Turkish Pistachio Baklava (Antep style)
Recipe No.: W-89
InternationalTurkish150 minServes 24
Baklava is a sweet of Ottoman cuisine, said to have reached its peak in the kitchens of Topkapı Palace. It is told that the sultan sent trays of baklava to the Janissaries in the middle of Ramadan in what became known as the "baklava procession". The city of Gaziantep is known for a version with green Aleppo pistachios and paper-thin layers. The secret of its quality is the contrast of temperatures: cool syrup is poured over hot baklava straight from the oven, so it stays crisp and does not turn soggy.
Origin of the dish: Turkey (Gaziantep is famous for it) — A long-standing Ottoman sweet; the city of Gaziantep is famous for its pistachio baklava
Photo: 2018-04-28 Turkish baklava in Australian turkish cafe.jpg by Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ingredients for Turkish Pistachio Baklava
- 450 gphyllo (yufka) sheets (about 30), thawed in the fridge
- 400 graw unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 250 gmelted (or clarified) butter
- 2 cups(400 g) sugar (For the syrup)
- 1½ cups(350 ml) water
- 1 tsplemon juice
Method
- Make the syrup first: boil the sugar and water for 10 minutes with the lemon juice, then let it cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 175°C and butter a 24×32 cm tray.
- Lay 15 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter before adding the next.
- Spread the chopped pistachios evenly, then cover with 15 more sheets, buttering them one by one and leaving the top sheet generously buttered.
- Cut the tray with a sharp knife into diamonds or squares before baking, cutting through all the layers to the bottom, and pour the remaining butter over the pieces.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes until golden, rotating the tray halfway.
- Pour the cool syrup over the baklava while it is hot, straight from the oven, and leave for at least 4 hours before serving.
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