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1
Make the Cheese Filling
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the crumbled feta, grated mozzarella, parsley and dill in a bowl and mix with your hands until the herbs are evenly scattered through the cheese. Taste a pinch: it should be salty and herby, with no extra salt needed. Divide the mixture into 20 small logs, about a tablespoon each, so every roll gets the same filling.
Shaping the filling into logs first is what keeps the rolls even — a spoonful scooped straight from the bowl always ends up uneven.
Done when: The filling holds together in logs and tastes salty and herby.
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2
Cut the Phyllo into Triangles
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lay one phyllo triangle on a board with the wide end facing you and the point away from you. Work with one triangle at a time and keep the rest under the damp towel. Brush the triangle very lightly with beaten egg — this is the glue, not a coating.
If a sheet tears, patch it with a scrap of phyllo and a dab of egg — once rolled, no one will ever see it.
Done when: The triangle lies flat, brushed with a thin film of egg, with no dry cracks.
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3
Roll the Cigars
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Place one log of filling along the wide end of the triangle, fold the two side corners in over the ends of the filling, and roll up firmly towards the point. Brush the tip with a little more egg to seal it shut. Repeat until you have 20 thin cigars, each about the length of your hand. Roll them snugly — a loose roll unravels in the oil.
Roll with your fingertips, not your palms — palms press the filling out of the ends.
Done when: Each roll is a tight, even cigar with the filling sealed inside and the tip glued down.
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4
Fry Until Golden and Crisp
8 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan to about 175°C (350°F) — a cube of bread should sizzle and brown in about 30 seconds. Fry the rolls in batches of 5, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden all over and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. The cheese inside will be molten, so let them sit for 1 minute before serving.
Do not crowd the pan: too many rolls at once drops the oil temperature and the pastry turns greasy instead of crisp.
Done when: Deep golden brown all over, crisp to the touch, with no pale or soggy patches.
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5
Drain and Serve at Once
2 Mins
Serve hot, about 70°C (160°F)
Sprinkle the rolls with nothing at all — the feta is salty enough. Serve immediately on a warm plate with ayran and salad. If you must hold them, keep them in a single layer on a wire rack in a warm oven, never stacked in a covered bowl, or the steam softens the pastry.
A wire rack, not paper, keeps the undersides crisp while you fry the next batch.
Done when: The rolls are hot, crisp and dry to the touch, with melted cheese inside.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve hot, straight from the pan, with a glass of cold ayran and a tomato salad. Sigara boregi waits for no one — the pastry softens as it cools, so eat it within minutes of frying.
Turkey
50m
