Puff Pastry Meat Pies (Talas Boregi)

1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
500g minced lamb or beef
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
30g pine nuts
2 tbsp currants or small black raisins
Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
400g puff pastry
1 egg, separated


Filling:
Fry the onion in oil till soft, add the minced meat seasoning and spices. Turn the meat over and crush with a fork to break up lumps. Cook for about 10 minutes, till the meat isn’t pink and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the pine nuts, currants or raisins, and the parsley, then let it cool.

Cut the puff pastry into 4 pieces. Roll each piece out in a square or rectangle, large enough to make an eventual flat parcel of about 18cm x 10cm. Roll on a floured surface with a floured pin, Turning the sheets often and dusting with flour as you go. spread a quarter of the meat onto half of one of the sheets, leaving a margin around the three edges. Brush the edges with egg white to make them stick better. Fold over , trim the edges and pinch to seal. Place the pies, turned over, smooth side up on an oiled baking tray. Brush the tops with egg yolk with a drop of water in it. Bake at 180c/350f 25-30 min.

This is a Turkish recipe from Arabesque . The cinnamon and the pine nuts and raisins are what make this a really nice pie. They really give it the Turkish feel. These were a big hit with us and with the boys too, but then what kid doesn't love a pie.

They are actually super easy to make too, so if you are looking for something new to do with hamburger, here ya go.