LETS THEM SOAK
FOR 20 MINUTES.
THE SUGAR-TO-WATER RATIO
AND THE BOILING TIME
OF THE CARAMELIZED
SUGAR HAVE TO BE JUST RIGHT.
OTHERWISE, IT WILL BECOME
EITHER TOO HARD
OR TO GOOEY WHEN IT COOLS.
AFTER LETTING
THE EXCESS DRAIN OFF,
THE LOAVES REST
FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS.
THEN THE CHEF ROLLS
THE LOAF TO FLATTEN
OUT THE BUMPS
AND SLICES
IT INTO EQUAL PIECES.
BUT IF THERE'S
A PROTRACTED BATTLE
WAGING BETWEEN YOUR SWEET
TOOTH AND YOUR WILLPOWER,
YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME
TO WORK YOUR WAY
THROUGH A BOX OF BURMA
BECAUSE IT STAYS
FRESH FOR 2 WEEKS.
TO MAKE GALAKTOBOUREKO,
THE CHEF BEGINS
WITH TWO INGREDIENTS,
MILK AND SEMOLINA.
AFTER BRINGING THE MILK
TO A BOIL,
HE GRADUALLY ADDS THE SEMOLINA
WHILE WHISKING AND LOWERING
THE TEMPERATURE.
ONCE THE MIX THICKENS,
HE SETS IT ASIDE TO COOL.
IN A SEPARATE BOWL,
THE CHEF WHISKS EGGS,
ADDS VANILLA,
THEN LEMON OR ORANGE RIND.
OTHER OPTIONS ARE ORANGE
BLOSSOM OR ROSE WATER EXTRACT.
HE TRANSFERS THE INGREDIENTS
TO AN ELECTRIC MIXER,
ADDS BUTTER AND SUGAR.
THEN HE ADDS THE SEMOLINA
AND MILK MIXTURE.
THIS MIXTURE MUST BE COOL
SO THAT THE EGGS DON'T COOK.
ONCE EVERYTHING
IS THOROUGHLY BLENDED,
THE GALAKTOBOUREKO
CUSTARD IS READY.
THE CHEF NOW TURNS HIS ATTENTION
TO THE FILO DOUGH.
HE STACKS 24
PARCHMENT-THIN SHEETS
OF FILO AND SLICES
THEM INTO SQUARES.
HE PLACES ONE SCOOPFUL
OF CUSTARD
IN THE CENTER OF EACH SQUARE.
THE TRADITIONAL GREEK WAY
IS TO ROLL THE SQUARES
OR BAKE A LARGE GALAKTOBOUREKO
IN A PAN
AND THEN CUT IT
INTO SQUARES.
HOWEVER, THIS CHEF FOLDS
OVER EACH SQUARE
TO MAKE LEBANESE-STYLE
TRIANGLES.
HE DOUSES THE TOP
WITH CLARIFIED BUTTER,
BUTTER THAT'S BEEN BOILED
TO SEPARATE OUT THE SOLIDS
AND LEAVE JUST THE OIL.
THEN HE BAKES THE PASTRIES
FOR 45 MINUTES
AT 325 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE GOLDEN-BAKED TOP SHINES
THANKS TO THE CLARIFIED BUTTER.
THE CHEF COOKS THE SAME SYRUP
HE MADE FOR THE BAKLAVA,
SUGAR, WATER, CINNAMON,
NUTMEG AND LEMON
AND GENEROUSLY DRIZZLES
THE MIXTURE ALL OVER
THE GALAKTOBOUREKOS.
HE SPRINKLES ON CINNAMON
FOR TRADITIONAL FLAVOR
AND SOME CRUSHED PISTACHIOS
FOR DECORATION.
