Boureki

Boureki is a typical recipe from the Greek island of Crete. Its name comes from the Turkish "börek" which means pie. It is a very easy recipe to prepare although it requires a long baking time (I will give you a trick to shorten this time). There are several ways to prepare it, although the one I present to you is the simplest and exactly the same as how it is prepared in the Hania area of ​​the island.

INGREDIENTS (4 diners):

• 5 medium potatoes
• 5 courgettes also medium
• Half a kilo (1.1 lbs) of cheese*
• chopped mint
• extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

* The cheese used in the original Boureki is called Mizithra and is native to the island, so hopes of finding it outside of Greece are slim. In Cyprus there is a similar cheese called Anarí while in the rest of the world we can use Ricotta, Khoya, Rhekeijao, Requeson or Mató cheese. Feta cheese is indicated in some recipes but, as Greek as it is, I don't think it is highly recommended because its flavor is too intense for this particular recipe.

First we are going to cook the whole potatoes without skin. This cooking will reduce the baking time and will prevent us from having to "burn" the courgettes to soften the potatoes. 15 minutes in boiling water will be more than enough since it is not necessary or desirable for the potatoes to soften completely.

In a flat dish that can go in the oven, we will make a first layer of thin slices with half of the available potatoes. Add a little oil and a little salt. On top we will make another layer with half of the courgettes cut into very thin slices and without peeling. On them we will distribute all the laminated cheese so that it covers well. Sprinkle the chopped mint (a tablespoon). Now we make another layer of potato slices and top with the final layer of zucchini. Press down hard to flatten the cake. Salt and pour a splash of olive oil. Some prefer to finish the layers with more cheese, it goes to taste.

We put in the oven previously heated to 180 degrees (356 F). It is advisable to cover the fountain with a sheet of aluminum foil so that the water from the cabacines does not escape and helps to "weld" the layers. The time will always depend on the state of the potatoes, but this may well be an hour or more until they soften completely. Don't worry too much if the zucchini on the top turns black as it contains a lot of water and cooks in much less time than potatoes. If that blackening bothers you, you should cook the potatoes longer and thus shorten the baking time even more.

It is a first course that can also be served as an accompaniment to grilled meats.