The Perfect Borag: Cooking Frozen Cheese Delicacy

Cheese borag is a delicious Armenian dish that can be served as a savoury appetiser or a sweet dessert. The recipe varies depending on the chef’s regional roots and personal preferences. For instance, some recipes include spinach, while others include meat with onions. In terms of cooking time, it depends on whether you are cooking the dish from frozen or not. If you are cooking the dish from frozen, preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If you are cooking the dish from a non-frozen state, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

How to prepare the filling

The filling is a key component of cheese borags, and the process of preparing it is relatively simple. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a delicious and flavourful filling:

Ingredients

Firstly, gather your ingredients. The specific ingredients and their quantities may vary depending on the recipe you are following and your personal preferences. However, the following ingredients are commonly used:

• Cheese: This is the star ingredient of cheese borags. You can use a variety of cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Muenster, cream cheese, ricotta, feta, cottage cheese, or a combination of these.
• Spinach: Fresh spinach leaves should be blanched, drained, and chopped. Frozen spinach can also be used, but make sure to thaw and drain it thoroughly.
• Eggs: You will need a few eggs, with some recipes calling for beaten eggs and others for whole eggs.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is preferred, and it should be melted before using.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley leaves, chopped, add a nice herbal flavour to the filling.
• Spices and Seasonings: Cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper are commonly used to enhance the flavour of the filling. You can adjust the amounts to suit your taste preferences.

Mixing the Filling

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the spinach, cheeses, beaten egg(s), parsley, and seasonings. Mix all the ingredients together until they are well blended and evenly distributed. The mixture should be thick and creamy, with the spinach and cheeses combined.

Adjusting the Flavour and Consistency

Once you have mixed the filling, it is important to taste and adjust the seasoning. This is a crucial step to ensure the filling has the right balance of flavours. You can add more salt, pepper, or cayenne pepper to suit your taste. Additionally, if the mixture seems too dry, you can add a small amount of milk to adjust the consistency. However, be careful not to make it too wet, as this can affect the texture of the borags.

Preparing for Assembly

Once you are happy with the flavour and consistency of the filling, it is ready to be used. Keep the filling covered and set it aside while you prepare the phyllo dough. It is important to work quickly and efficiently when assembling the borags, as the phyllo dough can dry out and become brittle if left exposed to the air for too long.

Tips and Variations

• Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese to find your favourite combination. Just ensure that the total amount of cheese used is proportionate to the other ingredients.
• If you want to add some extra vegetables, you can try chopped scallions or fresh dill. These can provide a nice flavour boost and a bit of colour to your borags.
• For a more indulgent option, you can increase the amount of butter used in the filling. This will make the borags richer and more flaky.

Phyllo dough preparation

Phyllo dough is a Greek pastry dough that is known for its thin, flaky layers. It is traditionally made by carefully stretching a flour-and-water dough across a table until it is paper-thin. While it is possible to make phyllo dough at home, it is also readily available in most supermarkets in frozen form.

If you are using frozen phyllo dough, it is important to handle it with care. Remove the phyllo dough from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you want to use it. Phyllo dough dries out very quickly, so it is important to keep the stack of sheets covered with a slightly damp dish towel at all times. You can also use cooking spray between the layers to create a flaky texture.

Phyllo dough is typically used in multiple layers, with butter or oil brushed on each layer to add flavour and crispness. The number of layers you will need depends on the final shape of your pastry. For example, a pastry with a lot of folds, like a triangle, will need fewer sheets to start with as they will get layered as they are folded. Typically, phyllo dishes should have a finished thickness of 3 to 10 sheets per layer.

When baking with phyllo dough, it is important to butter the top layer of pastry before placing it in the oven to create a nice golden-brown top. Phyllo pastries can often be brittle when baked, so it is recommended to use a serrated knife to cut the finished dish.

Phyllo dough can be used to create a variety of sweet and savoury dishes, such as strudels, triangles, turnovers, or full-size dishes like baklava or spinach pie. Almost anything can be used as a filling for phyllo pastries, but most fillings, with the exception of some fruit fillings, should be completely cooked before stuffing the phyllo.

Folding the borags

To fold the borags, you will need to follow these steps:

First, take the dough out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before using it. Phyllo dough dries out very quickly when exposed to air, so it's important to keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel while you work.

If using large phyllo sheets, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Use one half sheet for each borag. Cover the other sheets first with plastic wrap, then a damp towel, while folding each borag.

Now, fold each half sheet in half lengthwise. Brush the surface with melted butter.

For each borag, place a spoonful of filling at the end of the folded dough that’s closest to you. Begin folding, as though you were folding a flag – on the diagonal from corner to corner, creating a triangular shape. If there is extra dough at the top, simply trim it off or tuck it under.

Continue folding your borags until you run out of filling or dough. Remember to keep the folded borags covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

Baking instructions

Firstly, preheat your oven to 350°F. If you are using a fan-assisted oven, you may need to reduce the temperature by a small amount, in line with the manufacturer's instructions.

Take the frozen borag out of the freezer and remove any plastic wrap or wax paper that separates the layers. Place the borag on a baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, you can butter the baking sheet to prevent sticking.

Brush the top of the borag with melted butter. You can melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave.

Place the borag in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The borag is ready when it is a light golden brown colour. If you are cooking from frozen, the borag may need an extra 5 minutes or so in the oven.

Remove the borag from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Freezing instructions

To freeze cheese borags, first, prepare the borags as you normally would before baking. Then, instead of baking them, place them in a plastic container, making sure to use plastic wrap or waxed paper between each stacked layer to prevent them from sticking together. Cover the container tightly with a lid, label it, date it, and freeze.

There is no need to defrost the frozen cheese borags before baking them. Simply preheat your oven to 350°F and bake the frozen borags for 10 to 12 minutes.

When freezing cheese, it is important to note that not all cheeses freeze well. Harder cheeses with lower moisture content, such as cheddar, Swiss, or Parmesan, freeze better than softer cheeses. Freezing cheese will affect its texture, making it more crumbly and difficult to slice or grate. Therefore, frozen cheese is best used for melting or cooking rather than serving fresh.

To freeze cheese, it should be cut into smaller portions and grated or shredded if possible. It should then be wrapped tightly to protect it from freezer burn and odours. Vacuum sealing is the best method, followed by wrapping in parchment paper and then foil. As a last resort, a freezer bag can be used, ensuring as much air as possible is removed. Label the cheese with the type and date before placing it in the freezer.

Frozen cheese can be stored for up to two months when vacuum-sealed or one month when wrapped in parchment and foil. When using a freezer bag, it is recommended to consume the cheese within two weeks.

Frequently asked questions