Kourkoubinia

I know it’s cliched but the simple things in life are often the most satisfying. In this instance, Kourkoubinia hit the spot.

Kourkoubinia are little logs of rolled phyllo that get fried until golden then dunked in syrup. They are crunchy, they are sweet and my oh my…addictive!

Think of these as sweet phyllo bites. It’s their simplicity that makes them so decadent.

You can always purchase these from a Greek patisserie but they are fun to make at home too!

A few notes of caution when making them:

• syrup room temp/kourkoubinia hot
• roll them tightly but not too tight
• make sure you brush the ends with water to help seal your phyllo logs
• fry them in moderately hot oil so they cook throughout and don’t unravel
• you may use a vegetable oil to fry
• use Greek honey instead of syrup

You could also make this recipe if you have leftover phyllo sheets from another recipe (and you don’t want to refreeze).

Kourkoubinia

For the Syrup

4 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

half a lemon

3 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Kourkoubinia

1 package of Phyllo pastry (usually 20 sheets), defrosted overnight in fridge

approx. 1 cup olive oil for drizzling

Olive oil for drying

1. For the syrup, add all ingredients (except vanilla) in a medium pot and over medium heat bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 14 minutes. Remove from the heat, add vanilla and allow syrup to cool completely. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon and discard.
2. Before working with your phyllo, take out of the fridge and allow 15 minutes to come up to room temp.
3. Take your phyllo sheets out of the package and cover with a slightly moist tea towel to protect the phyllo from drying out.
4. Take a sheet of phyllo with the short side facing you. Drizzle with olive oil and brush the top end with water. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top, drizzle again with oil and roll up from the bottom to top, leaving about 2 cm. unrolled.
5. Brush the top end with water and finish the roll.
6. Repeat with the other sheets of phyllo. You should have approx. 10 logs. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
7. Place a medium sized pot on your stovetop and add about 2 inches of olive oil. Bring the oil up to a temp of 325F.
8. Using a sharp knife, cut the phyllo into 1 inch pieces. Fry your Kourkoubinia in batches until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon (allow for excess oil to drain off) then place in your pot of room temp. syrup.
9. Gently stir in the Kourkoubinia and allow to sit in the syrup for about a minute then remove with a slotted spoon.
10. Serve warm or room temp. They may be stored room temp. in a covered container for 1 week (if they last that long).

© 2020, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.