Makes 4 boureka sandwiches
When people ask me what my favorite dish is, I usually answer, “Can you have a favorite child?!” Well if I could have a favorite child, they would be named “boureka” because this, my friends, is probably it. In fact, the first place I head when I get off the airplane upon landing in Israel is to Giveret Boureka in Machane Yehuda Shuk in Jerusalem for a fully loaded stuffed boureka sandwich. It’s not a snack, it’s not finger food, it’s a MEAL. You pick your boureka (always, always potato!), and they stuff it with hard-boiled eggs, tahini, schug, chimichurri, resek, and Israeli pickles on the side. If I ever end up on that show The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network, you know where we’re going!
4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into medium chunks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (Pepperidge Farm recommended)
1 extra-large egg, for egg wash
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
4 peeled and sliced hard-boiled eggs, Extra-Creamy Tahini , Smoky Harissa , Schug , and Israeli pickles and/or pickled hot peppers, for serving
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold salted water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain well and place in a medium bowl.
3 Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until no lumps remain. Stir in the butter, garlic, salt, and pepper and set aside to let the potatoes cool completely. Once the mixture is cool, add the egg yolks and stir until creamy.
4 Unfold one sheet of the puff pastry onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a rectangle about 10 × 14 inches. Cut the sheet in half so you have two 5 × 7-inch rectangles. Spread about 1 cup of the potato filling over the short end of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the empty side of the pastry dough over the side with the filling and press down on the edges with a fork to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and potatoes.
5 In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Brush the bourekas with the egg wash and sprinkle with ½ tablespoon sesame seeds per boureka.
6 Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
7 Briefly cool the bourekas and then slice them in half horizontally through the top layer so that it opens like a book. Fill the bourekas with sliced eggs, Extra-Creamy Tahini, Smoky Harissa, and Schug. Serve with Israeli pickles.