Paskies me Prozimi (Lamb and Cheese Pie with Sourdough)

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~ Ingredients: ~ For the Pastry: ~ 1 kilo of hard flour ~ 750 grams of soft flour ~ 1 cup of sourdough starter ~ 175 grams of vegetable shortening ~ 4 cups of warm water ~ 3/4 of a cup of corn oil ~ 3/4 tsp of salt ~ 1/4 tsp of mastic ~ 1/4 tsp of mahleb kernels	~ For the Filling: ~ 1 kilo of boneless lamb ~ 4 onions finely chopped ~ Corn oil for frying ~ 3 cups of “Village” cheese or grated Kefalotiri ~ 1 1/2 cup of grated Halloumi cheese ~ 1/2 a cup of grated Cheddar cheese ~ 1/2 a cup of self raising flour ~ 5 eggs (as many as needed) ~ 1/5 tsp of mastic ~ 1/5 tsp of mahleb kernels ~ 1/2 cup of sourdough starter ~ 1 egg lightly beaten for glazing the filling ~ Fresh mint finely chopped to taste ~ Salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste
~ For Glazing: ~ 500 grams of sesame seeds ~ 1-2 eggs lightly beaten ~ The above ingredients should make 11-12 Paskies. ~ Adjust ingredients as needed.

 

~ It is a long process to make Paskies me Prozimi (Lamb and Cheese Pie with Sourdough) and it acquires passion for cooking and at the end is worth it. ~ Preparation of the cheese and sourdough: ~ If you are using “Village” cheese, buy the cheese three weeks prior making the Paskies, place in cheese cloth and hang for 3-4 days in a shady airy place to remove most of the water and dry. ~ After the 3-4 days of hanging, place in a tray and leave uncovered for another 3-4 days. ~ Store in the fridge uncovered for the remaining time until you are ready to use it. ~ Also for the same period of time, place the Cheddar cheese in the fridge uncovered to dry. ~ About a week before you start baking, remove the Halloumi cheese from the packing that is coming in and also place in the fridge uncovered to dry. ~ The day before making the filling, we refresh the sourdough starter. ~ Place the 1/2 a cup sourdough starter in a bowl and add 1/2 level tsp of salt, add 1/2 a cup of warm water and dissolve with your hands. ~ Add a little bit at a time the hard flour (about 4 cups) and knead well until the dough is no longer sticking to your hands. ~ In another bowl, put 1/4 cup of hard flour and transfer 1 1/2 a cup of the refreshed starter shaped into a ball. ~ With a knife, make a cross in the center of the ball, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of flour, cover with a kitchen towel and a woolen cloth and set aside for about 21 hours until it rises and cracks. ~ With this starter, 1/2 a cup will be used to make the filling and 1 cup will be used for making the pastry the following day. ~ If any starter is left, put some salt on the bottom of a container (preferably plastic with cover) place the remaining starter in it, make a cross with a knife, cover with kitchen towel and set aside for a day or two until it rises and cracks. ~ Cover the container with the lid and place in the freezer for future use. ~ After the 21 hours have past, leaving the starter to rise, we prepare the filling: ~ In a large enough bowl, add the three kinds of cheeses (grated) and mix to combine. ~ Add the self raising flour, mastic and mahleb cherry kernels crushed with some flour. ~ Make a hole in the middle of the bowl by pushing the cheese aside and add the 1/2 a cup of the refreshed starter. ~ Add 4 eggs to the starter and work with your hands until they are fully combined. ~ Knead in the grated cheeses by adding the other egg and mint. ~ The cheese filling mixture should not be stiff as the meat will be added to it the following day. ~ Press the filling with your hands to make an even surface and brush with some lightly beaten egg. ~ Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for about 16 hours to rise and have a spongy texture. ~ Meat Preparation: ~ Wash and cut the meat in small cubes about 3-4 cm. ~ Pour the corn oil into a sauce pan and fry the meat on all sides until is half cooked. ~ Add the chopped onions, salt and pepper to taste, cinnamon, some water and simmer until the meat is cooked. ~ Place the meat mixture into a strainer to drain the excess oil and store in the fridge overnight. ~ The following day, add the meat mixture to the cheese mixture and mix well until they are combined. ~ Preparation of the pastry: ~ In a large enough bowl mix the two kinds of flour, add the salt, mahleb cherry kernels crushed with some flour and mix. ~ Add the shortening and corn oil and rub with your hands until is crumbly. ~ Make a hole in the center by pushing the flour aside and add 1 cup of sourdough starter. ~ Add 2 cups of warm water and work with your hands to dissolve the starter. ~ Gradually add the other two cups of water and knead into a stiff dough. ~ Roll out a piece of dough about 3 mm thick and about 17 cm in diameter sheet and press gently into the sesame seeds so the stick to the bottom side. ~ Place about 6 heaped tsp of filling in the center of each round pastry sheet. ~ Roll out another piece of dough into a 15 cm round sheet, press gently into the sesame seeds and cover the filling (sesame side up). ~ Overlap the bottom sheet with the top sheet and seal the edges crimping them with your fingers. ~ Continue the above directions until all dough and filling is used. ~ Cover all Paskies with kitchen towels and set aside for about 4 hours to rise. ~Place in a lightly greased baking pans, brush with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius (see conversions). ~ When they rise, reduce the oven temperature to 170 degrees Celsius (see conversions) and bake until they are golden brown. ~ Paskies me Prozimi (Lamb and Cheese Pie) can be eaten hot or cold. ~ Paskies are still made in some villages of Paphos Cyprus and they are usually made on Holy Saturday after they slaughter their traditional lamb for the Easter celebration. ~ Good luck and enjoy.